Steve Bruce

[Dave J]

4 hours ago, ciggiesnbeer said:

To be fair to him (and I want him gone) he says the opposite. I believe him.  I genuinely do think he believes this is the biggest job he has had and he is incredibly proud to be here. I just dont see how we are going to become a team that plays good football let alone one that can survive i the Premier league under him. Sadly I think its time to change but I dont think Bruce is arrogant.

I agree tbh I don't think he is an arrogant person - I think he can be quite defensive at times when posed certain questions but arrogant no.

i don't think the bloke is a bad guy at all - just not a good enough football manager for ASTON VILLA FC imo 

[KevinRichardsonsMoustache]

I know it’s a cliche for football managers and players to be terrifically unimaginative in how they express themselves but Bruce’s pre-match press conference is almost identical to his pre-Sheffield United one. I thought I had pressed the wrong link at one stage. 

 

Here are some classics: 

 

’The good thing in football is that we have another match to get it right’

 

’it’ll be a totally different performance this week’

 

’We’ve lost five or six big players’

 

’and the new owners have come in and breathed life into the club’

 

’using the loan market can obliterate your squad’

 

The only new one: ‘I had to let go of x player on loan to free up ffp budget’

 

Firstly, he’s giving no practical solutions to any of the on-the-field problems other than time (the great healer and binder of players).

 

And his arguments about the loan system not being conducive to building a team underlines his lack of ability to find young gems to operate in this league. Of course, he then goes and loans a load more players so he sets up his agument for next year (should he be here). I know he isn’t a genius but players see through this kid of inconsistency.

 

As as a previous poster mentioned, Bruce used to point out that football clubs ‘are one match from a crisis’. Bruce either manufactures many of these crises for rhetorical effect or plays on them. 

 

If he’s like this in front of the players then I can’t say it bodes well for dressing room cohesion. 

[KHV]

I think he will be gone after we get done over big time by Blackburn

[allani]

I am beginning to get VERY annoyed by the b****ocks that he talks.  Start of the season, new team, will get better, etc.  Our form at the end of last season was **** (hence why we fell out of the play-off positions).  Our performances this season have been ****.  He had 6 or 7 weeks to replace the players that we lost - admittedly we would have liked longer and could have done with the ownership (and cashflow) being sorted sooner.  The balance of the team is ****.  We have 3 right backs and don't play any of them at right back.  That is just ****.  Time will not fix it.  Since the middle of March our form would see us finishing 11th.  That isn't even close to "there or thereabouts".  It is ****.  And it isn't like we have had a string of really difficult matches or really bad luck.  This season we had pretty much the dream fixture list - easy game after easy game after easy game.  We played **** in almost every one and have dropped a load of points against poor teams.  Late winner against Wigan after they had two better chances to win it themselves.  Last second goal to snatch a draw against Brentford which Bruce claims is the best we have played for years.  Time will not fix this.  It might paper over the cracks.  We might grab a few points to relieve the immediate pressure.  But 26 games is plenty of time and we're 11th in form over that period.  It would be hard to do any worse with the squad that he has had at his disposal during that period.

[AvfcRigo82]

Those of us (myself included) that are wanting Bruce gone have been hearing and seeing the same shit since long into last season from him.

We could miraculously win the next 10 games 4-0 - we still won't be getting promoted under Bruce this season.

Others have taken longer to start seeing through this smoke screen of a manager and a loss against Blackburn away tonight will be impossible to come back from for him imo.

Those press conference's are nothing short of depressing.

[allani]

9 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Others have taken longer to start seeing through this smoke screen of a manager and a loss against Blackburn away tonight will be impossible to come back from for him imo.

If that is true then why give him another match?  Surely he should have gone during the 2 week break?  If we lose today and sack him then we've got two more matches this week.  I can't believe that we have anyone lined up (otherwise why are they not here)?  I can't see anything but Bruce being here until next weekend.  So then you get into the whole - what is the minimum he needs to still be in a job?  If we are realistic about promotion we need 7 points - but again I can't see him being sacked if we win 2 and lose 1, or even win 1 and draw 2.  A win and a draw will probably still be enough to save his job.  That is what is really depressing - we will get just enough results and just enough points for this to drag on until Christmas.

[AntrimBlack]

8 minutes ago, allani said:

If that is true then why give him another match?  Surely he should have gone during the 2 week break?  If we lose today and sack him then we've got two more matches this week.  I can't believe that we have anyone lined up (otherwise why are they not here)?  I can't see anything but Bruce being here until next weekend.  So then you get into the whole - what is the minimum he needs to still be in a job?  If we are realistic about promotion we need 7 points - but again I can't see him being sacked if we win 2 and lose 1, or even win 1 and draw 2.  A win and a draw will probably still be enough to save his job.  That is what is really depressing - we will get just enough results and just enough points for this to drag on until Christmas.

I can understand the owners keeping him because we were so close to the start of the new season, but we will soon have reached the point where if he is still here this will be yet another wasted season with Bruce at the helm.

[AvfcRigo82]

He is going through the notions are far as I am concerned and just wants out - but with the juicy payoff.

 

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

’The good thing in football is that we have another match to get it right’

Yes, because the 91 league games he's had to get it right so far combined with 2 pre-seasons and many cup games obviously have not been enough!

 

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

’it’ll be a totally different performance this week’. 

It's performance now!?

I know we had a totally new team from Yeovil to the Sheff Utd game and that worked well. So now it's performance related.

 

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

'We’ve lost five or six big players’ 

Wrong. We've lost 2 - John Terry and Sam Johnstone imo, that's it.

- in the process he has signed 4 or 5 big players this season so that's a bizarre statement.

 

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

’and the new owners have come in and breathed life into the club’

Hopefully when Bruce is gone we will be able to feel this new lease of life sweep through us all - from players to fans.

 

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

The only new one: ‘I had to let go of x player on loan to free up ffp budget’

Which he has known about since the day he lost the play-off final.

I dare say there was 11 players you could have sold/loaned since May to free up FFP - nice to see Jack was targeted first on your list to get out the door!

(Can you imagine if we had? - every **** press conference would be "We've lost Jack Grealish & John Terry, two massive irreplaceable players but I've managed to save the club in the process by doing this")

 

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

Firstly, he’s giving no practical solutions to any of the on-the-field problems other than time (the great healer and binder of players).

Quite simply because he has no solutions.

 

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

Of course, he then goes and loans a load more players so he sets up his agument for next year (should he be here). I know he isn’t a genius but players see through this kid of inconsistency.

So do the fans, it's just a question of whether the owners can.

 

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

As as a previous poster mentioned, Bruce used to point out that football clubs ‘are one match from a crisis’. Bruce either manufactures many of these crises for rhetorical effect or plays on them. 

The man is a walking crisis.

He has simply been found out at our club for who he really is! - An outdated, walking excuse of a football manager who is preventing us from progressing as a football club.

 

BRUCE OUT!!

 

 

Edited September 15, 2018 by AvfcRigo82

[Designer1]

I hope we get back to winning ways with 3 points today, I never want us to lose.

However, if we did suffer a loss the only crumb of comfort for me is that it would speed up Bruce's departure.

I want him gone.

[Dodgyknees]

20 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

I hope we get back to winning ways with 3 points today, I never want us to lose.

However, if we did suffer a loss the only crumb of comfort for me is that it would speed up Bruce's departure.

I want him gone.

I **** hate losing, but I dislike Bruce as manager almost as much. I get that, buddy.

[Dr_Pangloss]

Hopefully he spent the last two weeks working on tactics, getting us passing and moving, being confident in possession and pressing high without the ball. However, he most likely spent the break scratching his ass and working up one liners on how he can deflect his own failings on to the players and fans.

[KHV]

2 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

Hopefully he spent the last two weeks working on tactics, getting us passing and moving, being confident in possession and pressing high without the ball. However, he most likely spent the break scratching his ass and working up one liners on how he can deflect his own failings on to the players and fans.

More chance of Amir Khan beating PacMan than that happening

[jim]

19 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

Hopefully he spent the last two weeks working on tactics, getting us passing and moving, being confident in possession and pressing high without the ball. However, he most likely spent the break scratching his ass and working up one liners on how he can deflect his own failings on to the players and fans.

You lost me at tactics...

 

[Mark Albrighton]

1 hour ago, Designer1 said:

I hope we get back to winning ways with 3 points today, I never want us to lose.

However, if we did suffer a loss the only crumb of comfort for me is that it would speed up Bruce's departure.

I want him gone.

Yeah I’m fed up of him too. 

I’m prepared to see how we fare now that both Abraham and Bolasie are available (I say prepared, like we have choice). I think I know how it’s going to play out - a few dismal performances coupled with a few decent results “we’ve only lost once......new players....daffodils” etc etc. But we’ll see, hopefully we’ll be pleasantly surprised.

With our attacking options, the next six games should yield a further twelve points as an absolute minimum for me.

[villa4europe]

1 hour ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

Hopefully he spent the last two weeks working on tactics, getting us passing and moving, being confident in possession and pressing high without the ball. However, he most likely spent the break scratching his ass and working up one liners on how he can deflect his own failings on to the players and fans.

nope, the vast majority of the squad weren't there 

obviously not his fault that after 2 years of looking like we do **** all in training he finally cooked up his masterplan during the international window but none of the players were there to put it in to action

[sne]

Says in the presser that he "made a pledge to Alex that he will play"

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/we-cannot-just-stockpile-players-15155200

Explains a lot I guess.

[Dr_Pangloss]

14 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

nope, the vast majority of the squad weren't there 

obviously not his fault that after 2 years of looking like we do **** all in training he finally cooked up his masterplan during the international window but none of the players were there to put it in to action

Most of our squad weren't on international duty.

[AvfcRigo82]

14 minutes ago, sne said:

Says in the presser that he "made a pledge to Axel that he will play".

Yeah, "Axel can play centre back too"

**** me! Really?? Not bad considering it's his natural position!   

[villa4europe]

24 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

Most of our squad weren't on international duty.

i looked at that because it jumped out at me straight away when he said it in his press conference, 25 man squad (+ richards and mccormack)

jedinak, abraham, thor, kodjia, nyland, chester, hourihane, mcginn so 8 of them on international duty, classed as the "majority"

taylor, whelan, bolasie, adomah all dropped from their national teams, davis and RHM i think are now too old for the U19s

[Tommo_b]

3 hours ago, KHV said:

I think he will be gone after we get done over big time by Blackburn

You do know we will probably win this one 4-0 now and be rampant and he will stay for another 3 months at least.