srsmithusa Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 2 hours ago, markavfc40 said: That was not the case for me. What he did when he came in is wipe the slate clean and sent out a message that you train hard under me, do the right things, bust your bollocks trying to impress then you will be given a fair crack of the whip and a chance. In fairness to Bruce he has pretty given every player he inherited some game time so not one of them can say they didn't get a chance. What he has shown with McCormack is that if you don't toe the line under him then you will be called out on it and disciplined leaving you and the other payers in no doubt that not giving your all will not be tolerated. McCormack hasn't behaved the way he has because Gabby has been given a chance. If anything Gabby should have been the inspiration for McCormack and he should have seen him busting his bollocks in training, getting back into shape and thought I am not allowing him to jump into my place I am going to do all I can to ensure he doesn't. What you can guarantee with how Bruce has managed us since he arrived is that players will know that whilst he has shown he is a fair man by judging players on what they do under him he has also shown he is not one to be crossed if you don't toe the line under him. Good post and I understand your thoughts. It's just what you (and likely Bruce in all fairness) see as a clean slate. I see as a blind eye. IMO, Bruce could have prevented a lot of the lack of commitment we continue to see, not just in the McCormack case, if he had started with the tough stance against lack of effort rather than turning a blind eye to all that had gone on previously. I'm not saying you or Bruce deliberately think this way.....but the turning a blind eye vs. it's a clean slate makes a subtle distinction whether the player gets punished for failing the manager, or for failing the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderball Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 In fairness to Bruce he has not once made any excuses, he has said on more than one occasion that the performance was not good enough. He has dropped players from the match day squad when the standard was not good enough, he is no shrinking violet. His problem has been he can only push it so far with a squad like ours, before he bites off his nose to spite his face - we just can't afford to drop points. He is between a rock and a hard place. Hopefully a few more faces this window will improve this aspect. Undoubtedly, with Kodjia and Ayew returning will help matters again, hopefully Ayew will want to play himself out of the club. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted January 22, 2017 Visiting Supporter Share Posted January 22, 2017 19 minutes ago, thunderball said: In fairness to Bruce he has not once made any excuses, he has said on more than one occasion that the performance was not good enough. He has dropped players from the match day squad when the standard was not good enough, he is no shrinking violet. His problem has been he can only push it so far with a squad like ours, before he bites off his nose to spite his face - we just can't afford to drop points. He is between a rock and a hard place. Hopefully a few more faces this window will improve this aspect. Undoubtedly, with Kodjia and Ayew returning will help matters again, hopefully Ayew will want to play himself out of the club. Great post. Bringing his signings in will strengthen his hand further in the dressing room allowing Bruce to tell those free riders on the back of AVFC to do one. But he will need more than one window to do this. Giving Bruce to this time next year the Villa squad will be unrecognisable and much the better for it probably finishing first in the Championship if Villa don't gain promotion this season. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 On 21/01/2017 at 19:42, Stratvillan said: Not his players though. This is why he needs time to build. Well they are. They may not be all the players he'd want, in an ideal world, but they are his all the same. Managers don't get years to build anymore, he still has to get the best out of what he has and I'm not sure he is at this very moment. I still trust him, of course, and he certainly needs at least a couple of windows before we can really start to judge. So it was a slight overreaction after a very disappointing afternoon. Again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael118 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 14 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: My question is why you think the period of time since the start of December is a likely predictor of future performance. I don't really see it as a likely 'predictor of future performance' but it's a trend which is concerning and more the way I expected results to be like under Steve Bruce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney_avfc Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Did you meet with Steve Bruce yesterday @OutByEaster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Memo to SB: Please bomb squad the following Hutton, Richards, Westwood, Gardner, Bacuna, RHM, McC (if guilty) & Gaby We dont want the newbies picking up bad habits Out with that cancerous shite. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jareth Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Well done SB - your first window and the first time you can really do anything with villa and you have played a blinder. I think SB was a big factor in these players joining. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 He's good at shopping. I bet even a trip to Merry Hill would be painless with him. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 no excuses now SB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Will be interesting to see how we perform now with an actual midfield. Quietly confident performances could dramatically improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 He certainly done the biz did old Fist Face 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler123 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) I am usually a person with a lot patience. But with this squad, I Expect at least 2-3 wins in the next five games, no matter who the opponents are (in championships ofc). Edited January 26, 2017 by Deisler123 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Next job is getting all these supposed leaders to pull in the same direction. If he does, we should be able to go on a bit of a positive run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a m ole Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Has Brucie had an owner back him like this before? I'm interested to see how a team of players he really wants will perform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jareth Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I am starting to think that SB shaming Mcormack was to push him out this window and generate some money and wages for a forward that would suit his system better. Otherwise that little git would be quite happily taking his wages and not turning up for the rest of the season. Now he has no choice but to just leave. Think that's why Bruce said it is the first time he said he's every done it, because in this case, it was a lost cause to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted January 26, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) Well done indeed young skywalker. He has seen EXACTLY what we have all seen and got in EXACTLY the type of players we would all have liked to see arrive. Remember back to last summer. We were all sitting here wondering why we had so little in midfield and pretty much put our faith in RDM knowing what he was doing and being a midfielder himself what he was about. We were almost making excuses for him and really just hoping for the best, hoping he had seen something good in eg Gardner which gave him confidence we had enough. Today there is no such feeling like that at all. Its plain as the nose on your face why these players are here. And the whole unit put together for less than half the price of McCormack. I am a happy bunny indeed. If this doesn't work now I truly will believe that there is some kind of voodoo curse on us. Edited January 26, 2017 by sidcow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted January 26, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 26, 2017 7 hours ago, Wainy316 said: He's good at shopping. I bet even a trip to Merry Hill would be painless with him. Not possible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 a manager that addresses weaknesses in the squad. I am not even sure what that means 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 7 hours ago, a m ole said: Has Brucie had an owner back him like this before? I'm interested to see how a team of players he really wants will perform. Looks like he made a couple of fairly expensive transfers at Sunderland All SB purchases Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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