Steve Bruce

[mykeyb]

6 minutes ago, Shropshire Lad said:

Telegraph article link

Seems to be covering his arse a bit there for either eventuality.

For my money, no win in either of the next two and he’s gone.

Well it's going to get nasty which will further affect the players and take longer to rectify. That's this season a write off when there are no clear promotion candidates.

Well done AVFC.

[wilko154]

6 minutes ago, screwdriver said:

We are not miles better than anyone else. We have about 3 good players Grealish Chester and McGinn.

The rest are average champ standard. I bet you can look at all the other teams and find 3 or good players. Wednesday have bannan and that kid up front Adam reach was a pest all game.

Albion and stoke have the best squads. They should run away with it however they both have poor managers.

Most managers in this league would bite our hands off to have the squad we have.

Any manager in this division with Kodjia, Abraham, Grealish, Bolasie, McGinn, Hourihane and Chester should be getting promotion with ease.

Rose tinted glasses off, we should be in the top 6 at the very, very minimum after the run of games we have had so far this season.

[DaveAV1]

17 minutes ago, screwdriver said:

the correct decision imo we have started better than last season, sheffield weds game was end to end a draw would have been about right, they beat us last season.

I’m not sure if you noticed, but they beat us this season too. 

[screwdriver]

1 minute ago, wilko154 said:

Most managers in this league would bite our hands off to have the squad we have.

Any manager in this division with Kodjia, Abraham, Grealish, Bolasie, McGinn, Hourihane and Chester should be getting promotion with ease.

Rose tinted glasses off, we should be in the top 6 at the very, very minimum after the run of games we have had so far this season.

Every manager would take Grealish. The rest are average champ players. Bolasie has had serious injuries. Chester is small for a centre half A lot of managers wouldn't touch him because of this. Pulis got rid because he isn't the normal 6'4" stopper. Straight out of the moneyball movie.

Hourihane scores a few but is anonymous most of the time. Abraham is just another grabbon, knock it long and nothing sticks but will get a few tap ins. 

[TRO]

2 hours ago, screwdriver said:

We are not miles better than anyone else. We have about 3 good players Grealish Chester and McGinn.

The rest are average champ standard. I bet you can look at all the other teams and find 3 or good players. Wednesday have bannan and that kid up front Adam reach was a pest all game.

Albion and stoke have the best squads. They should run away with it however they both have poor managers.

yes he was and he scored the worldy last season....If we signed him, the faces would be down.....but these players keep coming to VP and outflanking our so called stars.

Edited September 23, 2018 by TRO

[Mark Albrighton]

8 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

Well it's going to get nasty which will further affect the players and take longer to rectify. That's this season a write off when there are no clear promotion candidates.

Well done AVFC.

Yeah...another dismal showing and failure to beat Bristol, the atmosphere won’t be fun against Preston the following game.

[romavillan]

5 minutes ago, wilko154 said:

Most managers in this league would bite our hands off to have the squad we have.

Any manager in this division with Kodjia, Abraham, Grealish, Bolasie, McGinn, Hourihane and Chester should be getting promotion with ease.

Rose tinted glasses off, we should be in the top 6 at the very, very minimum after the run of games we have had so far this season.

Yeah with a good DOF, ad the right structure in place we could do worse short term than a manager currently doing better with far less resources. Dean Smith. Some proper modern training and tactics and this squad would surely average better than 2 points a game from here to the end of the season.

That's the other thing about getting the DOF, scouting etc sorted out well, we can make a short term appointment for head coach, the continuity is coming from elsewhere, not from the manager. 

[wilko154]

17 minutes ago, screwdriver said:

the correct decision imo we have started better than last season, sheffield weds game was end to end a draw would have been about right, they beat us last season.

Last season we had:

Hull D, Cardiff L, Reading L, Norwich W, Bristol D, Brentford D, Boro D, Barnsley W, Forest W = 13 points

 

This season,

Hull W, Wigan W, Ipswich D, Brentford D, Reading D, Sheff U L, Blackburn D, Rotherham W, Sheff Wed L = 13 points

 

We haven't started better.

Last season we went on to win our next two after Forest. Lets be honest, thats not happening this season.

[TRO]

1 minute ago, screwdriver said:

Every manager would take Grealish. The rest are average champ players. Bolasie has had serious injuries. Chester is small for a centre half A lot of managers wouldn't touch him because of this. Pulis got rid because he isn't the normal 6'4" stopper. Straight out of the moneyball movie.

Hourihane scores a few but is anonymous most of the time. Abraham is just another grabbon, knock it long and nothing sticks but will get a few tap ins. 

I think there is something in that.....In this league they will go long and unsettle you and JC is not equipped to cope over 46 games.

However, If he had a 6'4" stopper along side him the deficiency might not be so obvious.......Ken McNaught/Alan Evans......Martin Laursen/ Olof Mellberg

not saying they were 6' 4 but one has to take the high balls and attack the ball.

[pacbuddies]

20 minutes ago, TRO said:

well, if you was on the board of Manchester United....Sir Alex Ferguson, may have been Alex Ferguson and without a European cup on his CV.

sometimes folk need to be given a chance.

I think 2 years, quite a bit of cash spent and one of the best (if not the best) squads in the division in all the time he has been here is enough of a chance don't you?

[Dave J]

4 hours ago, TRO said:

a bit disingenuous that line Trent, If I may say.

the earlier critics have not had 12 months of rubbish thrown at them....folk like me have defended him against personal abuse and OTT criticism....Hindsight is an exact science, but I believe in giving a manger time to rectify what was 10 years of decline. He has failed, but we just give him a bit more time than you.

The Holte sang an early burst of Steve Bruces claret and Blue Army......Its only when the putrid football took a grip and the euphoria of the wonderful goal from McGinn had subsided that the Bruce out chants started , when it was clear we was being beaten in just about every aspect of the game. I don't think his comments had anything to do with them as they too have been behind him.....I think " If the cap fits" springs to mind.....The home fans have been with him in the main, so his comments didn't refer to them.

The owners will act.....There is no doubt in my mind.

And in actual fact contrary to your thoughts "that we all knew this 12 or so months ago".....most folk would think that was premature to sack him then.

Folk, like Mark and I have stood by him against what we see as some unfair criticism at times, bear in mind the word "some"....because some was fair.

If I am bold enough to say.....I think most fans are having grave doubts about him now and furthermore and more importantly, not many see it changing.....I think the Holte End turned yesterday, because of the poor offering, and a defeat to a team that is unlikely to feature in the promotion race....not because of some personal defensive outburst, which was ill advised Imo.

In my opinion, its irrelevant as to the timing of the mood change.....its more important to make the change and bring someone in who can rebuild our future.

just for the record.....I am quite satisfied now in my mind, That Steve Bruce will not come back from this and nothing under his stewardship will resemble progress.....so the sooner the decision is made the better.

TRO - most of us knew this 12 months ago - under his stewardship we have meandered along - we've won a few, lost a few, drew a few - but the underlying trend has been no where good enough - it's clear to me that you are a fair minded and measured individual - but I have at times been more than surprised at your veiled defence of Bruce.

The guy should have gone the moment the final whistle sounded at Wembley - I am also staggered by some of the posts on here recently surrounding his behaviour in the summer if these are accurate - despite not rating him one jot - I have defended him as a person on here - no longer so sure - and for those who claim him to be a great man manager    Really you still think so ?

[Dodgyknees]

I'm bored of him and his football. I'm taking a break from this forum till he goes, I just can't be bothered with his bullshit and the cautious, crap, tedious football.

I need a break from it.

[Mark Albrighton]

33 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

So stability is defined as being no where near hitting our targets for the season and sliding down the table? Poor stuff from Purslow. We need a CEO who 'gets it'.

And the definition of stability also includes letting seven members of the recruitment team go in one fell swoop.

Fairly obvious really.

[Dave J]

27 minutes ago, TRO said:

well, if you was on the board of Manchester United....Sir Alex Ferguson, may have been Alex Ferguson and without a European cup on his CV.

sometimes folk need to be given a chance.

TRO - I can only say to this post - please are you sure what you are saying?

[villabromsgrove]

I've seen posters being castigated for saying "I would rather lose the next match if it meant that Bruce would be sacked". The standard reply is "I'm Villa through and through and I would never want us to lose a game, shame on you"!

I'm still going to say it knowing that I'll probably get jumped on.

We play Bristol City on Friday night and Preston on Tuesday night, and I really hope that we lose both of these matches.

Bruce cannot survive another two losses on the spin, and Villa cannot continue with this clown at the helm.

I'm not even going to reach for a tin hat .... because I'm convinced it's absolutely necessary!

 

[Junxs]

13 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think there is something in that.....In this league they will go long and unsettle you and JC is not equipped to cope over 46 games.

However, If he had a 6'4" stopper along side him the deficiency might not be so obvious.......Ken McNaught/Alan Evans......Martin Laursen/ Olof Mellberg

not saying they were 6' 4 but one has to take the high balls and attack the ball.

I'm too young to have seen McNaught and Evans.. but Laursen and Mellberg was not a centre back partnership as MON would only play Mellberg at right back when everyone was crying for them to play together in the middle. 

[wilko154]

6 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

I've seen posters being castigated for saying "I would rather lose the next match if it meant that Bruce would be sacked". The standard reply is "I'm Villa through and through and I would never want us to lose a game, shame on you"!

I'm still going to say it knowing that I'll probably get jumped on.

We play Bristol City on Friday night and Preston on Tuesday night, and I really hope that we lose both of these matches.

Bruce cannot survive another two losses on the spin, and Villa cannot continue with this clown at the helm.

I'm not even going to reach for a tin hat .... because I'm convinced it's absolutely necessary!

 

I'm almost with you on this...

But as I am going to both, and I spent last night miserable as sin, I am hoping we pick up 6 points for the sake of my relationship 

[Dave J]

16 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think there is something in that.....In this league they will go long and unsettle you and JC is not equipped to cope over 46 games.

However, If he had a 6'4" stopper along side him the deficiency might not be so obvious.......Ken McNaught/Alan Evans......Martin Laursen/ Olof Mellberg

not saying they were 6' 4 but one has to take the high balls and attack the ball.

Just to read that name- Martin Laursen - easily the second best defender to ever play for Villa - the first clearly being Macca, who was world class - I do believe but for injury Laursen would also have been gifted this title 

[Sam3773]

13 minutes ago, wilko154 said:

Last season we had:

Hull D, Cardiff L, Reading L, Norwich W, Bristol D, Brentford D, Boro D, Barnsley W, Forest W = 13 points

 

This season,

Hull W, Wigan W, Ipswich D, Brentford D, Reading D, Sheff U L, Blackburn D, Rotherham W, Sheff Wed L = 13 points

 

We haven't started better.

Last season we went on to win our next two after Forest. Lets be honest, thats not happening this season.

Just to chuck some apples for apples in, here's the same fixtures from last season. We got 11 points from the same fixtures. Not bad considering we didn't play three of them. 

Hull: Draw

Wigan: DNP

Ipswich: Win

Brentford: Draw

Reading: Win

Sheffield United: Win

Blackburn Rovers: DNP

Rotherham: DNP

Sheffield Wednesday: Loss

[Junxs]

4 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

I've seen posters being castigated for saying "I would rather lose the next match if it meant that Bruce would be sacked". The standard reply is "I'm Villa through and through and I would never want us to lose a game, shame on you"!

I'm still going to say it knowing that I'll probably get jumped on.

We play Bristol City on Friday night and Preston on Tuesday night, and I really hope that we lose both of these matches.

Bruce cannot survive another two losses on the spin, and Villa cannot continue with this clown at the helm.

I'm not even going to reach for a tin hat .... because I'm convinced it's absolutely necessary!

 

I've coming to this point as well now.

I'll still cheer if we win, but don't mind if we lose as it means Bruce is closer to the exit. Its the boards fault that fans feel like this anyway, NSWE need to pull the trigger

As far as I'm concerned draws are as bad as defeats when you are trying to finish top 2, Bruce will set up for a draw v Bristol C to stop the rot - not even realising he's providing more ammunition for the Bruce out lot with only a draw.