Steve Bruce

[Woodytom]

37 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

How many extra points do you get for artistic impression again?

In all seriousness though I don't really get your point. What is being masked from whom? I don't see anyone even the most ardent of Bruce fans lauding the way we are playing. Quite the opposite in fact, I think most people see our play is limited in its technical merit much like many of our players and largely as a result of them.

I don't see anything being masked from anyone.

As for 'elements of luck' just some have gone Bruce's way others have gone against him. This luck line is something you seem to keep referring to in a way to try and detract from the results he has achieved.

Not everyone has to be a fan of Bruce or indeed his football (although it's hard to label it that when he hasn't signed a single one of the players) it's a free world and everyone is entitled to their views. 

I do though think it's a little rich to try and imply people who think otherwise are some hoodwinked or blinded by results. 

I struggle to think of a period in which a Villa managers performance has been viewed quite so pragmatically by most fans.

My point is simple. I don't believe we will continue to gain results playing so poorly. Once again we struggled against one of the leagues better teams.

Happy to be proven wrong of course but I think it's only a matter of time before the results mirror the woeful performances.

Edited December 30, 2016 by Woodytom

[TRO]

We are trying to get home on one flat tyre.

so far we have done well in terms of distance even if it has been a bumpy ride.

once we get the tyre repaired......we will be looking for a smooth ride.

Edited December 31, 2016 by TRO

[Tommo_b]

19 minutes ago, TRO said:

We are trying to get home on one flat tyre.

so far we have done well in terms of distance even if it has been a bumpy ride.

once we get the tyre repaired......we will looking for a smooth ride.

Nice analogy, I like that. 

[LondonLax]

2 hours ago, Woodytom said:

My point is simple. I don't believe we will continue to gain results playing so poorly. Once again we struggled against one of the leagues better teams.

Happy to be proven wrong of course but I think it's only a matter of time before the results mirror the woeful performances.

What do you suggest should be done?

[TrentVilla]

2 hours ago, Woodytom said:

My point is simple. I don't believe we will continue to gain results playing so poorly. Once again we struggled against one of the leagues better teams.

Happy to be proven wrong of course but I think it's only a matter of time before the results mirror the woeful performances.

Its less a point of view and more a perspective. 

[MikeMcKenna]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

We are trying to get home on one flat tyre.

so far we have done well in terms of distance even if it has been a bumpy ride.

once we get the tyre repaired......we will looking for a smooth ride.

TRO

I do not think your analogy quite works. 'One flat tyre' suggests we are one sided or off balance. Sticking with the auto theme, I would suggest that our problem is more akin to a misfunctioning gearbox. Gear one (the defence) is generally OK with the odd mishap, however gears two and three (defensive and attacking midfield) are not in sync, meshing or changing up efficiently with the result that we often slip out of gear and do not get to gears 4 & 5 (attackers) smoothly enough :-) We have a habit lately of over either, over revving or stalling :-) brummm brummm!

Edited December 31, 2016 by MikeMcKenna

[VILLAMARV]

3 hours ago, Tommo_b said:

Nice analogy, I like that. 

don't call him ogy

[Kiwivillan]

11 hours ago, TRO said:

I think Leeds will be there or there abouts at the end.

They had several key players out, even if quite a few are loans.

They certainly did have key players out as did we. Adomah and McCormack. Funny how we started to dominate after they were both on

[Woodytom]

5 hours ago, LondonLax said:

What do you suggest should be done?

What do I suggest should be done? It's got really very little to do with what I suggest.

My advice would be that the very well paid professional coaching staff should do some more work on ball retention and decision making.... especially when to clear the ball or play out of trouble or when to dribble as oppose to passing.

And go from there.... I don't think it's a case of some miraculous occurrence to sort it out but I really don't think it's to much of an overeacation to expect a damn sight better than what we currently are dished up.

[Woodytom]

2 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

They certainly did have key players out as did we. Adomah and McCormack. Funny how we started to dominate after they were both on

Their key players were more of a miss than adomah and mccormack. They were missing key players in all areas of the pitch. In the time that mccormack was on they scored and could have had a few more including hitting the bar twice. One of those times was also when adomah was on.

Other than the first 5 minutes of the game, I wouldn't say we 'dominated' at all.

[TRO]

10 hours ago, MikeMcKenna said:

TRO

I do not think your analogy quite works. 'One flat tyre' suggests we are one sided or off balance. Sticking with the auto theme, I would suggest that our problem is more akin to a misfunctioning gearbox. Gear one (the defence) is generally OK with the odd mishap, however gears two and three (defensive and attacking midfield) are not in sync, meshing or changing up efficiently with the result that we often slip out of gear and do not get to gears 4 & 5 (attackers) smoothly enough :-) We have a habit lately of over either, over revving or stalling :-) brummm brummm!

Ha Ha.... very good Mike

but I think we all get the jist

I think we can all see what is wrong.....putting it right is the tricky bit.

[sne]

The thing I like since Bruce came in (apart from the results improving) is the high pressure we put on the opponents at the start of the games.

I'ts a shame we can't keep it up for more than half an hour or so, but this comes down to our midfield, as does most things. They are just not a good enough unit, in any way, shape or form.

This high pressure way of playing might also be one of the reasons McCormack hasn't featured as much as expected, don't think he has the legs for it.

Really think this is something we should continue with, and with a midfield it should work even better and for a longer period of the games.

In possession thou, we look just as clueless as we've done for the whole season. A midfield will no doubt help in this aspect too.

Edited December 31, 2016 by sne

[TRO]

32 minutes ago, sne said:

The thing I like since Bruce came in (apart from the results improving) is the high pressure we put on the opponents at the start of the games.

I'ts a shame we can't keep it up for more than half an hour or so, but this comes down to our midfield, as does most things. They are just not a good enough unit, in any way, shape or form.

This high pressure way of playing might also be one of the reasons McCormack hasn't featured as much as expected, don't think he has the legs for it.

Really think this is something we should continue with, and with a midfield it should work even better on for a longer period of the games.

In possession thou, we look just as clueless as we've done for the whole season. A midfield will no doubt help in this aspect too.

In terms of forwards we just seem to look at the stats and make our minds up......How many have we bought who have scored goals elsewhere and not for us but we have paid good money for :

• McCormack ( so far)
• Gestede
• Cascarino
• Guy Whittingham

and I'm sure there are loads more.

When you look at Dean Saunders as just one example of a player who was like a "bumble bee" working the opposition back line (mentally) constantly on the go preoccupying them and running in between the lines.....we need a busy front man a nuisance a constant thorn in their side.

They must be out there, Vardy was.....we just need to take a chance on them.

Edited December 31, 2016 by TRO

[TrentVilla]

 

That is what Bruce tried to use Gabby for in fairness because we don't have that in the other players. Now obviously we all know Gabby is shot (not a typo but could have been) but he is the only one who can remotely do it.

As for strikers that have scored elsewhere then failed here there are plenty including those you name. Some just weren't good enough like Whittingham and Cascarino but what is true of all of them is that we've bought them without an appreciation of the type of players they are.

We seem to have a habit of buying players because they've scored a lot of goals irrespective of their style compared to ours and/or been unable or unwilling to adapt to get the most from them,  it's frankly moronic and symptomatic of the shambolic way the club has been run for just about all the 30 years I've watched it.

I can only hope Xia and Bruce buck the trend although I don't hold out an real great hope of future success. Just not being an embaressment would be a start.

[TRO]

10 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

 

That is what Bruce tried to use Gabby for in fairness because we don't have that in the other players. Now obviously we all know Gabby is shot (not a typo but could have been) but he is the only one who can remotely do it.

As for strikers that have scored elsewhere then failed here there are plenty including those you name. Some just weren't good enough like Whittingham and Cascarino but what is true of all of them is that we've bought them without an appreciation of the type of players they are.

We seem to have a habit of buying players because they've scored a lot of goals irrespective of their style compared to ours, it's frankly moronic and symptomatic of the shambolic way the club has been run for just about all the 30 years I've watched it.

I can only hope Xia and Bruce buck the trend although I don't hold out an real great hope of future success. Just not being an embaressment would be a start.

Very good roundup there Trent

it echo's my sentiment entirely and Like you I have my doubts about recruitment.

That is not a slight on Steve Bruce its just that I have seen it so many times over the years my doubt is now ingrained.

who ever comes in I want to see the BLEND addressed.

[a m ole]

If the performances were truly 'woeful' then we wouldn't have got 2 points per game and remained unbeaten at home.

'not great' would be more appropriate, and i'm sure we've seen this silly hyperbole somewhere before...

[Mjvilla]

6 hours ago, Woodytom said:

What do I suggest should be done? It's got really very little to do with what I suggest.

My advice would be that the very well paid professional coaching staff should do some more work on ball retention and decision making.... especially when to clear the ball or play out of trouble or when to dribble as oppose to passing.

And go from there.... I don't think it's a case of some miraculous occurrence to sort it out but I really don't think it's to much of an overeacation to expect a damn sight better than what we currently are dished up.

And you're sure they aren't already doing this? But, as Trent alluded to, the players just aren't good enough to retain the ball, so the training isn't helping? Which would suggest that with results, Bruce is doing a very good job! 

No, I'm wrong. Woodytom, who struggles to watch many matches, actually is able to watch and listen to every single training session we do.

Also, I'd like you to tell me a drill on how to improve decision making? It's instinct when on the pitch. You can tell a player he made the wrong decision, and even put him in that position on a training ground and show him What he should've done, but on the pitch.... Instinct will kick in. 

[Grasshopper]

 

55 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

 

 

 it's frankly moronic and symptomatic of the shambolic way the club has been run for just about all the 30 years I've watched it

  

does that mean you missed our finest Hours?

 

[dont_do_it_doug.]

18 hours ago, Woodytom said:

The football is as dire as I've ever seen. It's masked by results, some of which have an element of luck to it but make no mistake about it we are a shocking team to watch.

 

You can't really believe that? 

I think everyone agrees that at times it has been a difficult watch. The Norwich game was a horror show, but that stands as a bit of an outlier. The wins over Wigan and Burton were not pretty either, but they were wins at least. What we have done is kept on going, battling to the very end. Late goals against Reading, Fulham, QPR and Leeds attest to that. Blackburn took the lead, we fought back to win. Cardiff equalised, we didn't lose our head and ran out comfortable winners in the end. Burton equalised and despite the fact we were playing awful we pulled one out the bag.  Brighton equalised, we went on to play the best football I've seen us play in 6 years. 

It's rarely pretty, we all agree on that. If you want pretty football you're maybe following the wrong club, Aston Villa don't play that kind of football. Not in at least 25 years. It's functional, scrappy, resilient and it is at most times 'exciting' to watch. I can't get my head around somebody who sat through the utter bilge we served up last season, the flat, malfunctioning nonsense delivered by Lambert, Alex **** McLeish, saying that THIS is as dire as they have ever seen.

To say we're probably going to need to play better than this to sustain our form is one thing, I agree. So does the manager. To say what you have there, I honestly think you're posting for effect. 

[TRO]

56 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

 

That is what Bruce tried to use Gabby for in fairness because we don't have that in the other players. Now obviously we all know Gabby is shot (not a typo but could have been) but he is the only one who can remotely do it.

As for strikers that have scored elsewhere then failed here there are plenty including those you name. Some just weren't good enough like Whittingham and Cascarino but what is true of all of them is that we've bought them without an appreciation of the type of players they are.

We seem to have a habit of buying players because they've scored a lot of goals irrespective of their style compared to ours, it's frankly moronic and symptomatic of the shambolic way the club has been run for just about all the 30 years I've watched it.

I can only hope Xia and Bruce buck the trend although I don't hold out an real great hope of future success. Just not being an embaressment would be a start.

Very good roundup there Trent

it echo's my sentiment entirely and Like you I have my doubts about recruitment.

That is not a slight on Steve Bruce its just that I have seen it so many times over the years my doubt is now ingrained.

who ever comes in I want to see the BLEND addressed.