Steve Bruce

[dont_do_it_doug.]

1 minute ago, Eastie said:

Spend time with his mother in hospital or mourn the loss of his father ?

Family at this time is far more important than football and I’d quite understand should he hand over the reigns to calderwood for a few days .

I didn't say I wouldn't understand. 

I offered my opinion that he will be there based on what we know about him as a person. 

Edited February 6, 2018 by dont_do_it_doug.

[Vive_La_Villa]

Sad news. Thoughts with Bruce and his family.

Maybe im a heartless bastard. But I don't think posting on a Villa forum about the manager should stop for a day. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

6 hours 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 

I missed the others. HOWEVER.

Skew it as you may.

He was only in charge for ELEVEN GAMES, and that was at the beginning of the largest upheaval and change we had in probably a decade.

In alot of those games we were GENUINELY unlucky to lose or draw, and showed alot of attacking intent, we had NO midfield.

What if Di Matteo had gotten another transfer window?

How long has Bruce been in charge for?

We can be petty and probably do the averages of bad spells over the games he has been in charge of VS Di Matteo etc and break it down into even pettier analytics of shots, times the bar was hit, time of conceding, types of goals conceded, throw in time to gel, number of players signed etc but none of that matters now.

Do you know if Matteo would have gone on to win 20 games in a row? No, and he wasn't given the time. Neither was I saying he should have necessarily been.

Bruce had the chance to supplement the squad with a midfield and add to some of the start players we signed under Di Matteo.

The original post wasn't even a dig at Bruce in the slightest but some of you are so overly defensive of him you can manage to turn anything into a "Leave Bruce alone" campaign.

It was merely to bring some balance and fairness to Di Matteo's situation. 

 

Edited February 6, 2018 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[dont_do_it_doug.]

It has been made clear several times by both the owner and Wyness that RDM wasn't sacked for results alone. Or at all necessarily. 

In other words, you'll likely never know exactly why he was sacked so the debate is a pointless one. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

3 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

It has been made clear several times by both the owner and Wyness that RDM wasn't sacked for results alone. Or at all necessarily. 

In other words, you'll likely never know exactly why he was sacked so the debate is a pointless one. 

I remember XIA said something along the lines of "We needed someone with guts".

[TRO]

21 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I remember XIA said something along the lines of "We needed someone with guts".

They are closer to the day to day things.....they see the reactions to defeats.

Edited February 6, 2018 by TRO

[fifamad]

Thoughts are with Steve and his family

[Dodgyknees]

I hope we sing his name loud this weekend.

[sheepyvillian]

2 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

You can say that again! 

Any joke, but that one. No likes for you I'm afraid.

[sheepyvillian]

4 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I remember XIA said something along the lines of "We needed someone with guts".

There goes that Italian stereotype again.

[Demitri_C]

What's changed at Aston Villa? Steve Bruce's side chase promotion after decline

Quote

 

Last Updated: 06/02/18 3:56pm

Steve Bruce's Villa host Birmingham on Sky Sports looking for a seventh straight victory

After years of decline, things are finally looking up for Aston Villa. Gerard Brand explains why…

It hasn't always been a smooth ride for Aston Villa this season. After defeat at Brentford six weeks ago, there were strong calls for manager Steve Bruce's head, a theme that has persisted from some quarters of Villa's support since the former Birmingham manager's very first poor run.

The Championship is still a new phenomenon to some at Villa, and it has showed. European Cup-winning, long-time Premier League ever-presents Aston Villa in the second tier? Well, it can only be liquid football and a stroll to promotion, right? Wrong.

Bruce has instead built a side still difficult to beat, often difficult to watch, but finally on the right track as they enter the second city derby against Birmingham City, live on Sky Sports Football on Sunday.

Their late 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough in December, the first of their current six-game winning run, gave Bruce the opportunity to say it how it is.

"I hope this shuts a few people up again as it becomes very annoying that we're just one week away from a crisis. We have to get on with the job in hand."

Bruce, referring to Villa's fans and other critics, didn't hold back, and supporters more or less sympathised with him. The atmosphere at Villa Park had been stagnant, bordering on poisonous, for too long, but the recent resurgence on the pitch leaves them with a genuine chance of promotion at the second attempt.

Bruce hasn't had always had a smooth ride this season

Nine-tenths of the law?

What has he changed? Wins breed confidence, and that first victory at Boro was vital, but a deeper look at Villa's possession stats shows a startling switch in approach. In short, they're happy without the ball.

Of their 30 Championship games this season, Villa have surrendered the majority of possession on 19 occasions. That may surprise a few, given Dr Tony Xia's investment has resulted in a spend of nearly £100m since relegation, and much of that splashed on their Championship rivals' best attacking talent.

Of those 19 games, Villa have taken 40 points from a possible 57, or 2.10 points per game, compared with 1.45 points per game with the majority of the ball.

Some would argue it's defensive, others would argue the balanced approach is the key to promotion.

Robert Snodgrass celebrates giving Aston Villa their win at Middlesbrough

Villa are in no way exempt from stagnating in the Football League for a decade or more, a la giants Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and many others. Bruce realises it's a case of get out, and as soon as you can.

"The Championship throws up results you wouldn't expect," said Bruce in late December. "So I hope the euphoria dies down a bit to let us get on with it."

Spreading the load

In front of goal and on the counter, Villa have become more clinical. Their average passes per game are ranked a modest 10th in the Championship, proving once more that possession is not important - it's what you do with it.

The absence of last season's top scorer Jonathan Kodjia through long-term injury has not had the feared impact; the goals have been made up by Albert Adomah, Robert Snodgrass and the recent fine form of Scott Hogan.

Villa's shot conversion rate has gone from 8.5 per cent (21st in Championship) in 2016/17, to 12.7 per cent (4th) this term.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, on loan along with Snodgrass, has been equally as impressive, and local boy Jack Grealish is finally delivering on a consistent basis after returning from long-term injury.

Jack Grealish has impressed since returning from injury

Grealish is tricky, a target for defenders. His often-criticised ability to draw the foul is perfect for Bruce's style of play.

Despite missing large chunks of the last two seasons, Grealish has been fouled 117 times in the Championship, the third-highest number of any player in the division. Since his first start back from injury in mid-December, Grealish has been fouled more than any other Championship player.

Snodgrass is third on that list, and it's no surprise that 11 of Villa's goals this season have come from headers, second only to Ipswich.

Mood swings

Off the pitch, harmony has been restored. Morale can trump money in a promotion push, and it's sky high at Villa.

Of the so-called 'Bomb Squad', those left surplus to requirements in Villa's dismal relegation season of 2015/16, only the resurgent Alan Hutton gets a game, and while Gabriel Agbonlahor and Micah Richards remain at the club, neither get a look in.

Scott Hogan is finally hitting form for Aston Villa with Jonathan Kodjia absent through injury

"Nothing penetrates the dressing room because we all believe in each other," striker Hogan said last month. "If someone wants to say it, let them. We all see each other every day and know what we can do. If people want to write, tweet, whatever.

"It is one of the things which gets missed. People look at the names we have in the group and think we are all individuals. People look beyond the fact we really are a tight-knit group."

But form is fragile, particularly in such an unforgiving division. "We lurch along and it only takes one," warns Bruce. How Villa react to their next defeat will be key as promotion begins to enter their minds, but fans will be praying the visit of their city rivals doesn't trigger that particular test.

 

Click

[Vive_La_Villa]

The stats in the article above backup what most have said about us being a direct team. But even direct teams have to be very good with the ball when they win it back. For too long that was the problem. However this year since Agnew has joined and Grealish returned we have made so much better use of possession.

[omariqy]

37 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

The stats in the article above backup what most have said about us being a direct team. But even direct teams have to be very good with the ball when they win it back. For too long that was the problem. However this year since Agnew has joined and Grealish returned we have made so much better use of possession.

We are direct in a good way, well we have been lately. We move the ball quickly into dangerous positions. Whether that is out wide or in the pockets with Grealish and Hourihane getting further forward. We are much more clinical than last season.

[NurembergVillan]

1 hour ago, omariqy said:

We are direct in a good way, well we have been lately. We move the ball quickly into dangerous positions. Whether that is out wide or in the pockets with Grealish and Hourihane getting further forward. We are much more clinical than last season.

I think that's the key thing Omar - even more so than being direct we're efficient, or clinical as you put it.

We don't pass the ball around for passing's sake like we did for a while after Lambert's German Holiday, and under RDM.  We contain teams, tire them out, and then rip through them one way or another.  The shot conversion rate shows that we're creating good chances.  

Someone on here the other day (may have been @Vive_La_Villa) remarked that we don't have a singular playing style now, we can mix it up based on the opposition and what they're doing.

The one thing that's perhaps misleading about that article is that it goes straight from talking about us winning lots of free kicks to then commenting how many headers we score.  It implies a sort dead ball reliance that isn't really true.  In reality it goes to further illustrate the quality of chances we're creating and the quality of cross being put into the box.  We haven't got Laursen and Carew scoring headers, we've got Hogan and Adomah.  It's a totally different approach.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 hour ago, NurembergVillan said:

I think that's the key thing Omar - even more so than being direct we're efficient, or clinical as you put it.

We don't pass the ball around for passing's sake like we did for a while after Lambert's German Holiday, and under RDM.  We contain teams, tire them out, and then rip through them one way or another.  The shot conversion rate shows that we're creating good chances.  

Someone on here the other day (may have been @Vive_La_Villa) remarked that we don't have a singular playing style now, we can mix it up based on the opposition and what they're doing.

The one thing that's perhaps misleading about that article is that it goes straight from talking about us winning lots of free kicks to then commenting how many headers we score.  It implies a sort dead ball reliance that isn't really true.  In reality it goes to further illustrate the quality of chances we're creating and the quality of cross being put into the box.  We haven't got Laursen and Carew scoring headers, we've got Hogan and Adomah.  It's a totally different approach.

It's a very sensible comment so I can understand why you thought I would have said it

But in this instance it wasn't me. 

[AvfcRigo82]

I hope we can all roar on the boys this weekend and more so the manager Steve Bruce. 

I hope we give him a cracking result which I am sure the team will be up for delivering this 110% more so than ever.

We're all behind you Steve. 

[TheAuthority]

9 hours ago, NurembergVillan said:

I think that's the key thing Omar - even more so than being direct we're efficient, or clinical as you put it.

We don't pass the ball around for passing's sake like we did for a while after Lambert's German Holiday, and under RDM.  We contain teams, tire them out, and then rip through them one way or another.  The shot conversion rate shows that we're creating good chances.  

Someone on here the other day (may have been @Vive_La_Villa) remarked that we don't have a singular playing style now, we can mix it up based on the opposition and what they're doing.

 

It's the way we played under SGT mark 1. We mixed it up, long ball, short game passing game and always good on the counter (with Platt as our goalscoring midfielder.)

Also at "Lambert's German Holiday."

[TheStagMan]

A bit behind here, have only just read the news about Steve Bruce's father. That is a shock. It was publicised that his mother was unwell, so I guess this was unexpected. Terrible news and thoughts go out to him and his family and I hope we give him a great reception on Sunday (if he is there) and that the Blosers do the same. 

[This Could Be Rotterdam]

5 minutes ago, TheStagMan said:

 the Blosers do the same. 

I think its safe to assume this is one of few situations that we can expect them to have some class about themselves. 

If not, im sure the fans and players will make them wish they had! 

[sheepyvillian]

7 hours ago, This Could Be Rotterdam said:

I think its safe to assume this is one of few situations that we can expect them to have some class about themselves. 

If not, im sure the fans and players will make them wish they had! 

Let's have it right. It's a private matter for the Bruce family, as it should be. Let them grieve in peace. It  has absolutely nothing to do with Sundays game,and IMO is of no concern to both sets of supporters. Let's not make a drama out of family grief.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2018 by sheepyvillian