Steve Bruce

[TRO]

9 minutes ago, vreitti said:

I'd say Terry, Chester, Kodjia, Taylor, Whelan, Snodgrass, Onomah, Hourihane, Hogan, RMC, and even Lansbury are big money players in this league. Perhaps not quite man cityesque, but man urelike for sure.

No other team down here come even close imho. 

• 4 are not playing and unlikely to play for some time.
• whelan has been castigated by many and can't pass according to many too.
• Blues have signed a player more expensive than chester or lansbury & hourihane
• 2 are loans and one was rejected by West Ham as useless.

so he ain't doing too bad making it look respectable.

Individually ,you are over estimating things Imo......we have 45 million pounds worth of strikers, not available to the manager for various reasons.

However, i do think our bloke is making a resillient team of them, but we will know more on Friday night.

 

 

[sheepyvillian]

53 minutes ago, TRO said:

Conceding 2 in the last 4 minutes.

I guarantee if ,and when ,we ever do that under Bruce, you'll absolve him of all responsibility and put it down to the defenders not doing the basics right .

I'll take Smith's football over Bruce's every time, thank you. Considering the budget he's working with ,he's punching well above his weight,credit where it's due ,imo .

 

[TRO]

18 minutes ago, vreitti said:

Yes, sadly we have some 1274 pages of evidence of that.

650 are probably the one half, putting the other half right.

[sheepyvillian]

34 minutes ago, TRO said:

Listening to a group on the main event on sky talking about the teams in trouble in the Prem

• Everton
• Albion

etc

I'm glad we have Steve Bruce.

There's a surprise. 

[TRO]

6 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

I guarantee if ,and when ,we ever do that under Bruce, you'll absolve him of all responsibility and put it down to the defenders not doing the basics right .

I'll take Smith's football over Bruce's every time, thank you. Considering the budget he's working with ,he's punching well above his weight,credit where it's due ,imo .

 

In truth, you are right i would......i wouldn't blame Dean smith for that.

it was tongue in cheek and seen as some blame the manager for everything, i seen a cheeky opportunity to join in.

Edited November 27, 2017 by TRO

[TRO]

4 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

There's a surprise. 

If you listened to them talking alone.....it shouldn't be.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Well, anyone willing to replace stevie baby, with dean smith will have second thoughts tonight.

leading 2-0 at loftus rd in injury time and finish 2-2.

lasse vibe scores 2 good goals.....but defence wow.

I'll keep Steve for now  thanks.

Wtf I turned off and went to bed. Had money on Brentford too! Didn't even consider cashing out for a second. They were in complete control. 

The Championship for you! 

[Vive_La_Villa]

11 minutes ago, TRO said:

In truth, you are right i would......i wouldn't blame Dean smith for that.

it was tongue in cheek and seen as some blame the manager for everything, i seen a cheeky opportunity to join in.

He did bring an attacking player on at 2-0 up. Pretty naive. Maybe he still has a lot to learn. Bruce would have shut up shop.

[TRO]

16 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

I guarantee if ,and when ,we ever do that under Bruce, you'll absolve him of all responsibility and put it down to the defenders not doing the basics right .

I'll take Smith's football over Bruce's every time, thank you. Considering the budget he's working with ,he's punching well above his weight,credit where it's due ,imo .

 

But Brentford have scored no more goals than us, even with our poor start....and many of our key players injured.

[TRO]

8 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

He did bring an attacking player on at 2-0 up. Pretty naive. Maybe he still has a lot to learn. Bruce would have shut up shop.

I agree

But thats the way he plays.....i guess thats the attraction for some..but there is usually a trade off.

...its the cheeky point i was making.....but the centre halves should have kept them out.

Edited November 27, 2017 by TRO

[sheepyvillian]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

If you listened to them talking alone.....it shouldn't be.

I was referring to your unconditional love of all things Bruce, another tongue in cheek gone to waste. 

[vreitti]

10 hours ago, TRO said:

• 4 are not playing and unlikely to play for some time.
• whelan has been castigated by many and can't pass according to many too.
• Blues have signed a player more expensive than chester or lansbury & hourihane
• 2 are loans and one was rejected by West Ham as useless.

so he ain't doing too bad making it look respectable.

Individually ,you are over estimating things Imo......we have 45 million pounds worth of strikers, not available to the manager for various reasons.

However, i do think our bloke is making a resillient team of them, but we will know more on Friday night.

 

 

Maybe I am, but the question was whether he's had "big money" signings or not. 45 million pounds worth of strikers would suggest that's true. Their subsequent form, lack of interest, and/or Bruce's usage of said strikers/players is another issue altogether.

But I concur, he isn't doing too bad at the moment, and I've not said anything to the contrary.

Edited November 28, 2017 by vreitti

[vreitti]

10 hours ago, TRO said:

650 are probably the one half, putting the other half right.

And I still hope your half is the correct half, since mine would most likely entail we "go again".

[bannedfromHandV]

11 minutes ago, vreitti said:

Maybe I am, but the question was whether he's had "big money" signings or not. 45 million pounds worth of strikers would suggest that's true. Their subsequent form, lack of interest, and/or Bruce's usage of said strikers/players is another issue altogether.

But I concur, he isn't doing too bad at the moment, and I've not said anything to the contrary.

[DaveAV1]

11 hours ago, TRO said:

Conceding 2 in the last 4 minutes.

Come on mate, if that had happened to us, you would be saying it was one of those things and they happen to any team from time to time. Possibly reminding us all of the 4-4 from 4-1 up against Leicester with 17 minutes to go, all those years ago.  And I’d probably agree with you in general. 

People are criticised now for being critical of SB. Admittedly there is sometimes an element of finding a stick to beat him with, but it is a situation he has created by his generally negative style. At some points of his tenure, and there has been a few, he hasn’t had many people backing him, not even your good self. There’s a reason for that and that takes a good while for people to forget. I think the vast majority, if not all, Villa fans are delighted with the results over the last few weeks, but some, me included, are concerned that we will not manage to sustain it with our style of play. They voice their opinions and are slaughtered and mocked with petty name calling by some on here. 

I know often the argument is just going round and round in circles, but that’s to some extent inevitable as the reasons for the criticism haven’t in general changed, neither have the reasons for support too. The problem for me is when the debate is no longer about football matters, but about who is right and who is wrong. People taking up a stance against other fans, rather that voicing their opinion on the actual football hurts the site and devalues their argument too. Those people who voice legitimate concerns about our future are not against the club, they are equally desperate for success as those who are supportive of the current manager. And before anyone mentions fans wishing us to lose certain games in the past, their argument for this, whether you agree with it or not, has a good logical basis to it. And no matter how much indignant, eye bulging, badge kissing rage it engenders, it doesn’t in anyway at all devalue them as fans. They want what we all want and have have always wanted, long term success.

Up The Mighty Villa!

[Demitri_C]

12 hours ago, vreitti said:

I'd still take Smith in a heartbeat. Think he'd piss this league with the squad we have. 

Smith has never managed a team this size, the expectations are high. I think the way Bruce has performed recently I find it hard to believe Smith would do as well as Bruce has. massive gamble. Id stick with Bruce 

[Demitri_C]

11 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

I guarantee if ,and when ,we ever do that under Bruce, you'll absolve him of all responsibility and put it down to the defenders not doing the basics right .

I'll take Smith's football over Bruce's every time, thank you. Considering the budget he's working with ,he's punching well above his weight,credit where it's due ,imo .

 

Doesn't mean Smith would do anywhere near as well as Bruce has here. Smith has absolutely zero experience of managing a team this size, yes he might have a better style of football but that doesnt mean it would work here with this crop of players 

Ill stick with Bruce.  

[vreitti]

4 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Smith has never managed a team this size, the expectations are high. I think the way Bruce has performed recently I find it hard to believe Smith would do as well as Bruce has. massive gamble. Id stick with Bruce 

Honestly it's impossible to know for sure. I wasn't advocating a change at this minute. It was all, just theoretical. Fact is it's taken Bruce over a year to get us good results, and the football is still mostly terrible. The way we approach games, I'm dreading our collapse every week, perhaps that says more about me than anything else. However I look at what Smith has done at Brentford, and I seriously find it hard to believe he'd do worse than Bruce with our resources.

[Demitri_C]

4 minutes ago, vreitti said:

Honestly it's impossible to know for sure. I wasn't advocating a change at this minute. It was all, just theoretical. Fact is it's taken Bruce over a year to get us good results, and the football is still mostly terrible. The way we approach games, I'm dreading our collapse every week, perhaps that says more about me than anything else. However I look at what Smith has done at Brentford, and I seriously find it hard to believe he'd do worse than Bruce with our resources.

Thanks for clarifying your point.

You won't hear me defending bruces football against smiths. we can all see brentford play attractive football, but their defending is shambolic. I dont think we have the mental strength to continuously bounce back when we concede as demonstrated when we go behind most of the time we fail to go on to win. I think Bruce has recognised this hence making us more resilient and solid defensively. I have serious reservations whether Smith is able to deliver this. I also find it hard for someone like Smith to yearn the respect of someone like terry 

Lets also not forget resources wise there isnt much left in the kitty therefore Smith would have to get this group to adapt to his style 

[striker]

19 hours ago, TRO said:

I disagree.....

• I don't think Nuno could get villa playing the way wolves are.....our players are not conducive to it.
• I think you maybe be right about SB playing the same way at Wolves, but not sure on that either.

I don't think we could cope with the pace playing 3 at the back......and i don't think  we have the ability like wolves to run off the ball like they do.....their ball control is individually superior too.....they have more guile in their team.....we are more about resillience.

2 different set ups with 2 sets of players with different skill bias.

They have better movement and subsequently the ability to open teams up.

but its good to remember, they have been languishing in this division for years, with no idea how to get out.......factors come together and bingo.

for me, i think they have a decent manager, but moreover a bunch of players who emulate everything thats good in the latin game....

"The love of the ball"

I feel TRO you are not giving Villa players enough credit by again protecting the current Villa manager.

You only have to look at how the likes of Hourihane and Lansbury played for their previous clubs plus even James Bree at FB or indeed Laet. Throw in Onomah, Snodgrass, Adomah, Grealish and O'Hare plus Hogan who previously thrived on through balls and you have players who love the ball at their feet.

Of course there's plenty of scope for a Santos to come to Villa and play a more progressive game it just that Bruce chooses not to play that way.