Steve Bruce

[AvfcRigo82]

8 hours ago, hippo said:

performances or results ? 

2 defeats in the next 2 and he's a goner in my book. Needs to win one of those - personally I think Bristol City is a very winnable game. 

It will be if Bruce is gone by then!

[Michael118]

16 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Corrected for you Michael  

He just turned 31. While it's not young, it's not old enough to say he couldn't get back to his best if he got himself into the best condition of his career. He's 4 years younger than Jermaine Defoe. People who think he's past it because he might have lost a yard of pace and that was his only quality are seriously underestimating him. Under an Allardyce or Pulis he'd be scoring 20+ goals per season in this division and would do it fairly easily.

[AvfcRigo82]

10 minutes ago, Michael118 said:

He just turned 31. While it's not young, it's not old enough to say he couldn't get back to his best if he got himself into the best condition of his career. He's 4 years younger than Jermaine Defoe. People who think he's past it because he might have lost a yard of pace and that was his only quality are seriously underestimating him. Under an Allardyce or Pulis he'd be scoring 20+ goals per season in this division and would do it fairly easily.

Jermaine Defoe has kept himself in a condition of constantly playing and scoring goals.

I doubt Gabby will still be kicking a football at 35 let alone scoring goals.

For me, this lad has been finished since Houllier left.

 

Edited December 29, 2017 by AvfcRigo82
Forgot something

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

2 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Jermaine Defoe has kept himself in a condition of constantly playing and scoring goals.

I doubt Gabby will still be kicking a football at 35 let alone scoring goals.

For me, this lad has been finished since Houllier left.

 

He has just launched a clothing line called "Six Figures", so, I also doubt this.

[Guest av1]

3 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Six 

Is tbat referring to the amount of goals he has scored over the last 6 seasons? 

[vreitti]

56 minutes ago, Junxs said:

Too many people are buying into this theory that the squads not good so what can the manager do.

This. This. This. This. This.

 

[vreitti]

43 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I'm reading that we were 9th at this point last year. So absolute zero progress. Yes lets give him more time. Good move. 

All he needs is another preseason...

[AshVilla]

5 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

So you wrote him off from day one? Good luck to the next manager. 

I wanted him sacked after last season after seeing 6 months of some of the worst football I've seen down at VP.

Shock horror nothing has improved and we won't be getting promoted as a result.

We will now pay the price for it and be stuck in this division for a long time.

 

 

 

[AJ]

29 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

He has just launched a clothing line called "Six Figures", so, I also doubt this.

He has a fashion label named after a strip joint?

[Michael118]

45 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Jermaine Defoe has kept himself in a condition of constantly playing and scoring goals.

I doubt Gabby will still be kicking a football at 35 let alone scoring goals.

For me, this lad has been finished since Houllier left.

You could argue Gabby has more left in him than Defoe because he's barely played over the last few seasons.

Gabby needs a decent manager and hasn't had one since MON left. Consequently he's never fully recovered his form or fully blossomed as a player and I still think a good manager could get that out of him to a degree if they can get him fit and motivated to perform consistently instead of just for a few games per season when the stakes are high. Unfortunately Bruce was never going to be the manager to get that out of him.

Edited December 29, 2017 by Michael118

[TRO]

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I'm surprised at your stance TRO.

Then again you have always tried to be as reasonable as possible whilst leaning on the fence.

Fair dues.

What i've said to alot of people is that they would realise almost all of us, if our timelines are tracked, are varied.

Some were totally against the appointment no matter what, some were against it but warmed up to it eventually, some warmed and cooled. Personally I warmed to it very early, then wrote off last season to be willing to give it a chance and have faith, and turned after about 4 games of this season.

Obviously when we go on winning runs tensions dampen but shite performances and results always come back to solidify certain peoples observations.

I  110% agree the football is ****......and I am 100% certain the manager has to take the responsibility for that.

I am not so sure of where the problem actually lies.....now that may sound daft to some, but I think many of the players are not as good as we think, particularly in terms of consistently decent form.

There are too many things that I don't know, before I can categorically put the knife in.....too many unanswered questions from the club for me.

Sure I can just come out and say get rid of SB its so easy to say and stay onside.....and for sure he is a fault for some things like being reluctant to play O'Hare ( but thats in my eyes of course and there is only one manager at a football club) or starting a promotion campaign with 3 wheels on your wagon in terms of the forwards.

However, I do take exception when journalists try to gag us as some kinds moaning minnie's.

 

[TRO]

1 hour ago, Junxs said:

Not me, I think if we played football like Brentford do or Wolves / Bristol City etc then our strikers Hogan, McCormack along with support players like Grealish, O'Hare, Snodgrass and Adomah would score bucket loads.

Too many people are buying into this theory that the squads not good so what can the manager do. They desperately need a plan and guidance to follow it from a proper attack minded set up

You make it sound like its the only theory contrary to yours....Its a consideration amongst Many......But if it is so and is true, its kinda difficult until we get key players back, don't you think.

but I guess then the argument comes back to well they are his players and that is true and he must take responsibility for that.

Didn't we have a bit of this under O'Leary and it turned out they were all Crap.

ps I think McCormack is a bit of a desperate one, he's finished with us.....O'Hare I find extremely frustrating,not playing him, but I am not the manager.....He won't be the first player i have felt that way with down our place.

Edited December 30, 2017 by TRO

[TRO]

1 hour ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Jermaine Defoe has kept himself in a condition of constantly playing and scoring goals.

I doubt Gabby will still be kicking a football at 35 let alone scoring goals.

For me, this lad has been finished since Houllier left.

 

Gabby was foolishly compared to Defoe many moons ago when they both come on the scene..........Defoe has a footballing brain and subsequently scores more often than not.....and when he don't makes intelligent runs and movement in an effort to.

 

Edited December 30, 2017 by TRO

[Michael118]

30 minutes ago, TRO said:

Gabby was foolishly compared to Defoe many moons ago when they both come on the scene..........Defoe has a footballing brain and subsequently scores more often than not.....and when he don't makes intelligent runs and movement in an effort to.

 

Gabby has more presence than Defoe, is stronger and quicker than Defoe, holds the the ball up better than Defoe and in my opinion at his best is a more influential player than Defoe.

[USA_Villa]

25 minutes ago, Michael118 said:

Gabby has more presence than Defoe, is stronger and quicker than Defoe, holds the the ball up better than Defoe and in my opinion at his best is a more influential player than Defoe.

........... And yet I'd rather have Defoe in my team any day.

[Michael118]

Just now, USA_Villa said:

........... And yet I'd rather have Defoe in my team any day.

I'd take Gabby from the MON era over anything I've seen of Defoe. Gabby could have developed himself further since that time as well if he was a bit more self motivated or we had managers who were more capable.

[AvfcRigo82]

6 hours ago, USA_Villa said:

........... And yet I'd rather have Defoe in my team any day.

Seconded.

6 hours ago, Michael118 said:

I'd take Gabby from the MON era over anything I've seen of Defoe. Gabby could have developed himself further since that time as well if he was a bit more self motivated or we had managers who were more capable.

I would take a 21 year old Gabby from MON era too,  but I would sooner have Defoe from then or even now still -  7 days a week, twice on Sunday over Agbonlahor of any age or managerial era.  

[AvfcRigo82]

Anyways, back on topic..

Best of Luck today Tony.. err I mean Steve.

- Hopefully it is your last game!  

[AJ]

This is how bad it is. Watching the A League, and wishing Aston Villa played like that.

[Villarocker]

Is there any chance John Terry could manage us through to the end of this season on a caretaker basis? With the comments from Bruce in the press about what a great example he sets and how he'd make a great manager etc maybe the board will give him a shout as player manager? Cheaper option plus see what he is made of to see if they can fast track him into his first managerial role?