Steve Bruce

[TRO]

I don't think team selection is whats wrong with us.....every team has fans who would pick differently.

I think we sign the wrong players.....and we seem to spend big money, but the character and quality, gets worse.

we let go of johnson & Robinson, who are doing as well as our forwards or better.

we overrate players due to a flash of brilliance in a game, but lack consistency or sustainability in foraging or working the defence, we are powder puff.

[sne]

Might as well try the Ancelotti  4-3-2-1 Christmas Tree formation next. Tis' the season after all.

Bacuna  -  Jedi  -  Tshibola 

 McCormack - Grealish

               Kodija

Problem will be the full backs providing width. Not worried about Amavi on the left, Hutton on the other hand...

Anything to keep Westy and Gardner out of the team.

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by sne

[Woodytom]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

we overrate players

I think we perhaps underestimate what a detriment this could be.

Not just in this forum but an example.... people often say they hope players don't read the criticism they get on here. I hope they don't read some of the praise they receive either.

Another example would be the way we act at games. A lot of its tongue in cheek and pinch of salt and part of the game... but.... I can safely say that jack grealish' career so far has been far from super! Nothing wrong with showing appreciation but do we help with keeping his feet on the ground and do we expect and demand enough from them?

[TRO]

6 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

Almost to a man the forwards looked half arsed tonight but overall our issues all stem from the poor midfield. We create next to nothing from the middle and fail to link up the midfield and attack. You see very little interplay, very little one two's and quick pass and move, and almost never see a midfielder break beyond the forwards. I would acknowledge though that lack of interplay isn't helped by having the likes of Kodjia and Ayew wanting to beat a man and then instead of playing someone in want to fanny about.

Defensively the midfield since Bruce has arrived has done OK and our goals against column will back that up the issue we have isn't stopping goals it is in not creating chances. For that reason I agree with his decision to play Grealish at the top of a midfield three as he at least offers something offensively and will try and link up with the forwards.

The sooner January comes around the better because the options we have in midfield at the moment are diabolical and no amount of chopping and changing the existing mob is going to improve it.

Spot on mark

we are also falling in to the false world that the player not playing is better than the one who is.

don't get me wrong there was players I would not have picked, but I must confess the ones I would are not much better or if at all.

Imo we are all squabbling over players that are all iffy.

We all want an immediate end to this shite, but I'm afraid it will take much money and much time and only if we get the right ones too.

where was our Dorrans&brady where is our intensity and drive, we are rarely on the front foot.

[Villarocker]

That lineup was wrong tonight. Gabby up front isn't working and it won't work because he's past it. Kodjia needs to play down the middle with Adomah right, Ayew/Grealish left and McCormack/Grealish behind the striker. Obviously, main need in January is a centre midfielder to go alongside Jedinak. A right back is also crucial as Hutton is just a turd stain on a pitch. 

Why do we make it so easy for the opposition? Gollini and Jedinak against Leeds, tonight, Gabby plays pinball with the ball before Jedinak helps it along the way before Elphick makes an invisible block. We have to be stronger in the challenge and play at a higher tempo. Norwich are shite but we made them look better than us. 

[AshVilla]

Am i right in that we had 1 shot on target in the whole game in the 93rd minute?

Not good enough really is it

[terrytini]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

I am not aiming blame at any individual.....but we have recently spent 100 million in 2 seasons work to end up with players that perform like that.

I don't know why we can't sign players who can exhibit the basics.

We were outplayed, tonight and the score could have been more.

all teams have lows, but that was pretty low.

A lot of those players have done perfectly well at other Clubs though. And here, on occasions under Bruce and indeed RDM.

In my view just as RDM - a poor manager all round - placed too much faith in letting the attacking players express themselves, Bruce has already shown he places too little.  Even a glance at other games shows teams flooding opposition areas when they attack with four/five players- we regularly have one guy.

We needed to become tighter and he has done that well, but he has to risk more, especially away from home. Too cautious.

[KSV]

I like Bruce but theres a few things i need to get off my chest after that performance. 

1. Gabby.. why?? what does he see? the guy is a joke and has had enough chances. Does he think hes getting us on side as hes a fans favorite? thats my only explanation. You already have us on your side. Get rid of him. 

2. Why persist with Gardner and Westwood? Absolutely awful performances and we just rotate them. What did Bacuna and Tshibola do not to deserve a go? If one doesnt start alongside Jedinak on the weekend i will be gobsmacked. 

3. If he thinks we dont need a striker.. i am more worried than the above 2. We have plenty of strikers.. Besides Kodjia.. and Mccromack (if he regains form) they are shit and not goal scorers. 

[Woodytom]

I haven't got a problem with losing. I really haven't.  Could lose every game.... and I'd cope.

It's the painfully turgid football that we play that I am sick to the back teeth of. And it's not going away.

[Villarocker]

Add Jenkinson at right back, a good solid midfielder to play alongside Jedinak and throw Jordan Rhodes into the mix (loan deal?) and you have  more solid look to us. 

[TRO]

9 minutes ago, terrytini said:

A lot of those players have done perfectly well at other Clubs though. And here, on occasions under Bruce and indeed RDM.

In my view just as RDM - a poor manager all round - placed too much faith in letting the attacking players express themselves, Bruce has already shown he places too little.  Even a glance at other games shows teams flooding opposition areas when they attack with four/five players- we regularly have one guy.

We needed to become tighter and he has done that well, but he has to risk more, especially away from home. Too cautious.

Terry, they played in teams with better support and better balance as Wenger said teams score goals, strikers just finish it off.

our front players are not in sync and get constantly caught with the ball. They look ungamely and disjointed as opposed to slick.

I know our midfield is woeful.....but I am unsure just how much this affecting our front men....so we MUST fix this first.

The team is like a three legged dog, it is grossly unbalanced.

[Kiwivillan]

Gestede and Gabby up front = 2 losses under Bruce. Every man and his dog could've told him we'd struggle with these lumps. I thought he was supposed to be canny?

[TRO]

19 minutes ago, terrytini said:

A lot of those players have done perfectly well at other Clubs though. And here, on occasions under Bruce and indeed RDM.

In my view just as RDM - a poor manager all round - placed too much faith in letting the attacking players express themselves, Bruce has already shown he places too little.  Even a glance at other games shows teams flooding opposition areas when they attack with four/five players- we regularly have one guy.

We needed to become tighter and he has done that well, but he has to risk more, especially away from home. Too cautious.

Until we sort the midfield Terry, this is not going to go away.

5 wins is remarkable and down to individual brilliance as opposed to structured team play.

its going to be a major struggle until we can get reinforcements

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

1 hour ago, Woodytom said:

New manager bounce over and his limitations are very very evident.

I've watched the last 4 games and bar a brilliant goal by grealish and a win against an awful Cardiff, it's been as bad as I've seen. 

Saturday and tonight were as bad as I've seen tbh.

Fair play for the decent start that's got us out the shit relegation wise but once again we look like 11 players who haven't got a clue what the plan is.

We constantly look rushed and panicked. I've never seen so many passes (easy passes) go straight to the other team. No creativity, no drive. Just a sheer hope that ayew or kodjia are going to dribble through a whole defence and score, or Alan Hutton will finally put a decent cross in. Sadly, the chances are, they won't.

He's certainly under no pressure but the signs are there that the coming games are going to be a truly dire watch.

Since when? This season? The last few seasons? Ever? 

 

[KSV]

1 hour ago, villarocker said:

Add Jenkinson at right back, a good solid midfielder to play alongside Jedinak and throw Jordan Rhodes into the mix (loan deal?) and you have  more solid look to us. 

Not going to be enough. More than 3 passengers the last few games. We need 5 signings at least. 

[LondonLax]

2 hours ago, Woodytom said:

I haven't got a problem with losing. I really haven't.  Could lose every game.... and I'd cope.

It's the painfully turgid football that we play that I am sick to the back teeth of. And it's not going away.

I am skeptical about this claim

[villianusa]

Let's see if he makes the changes like he said. I was okay with the team before we started, but they weren't up for it, and that falls oh Brucey.

[Wainy316]

2 hours ago, Woodytom said:

I think we perhaps underestimate what a detriment this could be.

Not just in this forum but an example.... people often say they hope players don't read the criticism they get on here. I hope they don't read some of the praise they receive either.

Another example would be the way we act at games. A lot of its tongue in cheek and pinch of salt and part of the game... but.... I can safely say that jack grealish' career so far has been far from super! Nothing wrong with showing appreciation but do we help with keeping his feet on the ground and do we expect and demand enough from them?

Anything we can do to build a player's confidence is a good thing.

Confidence is everything when it comes to how a player performs, even more so than ability a lot of the time.

[KSV]

Just saw the after match comments.. He was fuming. I am glad. He seemed to indicate that some players will be dropped. 'Players that have been waiting for their chance' will get it. I am assuming Bacuna and Tshibola? Cant do any worse than that performance. 

[MrDuck]

3 hours ago, KSV said:

I like Bruce but theres a few things i need to get off my chest after that performance. 

1. Gabby.. why?? what does he see? the guy is a joke and has had enough chances. Does he think hes getting us on side as hes a fans favorite? thats my only explanation. You already have us on your side. Get rid of him. 

 

Yeah. I like Steve, but... Gabby, ffs.