Steve Bruce

[OutByEaster?]

1 minute ago, vreitti said:

I suppose that's one way of looking at it, and I'm not saying you're entirely wrong either, but I can't say I feel we're quite as structured or systematic in our play. I generally think we 'just play', and whatever happens, happens.

I think there's something in that - where I compared us to Gregory's side, they were very much structured and very, very well drilled - this side seem to have an idea of the underlying system but do 'just play', as has been said a number of times this season our success is very often dependent of individual moments of brilliance rather than a patterned aim. It's what leaves us frustratingly discordant at times, but I also kinda like those moments of individual brilliance when they happen.

Quote

Also that squad was far more superior compared to the current, imho. I have to believe a more progressive manager could have had that team finishing in UCL seats.

I agree on that one too - I think at that moment we had the resources and the momentum to be ambitious in our aims, to set a style for Villa and a blueprint we could carry into the future. A more progressive manager would have been needed to do that. Relating that to our current situation, I don't think Bruce us that type of progressive manager, but I also don't think we're really in a position where we can think too far ahead in our future - if we don't go up there's maybe an opportunity to do that, we'll need to do some sort of rebuilding job certainly, and if we do go up our aims will be entirely about staying up. 

I think the clubs aim is very much based on the Liverpool style, some excellent individuals breaking out from a solid, organised back line - in fairness, Liverpool haven't quite got that right yet and we're a long way from their quality - what I don't believe is that we're trying to play that Mourhino style of all defend and what for a set piece, the Italian nil-nil first thing, I don't see that.

[Vive_La_Villa]

@blandy I totally understand where you are going from. I went yesterday but it's only the third game I've been to this season. The football was really poor. Just because we win it shouldn't make how bad the quality is. 

[blandy]

6 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Isn't there a point where those 67 punctuations of joy carry their own weight? I guess we're a little like a poor album with your three favourite songs on and of course it's sensible to enjoy the bits that have been enjoyable and not to enjoy the bits that haven't been enjoyable, but I think there's a weight to those 67 clenched fists, shouts of yes and little dances, just as I think there's weight to the 23 times hands have been raised to the air in victory, just as I think it's important not to forget the number of times we've played hopeless balls into unoccupied corners, dilly dallied in midfield and crossed balls into empty boxes. Constant joy is unrealistic, a complete lack of joy the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that we're the second coming of Brazil 82, we're often disconnected, disjointed and frustrating, I was just surprised that anyone could find that the idea that people were enjoying our football this season was incredible. There's been plenty to enjoy and plenty not to enjoy. To take no enjoyment out of this season's football at all is be me slightly ridiculous.

I get your point, but in response to the last line, I'd say it's not a conscious decision not to enjoy it, it's just the reality. The football we play, the nature of the games mostly bores the pants off me. I can't help it, it just "is" boring. Maybe partly because going up isn't the be all and end all to me (I'd like it, I think, but it won't destroy me if we don't) . Maybe partly because as per another thread "the game's gone".

I'm not asking for or expecting constant joy, and I'm genuinely pleased that most other people are enjoying it all, or most of it. I just haven't enjoyed much of to at all. I can honestly say (and did at the time) that I was standing in the away end at PNE when we were 2-0 up thinking "we're winning this easily, we're going to win, and I'm bored, the football is boring, I'm not enjoying this at all. Equally when we were behind at home to Wednesday and were basically going to lose, I really did enjoy us making a decent effort of playing attacking football for that last 25 minutes of however long it was. The football we mostly play just numbs me.

[OutByEaster?]

1 minute ago, blandy said:

Maybe partly because going up isn't the be all and end all to me (I'd like it, I think, but it won't destroy me if we don't).

Strangely, I feel the same about promotion, but it would seem for the opposite reason. I'm enjoying the Championship, enjoying watching us and not looking forward to the desperate effort to reach 38 points each season that the Premier League brings.

You're not concerned about going up because for you enjoying the football is more important than that aim, I'm not concerned about going up because I'm enjoying the football more than I have for a while. I think that's right.

 

 

 

[Vive_La_Villa]

Pass pass cross, hit the first man. Pass pass cross, hit the first man.  

Edit: still rather this than getting spanked every week in the top flight. 

Edited April 14, 2018 by Vive_La_Villa

[terrytini]

Part of me wants to leave it there, some like it, some don’t, nothing wrong with that.

But I am intrigued a little as to what those that don’t like it would like to see....especially as I see little difference between how we play ( now, not last season) under Bruce and how we played under Vic Crowe, Sir Ron, GTmk1, Brian Little, Gregory, and MON.

It doesn’t seem the same as Bruce last year, Mcleish, O’ dreary, or Lambert.

And it looks better to me than a lot of what I see in the Premier League, albeit at a lower overall standard.

Our full backs get forward, we press sometimes not others, we use wingers, we play through with Jack, we allow individual flair, we use the channel ball.

About the only thing we don’t do as far as I can tell is play “ possession” football ( which for 5e most part I find as dull as dishwater so don’t miss that).

There are times we don’t support the front men enough, there are times we sit too deep, there are times we “ go long” aimlessly....but that doesn’t negate the rest.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Strangely, I feel the same about promotion, but it would seem for the opposite reason. I'm enjoying the Championship, enjoying watching us and not looking forward to the desperate effort to reach 38 points each season that the Premier League brings.

You're not concerned about going up because for you enjoying the football is more important than that aim, I'm not concerned about going up because I'm enjoying the football more than I have for a while. I think that's right.

 

 

 

But the club need the money and get free of the shackles of FFP.

 

[TRO]

20 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Part of me wants to leave it there, some like it, some don’t, nothing wrong with that.

But I am intrigued a little as to what those that don’t like it would like to see....especially as I see little difference between how we play ( now, not last season) under Bruce and how we played under Vic Crowe, Sir Ron, GTmk1, Brian Little, Gregory, and MON.

It doesn’t seem the same as Bruce last year, Mcleish, O’ dreary, or Lambert.

And it looks better to me than a lot of what I see in the Premier League, albeit at a lower overall standard.

Our full backs get forward, we press sometimes not others, we use wingers, we play through with Jack, we allow individual flair, we use the channel ball.

About the only thing we don’t do as far as I can tell is play “ possession” football ( which for 5e most part I find as dull as dishwater so don’t miss that).

There are times we don’t support the front men enough, there are times we sit too deep, there are times we “ go long” aimlessly....but that doesn’t negate the rest.

I thought I was going  mad.....because thats what i see too.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

@blandy I totally understand where you are going from. I went yesterday but it's only the third game I've been to this season. The football was really poor. Just because we win it shouldn't make how bad the quality is. 

SB said after the match, tired legs, make mistakes.....He said we had too many tired legs out there.

[Eastie]

3 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

@blandy I totally understand where you are going from. I went yesterday but it's only the third game I've been to this season. The football was really poor. Just because we win it shouldn't make how bad the quality is. 

Give me a win ahead of quality football any day .

[Jareth]

1 minute ago, Eastie said:

Give me a win ahead of quality football any day .

I'll take a bit of both

[Eastie]

1 minute ago, Jareth said:

I'll take a bit of both

Obviously that’s the ideal scenario but win is most important for me. 

[Eastie]

Bruce is an odd one - I’ve changed my mInd many times on him this season and I still don’t know what to think of him - never known a manager like him in my 40 years of watching villa - he’s frustrating and irritating at times but at others I think he’s quite decent - I guess he will be judged ultimately on whether he achieves promotion or not .

[Vive_La_Villa]

48 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Give me a win ahead of quality football any day .

Indeed but over a season you can't have one without the other which is why we have failed to win in 20 games. 

But looking at the game in isolation after a busy schedule it's Job well done. 

[7392craig]

8 hours ago, srsmithusa said:

Oh, so you want Bruce to get us promoted, and then you want to replace him since the turgid football he plays won’t work there?

I think that’s about right.

[Vive_La_Villa]

48 minutes ago, Eastie said:

I guess he will be judged ultimately on whether he achieves promotion or not .

Hope the board see it this way too. 

For me even losing in a playoff final that we completed dominated on penalties is failure. 

[sheepyvillian]

4 hours ago, blandy said:

I get your point, but in response to the last line, I'd say it's not a conscious decision not to enjoy it, it's just the reality. The football we play, the nature of the games mostly bores the pants off me. I can't help it, it just "is" boring. Maybe partly because going up isn't the be all and end all to me (I'd like it, I think, but it won't destroy me if we don't) . Maybe partly because as per another thread "the game's gone".

I'm not asking for or expecting constant joy, and I'm genuinely pleased that most other people are enjoying it all, or most of it. I just haven't enjoyed much of to at all. I can honestly say (and did at the time) that I was standing in the away end at PNE when we were 2-0 up thinking "we're winning this easily, we're going to win, and I'm bored, the football is boring, I'm not enjoying this at all. Equally when we were behind at home to Wednesday and were basically going to lose, I really did enjoy us making a decent effort of playing attacking football for that last 25 minutes of however long it was. The football we mostly play just numbs me.

And at the end of the day, who really wants boring football ? Certainly not me.

[sheepyvillian]

And why not ? It's not like one negates the other.

This should of been a quote to Jareth's last post.

Edited April 14, 2018 by sheepyvillian

[Stevo985]

It's a shame that, for whatever reason, people haven't been able to enjoy what has been, imo, one of the most enjoyable seasons watching Villa I've had in my lifetime.

Yes it could/should have been better. And yes it's not in the top flight.

 

But every week I go to Villa Park knowing that we can win the game I'm about to watch. And most of the time we do. And we score lots of goals while we do it.
No we don't play like Guardiola's Barcelona, but the criticism of our "style" is vastly exaggerated on VillaTalk. Some games are terrible, but certainly at home I think we have mostly played decent football this season. And at times it's been excellent.

 

I've loved this season. And I doubt we'll see another season with this many victories, goals and points for a long time. So like I said, I find it a shame that, for valid reasons or otherwise, some people haven't enjoyed this season.

[OutByEaster?]

32 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Indeed but over a season you can't have one without the other which is why we have failed to win in 20 games. 

I don't think I've ever seen a phrase which more succinctly summarises the glass half empty/glass half full nature of VT.