Steve Bruce

[Demitri_C]

24 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

You are kidding right ?

Only 6 months ago you where starting polls for new managers to replace Bruce after only 3 games in iirc and put it all on Dean Smith? 

No doubt you would have also hung Bruce out to dry the same way as you are now doing with Di matteo. Would that have been Tony Xia's fault for backing his manager like Ellis Short has all of his?

JT's ability at this level has not been questioned and I see what he adds to us at this level, it's clear for all to see. 

I just feel back at PL level at that pace would to too demanding and yes having him as a back up may deem a good move granted, would he sign up again on that basis maybe?

It has changed and I see who is managing there. I also see they are not really tearing the league up either giving some of the players that have been signed for stupid inflated prices from managers before in some instances. They are all steady the ship type managers.

There is a difference from wanting Bruce out when there is very poor form to wanting him out no matter as you allude to most of the season Rigo! You have wanted him gone all season despite him turning it around. I prefer to eat humble pie and Bruce proves me wrong but in your case you want him gone whether he takes us out or not! 

Dont compare RDM to Bruce. RDM was utter shit with the same mistakes over and over again. No progression and he won one game in 11 (also humiliated us against luton) bruce has had some poor results but difference with him he is a fighter and bounces back. potentially 7 wins on the trot if we beat the blosers not even MON achieved that with a quality squad. 

As for JT for me Chelsea are missing his influence, look at them on the pitch now they dont have many leaders around. I think he adds so much to us other than the defensive side. 

Would you not say Bruce is a steady the ship manager? I certainly think that is what he is. But the reality is we wont be breaking the top 6 any time soon, if we can become a stable top 10 club in premier league until the laws make it fairer and less protection for the sky 6 then we wont be breaking through any time soon. 

 

[holteend1982]

18 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Would be interesting to know all of his signings in the top flight. 

Anyone bored? 

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/steve-bruce/spielertransfers/trainer/447/station_id//plus/1

 

These are all his signings, in order of fee paid. 

[omariqy]

Just saw that although his mum was taken seriously ill last week, his dad has in fact just passed away. Really sad news.

[vreitti]

1 minute ago, Demitri_C said:

Dont compare RDM to Bruce. RDM was utter shit with the same mistakes over and over again. No progression and he won one game in 11 (also humiliated us against luton) bruce has had some poor results but difference with him he is a fighter and bounces back. potentially 7 wins on the trot if we beat the blosers not even MON achieved that with a quality squad.

The difference being though that RDM only got the eleven games. Bruce should also have been sacked after that abysmal run January 2017, but he didn't and the rest is history. 

[Demitri_C]

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Let's be fair to Di Matteo here, he did not even have a quarter season to "get the best out of them"

We have gone through longer shite spells with Bruce and kept him since then.

Remind us how many games did RDM win in his first 11 games? One wasn't it? Also humilated  by Luton Town also

Bruce in 7 games won 4 drew 3 (one away to Brighton where we were excellent and unlucky not to win) before we lost our first game away to Leeds we then won the next game after that. RDM failed every time, it was absolutely the right decision to sack RDM. I cant believe people are still saying RDM wasnt given a chance 11 games is enough and we were absolutely dreadful under him and clark. Defensive shambles.

1 hour ago, Dave J said:

It's interesting that you blame Ellis Short for Sunderland's demise and not Bruce - but then call out Lambert and make no mention of Lerner pulling the rug from under his feet - if you feel that Short is to blame for the Sunderland debacle- then surely Lerner also comes into your radar ?

I think you are getting Garde and Lambert confused. Garde was shafted, Lambert was here for 3 years he knew what Lerner was like. He should have quit sooner as things were not going to change. Garde was totally shafted 

[alreadyexists]

8 minutes ago, omariqy said:

Just saw that although his mum was taken seriously ill last week, his dad has in fact just passed away. Really sad news.

That’s terrible news. Thoughts are with him and his family.

[VILLAMARV]

We're all getting ahead of ourselves, there's 16 games left. But it's gotta be said after the last 10 years of steady decline it's nice to be able to be a bit more positive about the future.

Like most things in life I tend to agree with points on both sides of the argument.

Steve Bruce is not necessarily the man I'd pick to get anyone back into the top 10 of the Premier League for instance. Steve Bruce teams over the years have been workmanlike rather than particularly flamboyant. Steve Bruce has got teams relegated. All arguments against him that I can get on board with.

However, those things have literally nothing to do with us as a club right now and certainly didn't a year ago. Apart from the second point. To me and others watching us not even being workmanlike, not being competitive even in the championship was something that seriously needed addressing. It has divided us on VT in as much as some people have been very unhappy seeing an expensively assembled squad effectively grinding out an odd goal win or a hard fought draw on the occasions that we might not lose. We got a new manager bounce off him when he arrived. Some choose to blame Bruce for the drop off last season, some cut him some slack in the amount of players turned over in his first window and the fact that they didn't have time to bed in. We were absolutely aiming for the playoffs around christmas, by the end of Feb we were pretty much out of it. Then the Pre-season and we do the turnover again and 7 games in the knives were drawn and rightly so at that point. Not that a few of us didnt want to give him a bit more time and see how it panned out or that some of us didnt feel we should or even could financially afford to let him go, but without a doubt anyone thinking the start was ok and everything was hunkydory is insane. And yet, whilst undeniably bad it wasn't the end of the world, what it did was ramp up the pressure and we are surely all glad now of the response we got. The away win at Barnsley will be seen as the turning point. I seem to remember Bruce celebrating the narrow win over Forest quite a bit. But with 6 points after 7 games damn right people were losing their patience with him. I suspect his employers would be getting a bit twitchy at that point.

But like it or loathe it Steve Bruce has turned the fortunes of this club around and whether or not we get second he deserves the credit for it. He's not the messiah, but then he's hardly a very naughty boy either.

Personally, I think the idea that we could go straight back up last year was fanciful. This year I didnt see us as top 2 material but thought we'd be a shoe in for the play offs. But then I never saw Wolves coming so what do I know? I'm pretty happy right now. 

[Demitri_C]

6 minutes ago, vreitti said:

The difference being though that RDM only got the eleven games. Bruce should also have been sacked after that abysmal run January 2017, but he didn't and the rest is history. 

Bruce did have a bad month no question but the difefrence I think was Bruce demonstrated wins prior RDM didnt. Also we looked solid under Bruce with RDM we were a complete shambles. I think bruces CV also (maybe unfairly) gave him more time. But clearly Wyness and Xia know more than what we did back then as their patience paid through!!

[Demitri_C]

11 minutes ago, omariqy said:

Just saw that although his mum was taken seriously ill last week, his dad has in fact just passed away. Really sad news.

Thats terrible news poor brucie

[Cizzler]

13 minutes ago, holteend1982 said:

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/steve-bruce/spielertransfers/trainer/447/station_id//plus/1

 

These are all his signings, in order of fee paid. 

His signings for Hull are actually quite good. Livermore has knocked around the England team, Robertson now starts for Liverpool and Harry Maguire is having another really impressive season. I'd be surprised if he's not in the WC squad this summer. 

[Eastie]

10 minutes ago, omariqy said:

Just saw that although his mum was taken seriously ill last week, his dad has in fact just passed away. Really sad news.

This is deeply sad news and I think we all feel for  Steve and his family at their loss - at times like this football takes a backseat and Steve will understendly need time with his family and privacy after the loss of his dad - with his mum also ill I’m sure all  the villa family would like to pass on their respects at this sad loss .

[Vive_La_Villa]

16 minutes ago, holteend1982 said:

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/steve-bruce/spielertransfers/trainer/447/station_id//plus/1

 

These are all his signings, in order of fee paid. 

Catermole and Turner aside his signings look ok. 

[AvfcRigo82]

11 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

There is a difference from wanting Bruce out when there is very poor form to wanting him out no matter as you allude to most of the season Rigo! You have wanted him gone all season despite him turning it around. I prefer to eat humble pie and Bruce proves me wrong but in your case you want him gone whether he takes us out or not!  

For me he is now doing what fans have been waiting god knows how long for.

I have gave the man credit where it is due since the turn of the year and my hat goes off to him in bringing in the 2 players he has on loan and Steve Agnew and turning it around and finally heading us in the right direction. To sack him now would just be insane.

Again nothing against him, I would just prefer for us to aquire a better manager than Bruce once we go back up. Nothing wrong in that is there?

17 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Would you not say Bruce is a steady the ship manager? I certainly think that is what he is. But the reality is we wont be breaking the top 6 any time soon, if we can become a stable top 10 club in premier league until the laws make it fairer and less protection for the sky 6 then we wont be breaking through any time soon. 

That is why we won't be breaking the top 6 anytime soon then.

I feel we should kick on from the word go.. some prefer to just be stable after year one and play it safe, fairy nuff. Our opinions and ambitions differ with regards where the club belongs. 

[vreitti]

3 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Bruce did have a bad month no question but the difefrence I think was Bruce demonstrated wins prior RDM didnt. Also we looked solid under Bruce with RDM we were a complete shambles. I think bruces CV also (maybe unfairly) gave him more time. But clearly Wyness and Xia know more than what we did back then as their patience paid through!!

I wouldn't say we ever looked solid under Bruce last season, but that's just my opinion. We're looking solid now though, but it's still too early (for me) to say that their patience has been rewarded. I'll agree if and when we secure promotion.

[AvfcRigo82]

10 minutes ago, VILLAMARV said:

We're all getting ahead of ourselves, there's 16 games left. But it's gotta be said after the last 10 years of steady decline it's nice to be able to be a bit more positive about the future.

Like most things in life I tend to agree with points on both sides of the argument.

Steve Bruce is not necessarily the man I'd pick to get anyone back into the top 10 of the Premier League for instance. Steve Bruce teams over the years have been workmanlike rather than particularly flamboyant. Steve Bruce has got teams relegated. All arguments against him that I can get on board with.

However, those things have literally nothing to do with us as a club right now and certainly didn't a year ago. Apart from the second point. To me and others watching us not even being workmanlike, not being competitive even in the championship was something that seriously needed addressing. It has divided us on VT in as much as some people have been very unhappy seeing an expensively assembled squad effectively grinding out an odd goal win or a hard fought draw on the occasions that we might not lose. We got a new manager bounce off him when he arrived. Some choose to blame Bruce for the drop off last season, some cut him some slack in the amount of players turned over in his first window and the fact that they didn't have time to bed in. We were absolutely aiming for the playoffs around christmas, by the end of Feb we were pretty much out of it. Then the Pre-season and we do the turnover again and 7 games in the knives were drawn and rightly so at that point. Not that a few of us didnt want to give him a bit more time and see how it panned out or that some of us didnt feel we should or even could financially afford to let him go, but without a doubt anyone thinking the start was ok and everything was hunkydory is insane. And yet, whilst undeniably bad it wasn't the end of the world, what it did was ramp up the pressure and we are surely all glad now of the response we got. The away win at Barnsley will be seen as the turning point. I seem to remember Bruce celebrating the narrow win over Forest quite a bit. But with 6 points after 7 games damn right people were losing their patience with him. I suspect his employers would be getting a bit twitchy at that point.

But like it or loathe it Steve Bruce has turned the fortunes of this club around and whether or not we get second he deserves the credit for it. He's not the messiah, but then he's hardly a very naughty boy either.

Personally, I think the idea that we could go straight back up last year was fanciful. This year I didnt see us as top 2 material but thought we'd be a shoe in for the play offs. But then I never saw Wolves coming so what do I know? I'm pretty happy right now. 

Brilliant post Marv and I agree with pretty much where you are coming from.

Absolutely the steering job he has done to turn around has not gone ignored and he will always be credited for this regardless of promotion or not.

[Dave J]

10 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Remind us how many games did RDM win in his first 11 games? One wasn't it? Also humilated  by Luton Town also

Bruce in 7 games won 4 drew 3 (one away to Brighton where we were excellent and unlucky not to win) before we lost our first game away to Leeds we then won the next game after that. RDM failed every time, it was absolutely the right decision to sack RDM. I cant believe people are still saying RDM wasnt given a chance 11 games is enough and we were absolutely dreadful under him and clark. Defensive shambles.

I think you are getting Garde and Lambert confused. Garde was shafted, Lambert was here for 3 years he knew what Lerner was like. He should have quit sooner as things were not going to change. Garde was totally shafted 

Oh gosh I totally agree that Garde was shafted - but no confusion at all - Lambert had one arm shoved tightly behind his back imo 

[VILLAMARV]

11 minutes ago, omariqy said:

Just saw that although his mum was taken seriously ill last week, his dad has in fact just passed away. Really sad news.

Somehow emoji responses don't seem that appropriate. But that's horrible news. Heart goes out to him and his family.

Virtual hugs from VT Steve.

[praisedmambo]

21 minutes ago, vreitti said:

The difference being though that RDM only got the eleven games. Bruce should also have been sacked after that abysmal run January 2017, but he didn't and the rest is history. 

For balance, I never thought he should have been sacked after January. These things happen in football and with the mess we were in we were never destined to click our fingers and have everything OK. Don't forget how he had got us from the relegation zone to competing for the playoffs before then. 

Surely the fact we're now doing well puts paid to the knee-jerk sacking reactions. Sure, standing by managers also doesn't work sometimes, but the answer isn't just sack sack sack. 

[Dave J]

8 minutes ago, Eastie said:

This is deeply sad news and I think we all feel for  Steve and his family at their loss - at times like this football takes a backseat and Steve will understendly need time with his family and privacy after the loss of his dad - with his mum also ill I’m sure all  the villa family would like to pass on their respects at this sad loss .

Absolutely well said - and as a mark of respect I am bowing out of this conversation for today.

Thank you.

[AvfcRigo82]

4 minutes ago, VILLAMARV said:

Somehow emoji responses don't seem that appropriate. But that's horrible news. Heart goes out to him and his family.

Virtual hugs from VT Steve.

Very sad to hear of his loss.

Football matters aside. My heart genuinely goes out to the man in this tough tough time. Horrible horrible circumstances to be dealt.

Hang in there Steve. 

 

Edited February 6, 2018 by AvfcRigo82