TRO Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 3 hours ago, omariqy said: Do people reckon Bruce listens to the fans? It's just that everything that many fans have been saying to do he has done and it has worked. 1. Play Grealish behind Hogan 2. Play Hourihane further forward 3. Drop Whelan 4. Have players who actually move off the ball Its difficult to say.....but have you ever heard the saying " two good minds think alike" some of us have said for sometime that these things take a while to fix....many factors are starting to come together....including the things you mention. not sure about dropping whelan....its horses for courses and players have to fight for their places now....he will play his part in the run in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 6 minutes ago, TRO said: Its difficult to say.....but have you ever heard the saying " two good minds think alike" some of us have said for sometime that these things take a while to fix....many factors are starting to come together....including the things you mention. not sure about dropping whelan....its horses for courses and players have to fight for their places now....he will play his part in the run in. Yes , he may well have a part to play as willl most of the squad - the beauty is we have strength on depth and a strong bench too - hold onto your hat tro - it could be an exciting 3 months ahead 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 (edited) 11 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said: Not really. Results where not satisfactory and the football being served up warranted the cristisms at the time. Since December we are on a good run and I hope it continues. For once I am looking forward to the next game irrespective whos manager or whos achieved what. Shit results will attract negative critism. Getting the results with attractive football keeps everyone happy you will agree. You are dead right....poor quality football will attract criticsm and rightfully so.....but praise should be dished out in merited measure. I think where the difference of opinion came in was....due to the exent of the demise, some of us thought it will take a while with incremental changes to reach an acceptable quality.....some of us selfishly wanted it too soon (Imo) fingers crossed, we hopefully have turned a corner, but we know how brittle that can be.....and it can change. I think we are improving all the time, with new players being sought and talented academy kids knocking at the door, individuals playing as a team. that does not mean we are not capable of set backs, but our bounceback ability will be put to the test now. slowly, does it. Edited January 23, 2018 by TRO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 26 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said: Not really. Results where not satisfactory and the football being served up warranted the cristisms at the time. Since December we are on a good run and I hope it continues. For once I am looking forward to the next game irrespective whos manager or whos achieved what. Shit results will attract negative critism. Getting the results with attractive football keeps everyone happy you will agree. Or, you could choose not to be fickle. Anyway, pointless saying anything more as it's me that will look the tit if we don't get promoted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted January 23, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted January 23, 2018 3 hours ago, briny_ear said: The idea that Villa fans speak with a unified coherent and concerted voice is a bit far-fetched. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srsmithusa Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, Shropshire Lad said: Not me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poitier Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 2 hours ago, TRO said: You are dead right....poor quality football will attract criticsm and rightfully so.....but praise should be dished out in merited measure. I think where the difference of opinion came in was....due to the exent of the demise, some of us thought it will take a while with incremental changes to reach an acceptable quality.....some of us selfishly wanted it too soon (Imo) TRO, I think bringing Agnew in has resulted in more than the sort of incremental change that may have been slowly happening under Bruce. Of course there are other factors in our recent improvement, but Agnew seems to be key in this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 4 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said: Or, you could choose not to be fickle. Anyway, pointless saying anything more as it's me that will look the tit if we don't get promoted. I'm not fickle.. I just don't like him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 So this thread has been getting crazier every hour for about the last 6 months and now is reaching its zenith in the idea that Steve Agnew turned up on the morning of 22 December and by the afternoon the team had completely transformed the way it played.* (Helped just a little bit by the return to fitness and form and recovery from injury of some of our best players ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poitier Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I'm not sure why you think it is crazy that a new coach would change the way they are playing. "It's a different voice, it's different ideas, it's a different way forward," Bruce added. "Already we've seen a difference in training. There's nothing quite like freshening it up." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 (edited) 3 minutes ago, poitier said: I'm not sure why you think it is crazy that a new coach would change the way they are playing. "It's a different voice, it's different ideas, it's a different way forward," Bruce added. "Already we've seen a difference in training. There's nothing quite like freshening it up." No one is saying it/he hasn't had an effect, no one, it's pretty obvious that he has. Where people are taking umbrage, and I can't speak for everyone of course, is the usual rabble attributing all success to him and disregarding any role SB has played or is playing. Again, can only speak for myself but just want to see balanced views, it doesn't have to be exclusive to Agnew or SB, they can both be contributing to any and all success. Edited January 23, 2018 by bannedfromHandV 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, TRO said: You are dead right....poor quality football will attract criticsm and rightfully so.....but praise should be dished out in merited measure. I think where the difference of opinion came in was....due to the exent of the demise, some of us thought it will take a while with incremental changes to reach an acceptable quality.....some of us selfishly wanted it too soon (Imo) fingers crossed, we hopefully have turned a corner, but we know how brittle that can be.....and it can change. I think we are improving all the time, with new players being sought and talented academy kids knocking at the door, individuals playing as a team. that does not mean we are not capable of set backs, but our bounceback ability will be put to the test now. slowly, does it. It comes as no suprise that I have not been Bruces biggest fan since his arrival - especially since October. Make no mistake about it that he was only a game or 2 or away from the sack at the end of December imo and protests/banners where being suggested -even if it was a one man gang effort at the time, I won't shy away from the fact that what was being witnessed was too much for many to endure when we knew we where being short changed if you will, in what is such a major season for the club as a whole and the consequences that await if we fail to get promoted are very dire. With this the poor results, dour football and his own hysteria interviews and comments did not help anyone either side of the coin either and just added fuel to an already unessecary situation that we found ourselves in. That being said, key players returning from injury and what looks the master stroke of bringing in Steve Agnew at such a critical time has been a key move for me in many aspects. - Key in terms of results and what is now happening on the training ground in all areas. - Key in terms of our new found playing style (which we knew what this team was capable of) - Key in terms of positivity that is ripple effecting it's way down to fans. - Key in our push for automatic promotion. If we can sustain what we have witnessed since the turn of the year until May to the best that we can then I see no problem. I know there will be some days it does not happen for us result wise but that's football, but the difference being we will have gave it a good go and not a case of it where a game we should have easily won but didn't because of the trugid football and not giving a s***. The whole thing is looking good again. You correctly mention the young talent that we have also waiting in the wings and it is very good to see I agree with you on that one. As I mentioned earlier in another thread I am actually looking forward to our next game for once with everything else that is happening again in and around the club - A feeling I have not had for many seasons now. Don't get me wrong I am not preaching here to come across as 'fickle' if you will as yes it could all change again very quickly but it is not somewhere that is good place or situation for the club to be in or for fans to witness, nor I am sitting waiting on any bad results happening just for the sake of getting Bruce out the door. Do I hope we win automatic promotion with Steve Bruce? Absolutely. Would I have him as manager once back in the premier league? Absolutely not. Outside of this it is definitely credit where credit is due as we do suddenly look a force again and one I only see gathering momentum at such a key stage of the season rather than going backwards. For me he has so far rescued the situation very well and I take my hat off to the man. - He just needs to finish the job off which is now within clear reach more than it was at the start of December. Edited January 23, 2018 by AvfcRigo82 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 8 hours ago, poitier said: I'm not sure why you think it is crazy that a new coach would change the way they are playing. "It's a different voice, it's different ideas, it's a different way forward," Bruce added. "Already we've seen a difference in training. There's nothing quite like freshening it up." It’s not that he didn’t have an effect. Obviously the point of hiring a coach is for him to have an effect and Bruce would be open to justifiable criticism if he hired someone who had no effect. It is improbable however that Agnew could have brought about the complete transformation of the team that some individuals are claiming. He arrived just a few days before our current run of better form began. Bruce should be given credit* for knowing which coach would help sharpen up a squad that had already got into a playoff position despite many injuries to key players. The injured players came back in Jan and we got the coach he had been waiting for. Now we see more of what Steve Bruce can do as manager. It does of course need to continue for the rest of the season now with no more wobbles or Bruce won’t have succeeded. (*Apologies if that phrase has caused a number of individual posters to throw up their breakfast. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post a m ole Posted January 24, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted January 24, 2018 I’ve jumped to either side of the fence so many times I’m just going to sit comfortably on top of it and see what happens. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a m ole Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 18 hours ago, omariqy said: Do people reckon Bruce listens to the fans? It's just that everything that many fans have been saying to do he has done and it has worked. 1. Play Grealish behind Hogan 2. Play Hourihane further forward 3. Drop Whelan 4. Have players who actually move off the ball easier said than done or we’d all be successful football managers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberman Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 1 hour ago, a m ole said: I’ve jumped to either side of the fence so many times I’m just going to sit comfortably on top of it and see what happens. On the Brence (tm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) 20 hours ago, omariqy said: Do people reckon Bruce listens to the fans? It's just that everything that many fans have been saying to do he has done and it has worked. 1. Play Grealish behind Hogan 2. Play Hourihane further forward 3. Drop Whelan 4. Have players who actually move off the ball This is funny, and I've thought about it before. Same with a back 3 not working and he kept trying it. And dropping Onomah, which fans were saying. And not playing Jedinak at the back, which he was incredibly still planning to do after the Sheff U errors. Agnew being released from gardening leave has sorted us right out. Lucky that happened! Edited January 24, 2018 by Tomaszk Typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 14 hours ago, poitier said: TRO, I think bringing Agnew in has resulted in more than the sort of incremental change that may have been slowly happening under Bruce. Of course there are other factors in our recent improvement, but Agnew seems to be key in this. It's a catch 22. We were undeniably getting more solid as a defensive unit, but simply could not string good attacks together. After realising we didn't have an attacking coach it makes sense. So we can credit Bruce and the other coaches for making us harder to beat, and Agnew for being able to pool defense, midfield and attack together as a cohesive unit? So the others have probably been doing on ok job, and Agnew was just the missing link. Got to agree that I didn't see us changing though, the lack of attacking cohesion would have probably seen us finish midtable, as we had no Kodjia for wondergoals etc. If you are solid but can't score goals you will obviously lose or draw more than you win. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrytini Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 In my humble opinion the idea that Bruce has ever, or would ever, made or make any decision at all about anything based even remotely on anything any fans say or think is just silly. And I dread to think what a dogs dinner we would be if he did ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Seems to be that like most Managers in life, Bruce needed the right people. So he had a choice, recruit somebody new or take a chance on waiting for his main man to become available. It was risky but we had more than enough in the team and squad for him to take that risk. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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