Steve Bruce

[TRO]

53 minutes ago, striker said:

Mmmm. I would hazard a guess that there are few if any teams in the Championship that have the same quality of player as Everton to warrant Villa playing two defensive midfielders.

If you also consider the results gained by Villa with more offensive players I would absolutely hate to see Bruce return to a more pragmatic approach against opposition that do not warrant that type of respect.

It was that approach which caused 'hysteria' in the first place.

 

Well, it was Man U i was referring to not Everton.

However Man U was offensive even with thst set up

i just said it would not get criticism from me if he chose to use it.

I get your point too....but Man U chose to use it against Everton At home.....they didn't think too derogatory of them....just thoughts.

[TRO]

10 minutes ago, Eastie said:

There are some fixtures I feel 2 holding players are merited mainly away from home , I would prefer us to play on the front foot at home though and we have several creative players to try and break down teams , I wouldn't want to stifle the creative side at the expense of 2 holding midfielders at home C

many teams will come to villa and invite us to break them down and sit deep - Everton had  a lot of flair in their team at united and that helped give united space to play . 

The vast number of teams that visit villa park will not  play  that way and will need to broken down . , as always tro I get your point  

And I accept yours.....I too would not want to see it played every week.

However, i think it is an option when its appropriate.

I would not have thought, Man U was in fear of Everton, so it would be interesting to hear why Jose played it....I personally think that there is more to holding players than many think.

[sne]

On the 2 holding midfielders you also have to include what kind of support the defenders add when attacking and in possession.

If we use Man U as example they had Valencia and Ashley Young as RB and LB today. That is 2 attacking wingers with loads of quality and pace.

If we are to play with 2 DCM's we can't have Hutton, Taylor or possibly even De Laet or Bree on the flanks. Elmo might work, as could possibly Amavi had done.

Chelsea when they had Kanté and Matic, had Moses and Alonso on the flanks with a back 3.

And so on.

From what I've seen so far (did not see the game yesterday) under Bruce our wide defenders have not had any where near this attacking intent that you need when playing with 2 slow sitting DCM's.

 

 

[Eastie]

8 minutes ago, TRO said:

Well, it was Man U i was referring to not Everton.

However Man U was offensive even with thst set up

i just said it would not get criticism from me if he chose to use it.

I get your point too....but Man U chose to use it against Everton At home.....they didn't think too derogatory of them....just thoughts.

So having just won 3-0 away with a more attacking line up and creating several chances you feel there is maybe a need to play 2 defensive midfielders and change things again .

Twice Bruce has hit on a decent formula with players looking more comfortable - let's hope he does not decide to change v forest and go negative again .

we as a team look better with width and playing on the front foot . 

Lets play to our players strengths and attack !

[villan-scott]

Interesting, Tom Ross saying he's spoken to someone at VP and another loss and Bruce is out. 

[Eastie]

16 minutes ago, villan-scott said:

Interesting, Tom Ross saying he's spoken to someone at VP and another loss and Bruce is out. 

 

However the tweet is not from tom Ross and the guy tweeted it seems to be a bullshitter reading his tweets so I'd say it's bollocks 

His account now been deleted and admitted he's a fake account - -probably a bluenose . 

Edited September 17, 2017 by Eastie

[TRO]

11 hours ago, Eastie said:

So having just won 3-0 away with a more attacking line up and creating several chances you feel there is maybe a need to play 2 defensive midfielders and change things again .

Twice Bruce has hit on a decent formula with players looking more comfortable - let's hope he does not decide to change v forest and go negative again .

we as a team look better with width and playing on the front foot . 

Lets play to our players strengths and attack !

Eastie No, thats not what i was saying....totally divorced from yesterdays game

I was responding to comments a while back about playing  2 holding players as typical Bruce.....and highlighting better managers using it.

I am not advocating it as our new style......just an option, when it suits.

[villan-scott]

14 minutes ago, Eastie said:

 

However the tweet is not from tom Ross and the guy tweeted it seems to be a bullshitter reading his tweets so I'd say it's bollocks 

His account now been deleted and admitted he's a fake account - -probably a bluenose . 

I've been done a kipper there...

[peterms]

45 minutes ago, TRO said:

However Man U was offensive even with thst set up

i just said it would not get criticism from me if he chose to use it.

Yes, but those players at DM are surely better passers and more able to switch into attack than Wheland and Jedinak.  I'd be surprised if Whelan and Jedinak could prove to be a partnership that is more than just defensive.

[Guest av1]

23 hours ago, Dick said:

If only Grealish was fit, we'd have played lovely attacking football, no hoofball, two up top AND we wouldn't have gone 7 at the back.

Shit football. Fear of attack. No fluid movement. Players all over the place. 11 months of bog standard hoofball. But that's fine, we won 3-0 and it was all **** hysteria. 

 

100% 

I'm a Villa fan, so chuffed to bits we managed to pick up 3 points. But my opinion on Bruce hasn't changed one iota on the back of winning a game at bloody Barnsley.

With the most expensively assembled squad in Championship history, the laws of averages dictate they will pick up a few good results along the way. 

Bruce is just a crap manager, thats why it took him 20 years to land a job at a big club, and he only got it once we reached the gutter. He is fast approaching his first year here (6 months depending on who you listen to) and its been sh#t. 

[TRO]

5 minutes ago, peterms said:

Yes, but those players at DM are surely better passers and more able to switch into attack than Wheland and Jedinak.  I'd be surprised if Whelan and Jedinak could prove to be a partnership that is more than just defensive.

I accept that.....so i guess we are also agreeing that players in the upper league and placings are generally more complete.

it opens so many more doors, when players are more complete.

Edited September 17, 2017 by TRO

[Eastie]

9 minutes ago, TRO said:

Eastie No, thats not what i was saying....totally divorced from yesterdays game

I was responding to comments a while back about playing  2 holding players as typical Bruce.....and highlighting better managers using it.

I am not advocating it as our new style......just an option, when it suits.

Looking at our fixtures I'd say wolves away could be the next case in point .

[TRO]

3 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Looking at our fixtures I'd say wolves away could be the next case in point .

Possibly or possibly Leeds away.....but its his nibs call.

Edited September 17, 2017 by TRO

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

I wonder if trying 3 up top would be ridiculous as suggested by someone earlier (maybe jokingly) in the thread.

Hogan/Davis/Kodjia up top with a holding mid could be the ultimate defence decimator, or midfield suicide. lol

 

[peterms]

8 minutes ago, TRO said:

I accept that.....so i guess we are also agreeing that players in the upper league and placings are generally more complete.

it opens so many more doors, when players are more complete.

They are generally better, but I'm sure there are players in the lower divisions who would be able to play a more versatile role than just defensive.  Looking at some of our past players from lower divisions, I'd say Delph, Barry and Westwood could all pass well and could combine defence and attack if necessary.   And of course Whelan and Jedinak were Prem players - it's just that they don't seem to be players who could perform a more fluid role combining attack and defence and switching between them, at least from what I've seen.  So while I agree with your general point that two DMs is not necessarily a negative tactic, I suggest that those two alongside each other would in practice be pretty defensive and not great at attacking.

[TRO]

11 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I wonder if trying 3 up top would be ridiculous as suggested by someone earlier (maybe jokingly) in the thread.

Hogan/Davis/Kodjia up top with a holding mid could be the ultimate defence decimator, or midfield suicide. lol

 

Who can say, yea or nay.

interesting listening to Graeme Souness talking on sky about the good teams defending from the front....which is another point to consider.

I guess Davis does exactly that.....Kodjia uses his ball control and shielding techniques....not so sure about Hogey

we would need to get the midfield right too

Edited September 17, 2017 by TRO

[TRO]

2 minutes ago, peterms said:

They are generally better, but I'm sure there are players in the lower divisions who would be able to play a more versatile role than just defensive.  Looking at some of our past players from lower divisions, I'd say Delph, Barry and Westwood could all pass well and could combine defence and attack if necessary.   And of course Whelan and Jedinak were Prem players - it's just that they don't seem to be players who could perform a more fluid role combining attack and defence and switching between them, at least from what I've seen.  So while I agree with your general point that two DMs is not necessarily a negative tactic, I suggest that those two alongside each other would in practice be pretty defensive and not great at attacking.

I guess Viera and Petit was also a good pairing.

[AvfcRigo82]

1 hour ago, villan-scott said:

Harry Redknapp finally discovers how to use twitter!

[AJ]

Watching Steve Bruce and Villa so far this season has been like looking down from your office window, and watching a lorry try and parallel park in front of your new car.

He is coming in all wrong. He has turned too soon. He look like he had it, but his corrections has muffed it. Its not looking good, and it could result in some real damage here. If he cant park the lorry, maybe someone else should have a go, or maybe he should piss off and park somewhere else away from my beautiful new car?

Steve Bruce has made the right start with his reversing, and I am hoping with much relief that he gets the job done. After all the anguish, I am hoping that whatever Steve Bruce is delivering in his lorry is worth it.

[AvfcRigo82]

20 minutes ago, AJ said:

Watching Steve Bruce and Villa so far this season has been like looking down from your office window, and watching a lorry try and parallel park in front of your new car.

He is coming in all wrong. He has turned too soon. He look like he had it, but his corrections has muffed it. Its not looking good, and it could result in some real damage here. If he cant park the lorry, maybe someone else should have a go, or maybe he should piss off and park somewhere else away from my beautiful new car?

Steve Bruce has made the right start with his reversing, and I am hoping with much relief that he gets the job done. After all the anguish, I am hoping that whatever Steve Bruce is delivering in his lorry is worth it.

After reading that.. i'm off to get 4 cans and watch the Ice road truckers boxset!

It will be more entertaining than the icey road Bruce has put us on!

Edited September 17, 2017 by AvfcRigo82