Steve Bruce

[rodders0223]

Aside from being a pretty poor manager, he is an absolute moron. I remember in never mind the buzzocks, Donny Tourette trying to make fun of Bill Bailey to a response of "He's a professional comedian....you won't win."

Steve, for your own sake, just shut your **** mouth. You are taking on 100 years of history, thousands of fans, media, former players, owners. You're a run of the mill Championship manager.

You.

Won't
 

Win.

[TheStagMan]

10 hours ago, briny_ear said:

“Ingrates” would be a nice way of putting it.

Raving lunatics who have completely lost any sense of perspective and balance might be more accurate.

My word, what a silly post.

 

 

 

[terrytini]

Must admit I’m utterly baffled - to put it kindly - by his assertion that he’s “ always wanted to play 2 up top”.

Hes been here 2 years and had transfer windows - he bought Hogan in one - he’s had plenty opportunity to mix and match existing players or buy new ones in order to play 2 up top.

Additionally, in his own words on two occasions he’s said he thought it better to concentrate on defensive solidity.

Plenty of us have said for 2 years that the defensive side would actually be improved by being more positive in the first place.....in game after game we’ve seen sides of all sorts press us back and lay siege. Even our approach to opposition corners involves an 11 man defence ( something even Rotherham, away at Villa, didn’t do - and had a dangerous break because of it btw).

Im afraid he is either being misleading or, almost worse than that, is saying he has only now been prepared to ‘ risk’ an extra forward because we’ve Premier League quality in the squad. This only lends fuel to those who argue his main ‘ability’ is to have better players than the opposition, in order to counter their better structures, styles, systems, tactics, and coaching.

Additionally, I Posted the other day saying I wish people would cease their attempts at rubbishing the man. I’d say the same for him - he should just shut up about the fans and media. He really is ill advised to blow his own trumpet after simply winning a game, dear oh dear.

[Hoof hearted]

12 hours ago, rodders0223 said:

Not true, the amount of backing he gets inside VP is still amazing. In a way, it makes me proud...he really does have no ground to complain. His name still gets chanted. I sit right hext to the dugout and in 2 years have heard 2 people have a little pop at him in that time. He really cannot and shouldn't dare complain.

So shut the **** up, stop the excuses and do.your job.

You need to get yourself to the back of the Holte then mate, there's obviously some kind of sound dampening going on around the dug (Bruce) out area! 

[Stevo985]

I hope we don't play two up top.

Nearly every time we've tried it we've been poor. Even last night I wasn't convinced the change in formation particularly suited us, despite the result and decent performance.

I don't think there's anything wrong with our usual formation to be honest. We're too negative at times and the defensive uncertainty has cost us this season.
It's more the approach that needs to be changed, not the formation. Two up front doesn't automatically make you more attacking. It depends on how you play

[terrytini]

Just now, Stevo985 said:

I hope we don't play two up top.

Nearly every time we've tried it we've been poor. Even last night I wasn't convinced the change in formation particularly suited us, despite the result and decent performance.

I don't think there's anything wrong with our usual formation to be honest. We're too negative at times and the defensive uncertainty has cost us this season.
It's more the approach that needs to be changed, not the formation. Two up front doesn't automatically make you more attacking. It depends on how you play

I agree with that on the whole. I think we can do it on occasion - it not having worked previously doesn’t mean it can’t work now. 

But you are dead right - it’s the approach that matters - particularly, in Bruce’s case, for me, the amount of threatening players ( allowed to be so) and defensive players.

Could play none up top and still be effective, or play four and still be sterile.

 

[Stevo985]

4 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I agree with that on the whole. I think we can do it on occasion - it not having worked previously doesn’t mean it can’t work now. 

But you are dead right - it’s the approach that matters - particularly, in Bruce’s case, for me, the amount of threatening players ( allowed to be so) and defensive players.

Could play none up top and still be effective, or play four and still be sterile.

 

Yep exactly this.

It's why I got annoyed last season particularly when people would scream for us to play another striker, or moan that bringing, say, a midfielder on when we're chasing a game wasn't attacking enough. 

We could go all Paul Lambert and just sub every striker we have on but the team would collapse.

One of Abraham/Kodjia up front, with Bolasie, El Ghazi/Adomah, Grealish, McGinn/Hourihane playing behind them or wide of them should be SO attacking. It's the approach and cohesion that we're lacking at the moment.

You're absolutely right though. 2 up front should and could be an option for us at times. I just don't see it as a default change.

Edited September 19, 2018 by Stevo985

[TheStagMan]

11 hours ago, Uncle Albert said:

This is the "lovely man" steve bruces post match comments...

 

The most intelligent people will see through all the nonsense and realise that we’ve got the makings of a decent team,” Bruce said.
“We’re Aston Villa and the expectation at the club is huge, I understand that.
“But a little bit of common sense is needed because unfortunately it filters through to the mad few.

Thankfully we’re back on the road again and we’re now into sixth.
“Hopefully it shuts a few of them up but I doubt it.”

As for debates about whether I should be in a job or shouldn’t be, I think my record speaks for itself.”

Sorry steve on behalf of all us thick blind fans..

We do have the makings of a decent team. Correct. However you built it with loans, so it is a one-season team, before we have to rebuild again. Therefore you need to do something with it quickly.

We are Aston Villa, and correct the expectations are rightly huge. Correct. You knew that before coming here, and said so yourself.

A little bit of common sense is needed. Correct. Like playing players in their correct positions. Like keeping a consistent team for a few games and letting them gel, like studying other teams and what they do, what their weaknesses are and developing a plan and strategy.

We're back on the road again. Possibly. We need to see on this one. We played a very poor Rotherham side. Let's not get carried away. Remember what happened last time we played a decent team.......

Will it shut people up? Well, Incorrect. One game will not do that Steve, especially after several games without a win. You need a consistent run of wins, you need to get us into the automatic places and keep us there. That will shut people up. 

Your record does speak for itself. Correct. Approaching 100 games in charge of Aston Villa. Still no discernible style of play, still players looking like they have not met each other before. Big holes at CB and LB, far too many RB's, and a team with a good number of loanees who will leave at the end of the season, leaving another rebuild. Millions spent on both transfer fees and salaries (yes you have recouped a lot of money by selling premier league players and replacing them with championship players but you have been allowed to spend that money) and did inherit a number of players who are now your first choice. Quite a few players purchased by you who you do not play. Failure to achieve promotion, twice. Failure to motivate the team to turn up for the most important game of the last few years (play off final). Failure to get us into the automatic spots for anything other than a very brief foray for a few days. So yes, your record does speak for itself, and when it does, it says "NOT GOOD ENOUGH" very loudly. Oh, and yes, it also shouts about how you have gained four promotions (but never won the league) in the last 20 years. Sadly, none of those promotions were here.

Edited September 19, 2018 by TheStagMan

[StefanAVFC]

2 up top shunts Grealish to the wing which is a waste

I think we need something like this

Nyland

Elmo    New CB/Axel/Jedi   Chester   Hutton

McGinn   Hourihane

Bolasie/El Ghazi   Grealish   Kodjia/Adomah

Abraham/Kodjia/Hogan

That team is embarrassingly strong for the Championship...

[striker]

Noted he didn’t mention the tried and tested excuse that the players need more time to gel. I guess the next draw or loss will mean we’ll hear it again.

[Villan_of_oz]

2 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

I wanted him replaced when we lost the play off final.

I was backing the option of keeping him in the summer, but that was entirely because of the financial abyss we were staring into. My reasoning was that if we were going to have a squad decimated by a firesale then no manager would want to come here so keeping Bruce in that situation might have been a good option.
If the new owners had taken over in May then I would have been 100% backing Bruce to be sacked.

I've consistently said all summer that if a good replacement is available then he should go.

People on here often confuse defending Bruce on anything with wanting him to stay, such is the binary nature of VillaTalk. People can't bear to hear anything positive about the manager in case it somehow weakens their Bruce Out stance.

I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't think Bruce is a terrible manager, does think he does some things right; but doesn't think he's done well enough here and doesn't want him as our manager any more.

I think through our passion and love for our club there is some confusion, some people are in this group but may come across as not fitting in.

It's a good post Steveo

Edited September 19, 2018 by Villan_of_oz

[Nabby]

First clean sheet of season and he goes on a rant about how Jedinek can play CB ...no wonder he threw on more defenders at the end he was literally just waiting for the whilst to go to have that dig ..

All due respect to Rotherham but beating them at home from goals from players who would cost 20-30 mil to buy isn't anything to shout about , we didnt win due to expansive play or some mangerial masterclass we won as he has the ability to bring in players like Abraham and Bolasi.There is not a manger in the league who couldn't get a result last night with our team.Try doing it against the better teams consistantly then he can legimately have a pop but to say those things after that result ..just pathetic 

 

[Villan_of_oz]

It should be worth noting, that my most successful formation with Villa in recent football manager editions has been 4-3-1-2.

Would be perfect for us 

Just have shoehorn Bolassie in there somewhere, over to you Mr. Bruce

Edited September 19, 2018 by Villan_of_oz

[PieFacE]

7 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said:

It should be worth noting, that my most successful formation with Villa in recent football manager editions has been 4-3-1-2.

Would be perfect for us 

Just have shoehorn Bolassie in there somewhere, over to you Mr. Bruce

Wouldn't work under Bruce i'm afraid. No width. No crossing. No plan.

[DaveAV1]

“Sadly, none of those promotions were here.”

Well technically that’s true, but this isn’t about Aston Villa, this is all about Steve Bruce, the greatest manager in Championship history. There’s going to be a book, a TV series, there’s even talk of a Hollywood blockbuster.

The merchandising alone could be worth millions, with little, well not that little obviously, Stevie dolls that will talk when you rub their belly. They’ll say things like, “Put your boots on lads”,  “That should shut a few up” and “Large chips with the kebab”. You’ll be able to get them in Sunderland, Wigan and Hull kits. The marketing boys advised not to bother with SHA as the market was too small. They won’t be doing them in Villa kits either, well you can’t expect too much can you?

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

1 hour ago, rodders0223 said:

Aside from being a pretty poor manager, he is an absolute moron. I remember in never mind the buzzocks, Donny Tourette trying to make fun of Bill Bailey to a response of "He's a professional comedian....you won't win."

Steve, for your own sake, just shut your **** mouth. You are taking on 100 years of history, thousands of fans, media, former players, owners. You're a run of the mill Championship manager.

You.

Won't
 

Win.

Aside from the fact that he will most certainly win, no matter what happens, because he’s very much in a win/win situation.

It’s a sad indictment of football that blokes like Steve Bruce cannot lose, really, because they can ride the managerial merry go round and make a living out of it. 

If he continues as our manager then a group of angry Villa fans will despise every moment of every minute of our matches. They will continue to post constantly in anger and frustration on a message board because that’s all they have. Meanwhile, he’s in the highest profile job he’s ever had, getting the largest salary he’s ever earned.

If he gets us promoted or gets us close, he’ll probably continue as our manager. And the cycle of anger and frustration continues.

If not, he gets sacked, and I suppose the fans could claim a ‘win’ in what’s nothing more than a hollow victory, whilst Steve Bruce walks away with a hefty pay off and a bank account further swelled by his extremely lucrative time here. And then he jumps back on the merry go round. 

Modern football: the only industry you can be crap and still be a winner. 

 

[TheStagMan]

32 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

“Sadly, none of those promotions were here.”

Well technically that’s true, but this isn’t about Aston Villa, this is all about Steve Bruce, the greatest manager in Championship history. There’s going to be a book, a TV series, there’s even talk of a Hollywood blockbuster.

The merchandising alone could be worth millions, with little, well not that little obviously, Stevie dolls that will talk when you rub their belly. They’ll say things like, “Put your boots on lads”,  “That should shut a few up” and “Large chips with the kebab”. You’ll be able to get them in Sunderland, Wigan and Hull kits. The marketing boys advised not to bother with SHA as the market was too small. They won’t be doing them in Villa kits either, well you can’t expect too much can you?

I believe there has already been a book?

[GarethRDR]

3 minutes ago, TheStagMan said:

I believe there has already been a book?

 

[GarethRDR]

Never forget, people, that the man currently responsible for mapping out and executing our tactical approach is the same man who imparted such wisdom as "Murder is a grave crime".

[LakotaDakota]

You wouldn't think that we were in the play off positions & 2 points off second place...

Also one of only 6 teams to lose fewer than 2 games & fourth highest scorers in the division.

Edited September 19, 2018 by LakotaDakota