Steve Bruce

[peterms]

17 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

You go support the side regardless of style of football

I don't think it works like that, Dem.

There are no doubt many people who will dutifully turn up time and again regardless of what's on offer. 

Lots more will slowly drift away.

I would hope the board understand that fans will not continue to show up no matter what, and that the experience has to deliver some sort of return for the time, effort and money invested.

[striker]

Another thing that annoys me concerning Bruce is the use of the word "challenging." He's been using that in practically every interview. Does that mean challenging for a playoff spot or automatic promotion?

I know it's a minor detail and I guess you have to earn what you get but the cynical side of me is thinking that using the word "challenging" covers a lot of bases for him if Villa only manage to reach the playoffs. My worry is that reaching the playoffs would be seen as a successful season by Bruce even if Villa weren't promoted when you consider his recent comments about arresting Villa's apparent slide into League One.

I'd like him to be more decisive in what he really thinks is possible for Villa this season and would love someone to tie him down on this when being interviewed.

Edited September 24, 2017 by striker

[bannedfromHandV]

It's a results business and right now he's getting those results, you can chew the fat over how he's doing it til the cows come home but bottom line right now is that we're showing promotion form

 

For balance, I was a bit pissed off again yesterday that we ended up hanging on for the win, in all honesty aside from the free kick we did nothing in that second half and could easily have lost, but we didn't. 

 

The thing is, us not playing well for 90 minutes isn't a Bruce related issue, we've been this way for years now, how we remedy that is beyond me, I just hope it's not beyond Bruce. 

[macandally]

Was out last night so just watched the game and all I could think of all the way through, is how good we could be if we actually had some structure and coaching?  If we kept the ball like Forest, we would create so many more chances and get promoted at a canter.  Instead we we have a dire structure, no out balls bar a punt into the channel and we rely on hopefully one or two of our players to step up and show their quality.

i appreciate some people will just be happy with the three points (including Bruce judging by his face), but this coaching, this Manager and this way of playing could kill the club.  It has no longevity and it smacks of short termism to protect Bruce's position.

we needed to go up last year and didn't, we desperately need to this year and some will use this as an excuse for what we are seeing.  For me, Getting promoted and playing good football are not mutually exclusive, with the right management team in place, we could go up in the top two, with momentum and a playing style that the squad are brought into and understand.   That is never going to happen under Bruce and increasingly, under Round and Wyness.  I feel these three have had Tony Xias pants down.

[Demitri_C]

1 hour ago, Stevo985 said:

You've literally just had a dig at them too, but I was being harsh? 

Calling someone dicks and saying someone is selfish are completely different things i am actually confused that you are alluding both to be anywhere near the same 

Bit you have apologised so as far as i am concerned matter over with

 

[Stevo985]

1 minute ago, Demitri_C said:

Calling someone dicks and saying someone is selfish are completely different things i am actually confused that you are alluding both to be anywhere near the same 

Bit you have apologised so as far as i am concerned matter over with

 

They're being selfish which makes them dicks, imo.

Either way, it's a pretty shitty way to act.

[Demitri_C]

1 hour ago, peterms said:

I don't think it works like that, Dem.

There are no doubt many people who will dutifully turn up time and again regardless of what's on offer. 

Lots more will slowly drift away.

I would hope the board understand that fans will not continue to show up no matter what, and that the experience has to deliver some sort of return for the time, effort and money invested.

Fair point better. But look at successful teams like united they play dire football under mourinho but the fans still turn up. Under bruce the doitball was always going to be poor standard. Its been a while since ive seen a manger play attractive football at villa.

[Grasshopper]

3 hours ago, villarocker said:

I thought the defence was ropey last night. How many times did the slightest bit of movement from Daryl Murphy give him a chance at goal? There were two occasions when he was surrounded by 4 Villa shirts yet he still got a header in at goal. I'm pretty sure that he didn't even move on the one occasion and just found that the ball came straight to him and he just had to head it goalwards. 

at one corner there were 8 (yes 8 in our box) v Daryl Murphy, he won the geader AND should have scored.

[markavfc40]

5 hours ago, DCJonah said:

Have to say thought his post match comments were good. Much better attitude than previously. Acknowledged the start to the season wasn't good enough and that's why he was asked serious questions, used the word slightly to describe us improving and said there's a long way to go. 

It was humble and it that kind of interview will do more to build back bridges with those he's lost than his aggressive ones. 

This time next week we could be top 6 and if I'm honest that will start to get me back on side believing in him.

I think this is a very fair post mate and I know you have been a big critic of Bruce but this just goes to show that all any of us want is us to get positive results. There is no anti Bruce agenda.

His comments after the match yesterday were more in tune with what he should have been saying last week. I don't know where he was coming from with the mass hysteria crap as certainly in terms of where it matters on the terraces there hasn't been any and if anything the supporters have been really patient. He has consistently said himself that at the games the fans have been excellent.

As you say big week coming up now and hopefully come the end of it we will be on 19 points, in the top 6, on a run of 8 games undefeated and 4 wins on the spin. That will be a very good foundation to kick on from.

[Grasshopper]

1 hour ago, Stevo985 said:

No offence, but your sons sound like dicks. 

I honestly can not believe that I just read that

[Guest av1]

2 hours ago, markavfc40 said:

I wouldn't bee too concerned about that. Certainly yesterday it seemed to be a ploy to allow them to have the ball up until the half way line before closing them down. They had a lot of possession in their own defensive third.

I think it could become a tactic we use quite often to draw teams forward before winning the ball back and breaking quickly.

Shit analogy alert.

But watching us play under Bruce reminds me of watching a tennis match. When 1 bloke is winning every service game to love, and the other fella is winning his games but being taken to deuce 4 or 5 times every time he's on serve. 

The game might be tied 5 games all, but you know the guy serving to love every game is going to win, because the other chap can't keep going to the well. 

Thats how i see Bruce. Yes we will win games, there is to much quality in the squad not to, but as i said earlier, you can't keep scrapping through games and expect long term success. 

[Grasshopper]

My last years Autumn Holiday resulted in RDM being sacked.

I'm off on holiday tomorrow, so I'll see this thread when I get back.

Hopefully @TrentVilla has moved it to other football

[VillaCas]

2 hours ago, Nigel said:

How in the world is villa winning games missing the big picture?

This is the main point!

Those who want Bruce gone presumably want him gone to get someone in to win games. However Bruce is actually winning games at the moment, the very thing we should all want!

what is important is the continuation of this run to get out of the league, nothing else!

You're still missing the point, maybe deliberately so? 

Of course you need wins, I'm not criticising Bruce for winning obviously. 

To gain promotion you need to string win after win together. I don't think Bruce can do that consistently enough

but if it will make you happy, congratulations Steve on a win yesterday, now f*** off and give someone who has a chance of delivering promotion a go

Better?

Edited September 24, 2017 by VillaCas

[Johnnyp]

Watching Sheffield utd tear Wednesday a new one playing some lovely expansive football with basically kids. Wilder trusts them though. Bruce won't  let doyle-hayes and o'hare near the first 11 in games that matter.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Johnnyp
mistake

[Zatman]

Concede majority of our goals this season just after half time. Not a good sign

[Mark Albrighton]

5 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Concede majority of our goals this season just after half time. Not a good sign

It is irritating, but I suppose it's preferable to conceding most our goals in the last ten minutes of the game which has felt like a Villa theme since as long as I can remember.

[Vive_La_Villa]

I personally don't think it's unreasonable to sack him now but only if we had a decent manager lined up. 

Results have improved but the way we play suggests to me it's just a matter of time we go on a bad run of results or have our arse handed to us by a Leeds of Wolves. 

People will say possession stats are not important. I disagree because it's our inability to string a few passes together that is keeping us constantly on the back foot in games.  It's something I can't get my head around because surely these players are more than capable of holding on to ball for longer than a minute! 

If Bruce can get us promoted as a team that wins ugly then I'm all for it. I just can't see it.

[VillaCas]

2 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

Fair enough i have no problem with those that wont think bruce wont take us up. None at all.  I think the issue is that despite their reservations they wont ever pafise bruce when he delivers, they will have something to complain about.

And for the record bruce made the right decsion in midweek ro rest the team as we got the 3 points. 

Bruce will get plenty of praise if he takes us up - his job is not defined by the week to week, it is defined across the season, it is to deliver a plan, a style and to build an ethos within the club that consistently delivers win after win after win. 

Nothing so far suggests he is close to that hence the lack of praise for individual wins

Edited September 24, 2017 by VillaCas

[Stevo985]

1 hour ago, Grasshopper said:

I honestly can not believe that I just read that

I honestly can't believe so many people are offended by me calling men who won't take their dad to the football because they can't be arsed, meaning he can't go at all even though he wants to, dicks.

That is dickish behaviour.

 

My dad was very restricted in his mobility towards the end of his life. I'd have walked over hot coals if it helped him do stuff he wanted to do. I can't imagine stopping him doing something he wanted to do because I found it a bit boring. 

If @villabromsgrove wants to go to the football and the only thing stopping him is his sons can't be arsed because they find Bruce's football boring, then they are acting like dicks.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Stevo985

[Villarocker]

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

Concede majority of our goals this season just after half time. Not a good sign

Makes you wonder what words of wisdom are spoken during the half time interval.