Steve Bruce

[sne]

Just now, allani said:

Sorry - quoting the article rather than you.  But this is really freaky.  How many times have we heard the exact (or comparative) things here???

Yeah that article is shockingly accurate of what we have seen during his time here.

Hence why it was utterly predictable that we'd end up where we are under Bruce.

[Zatman]

I hope Louise Taylor is making royalties from the amount of times thats reposted on VT

[PompeyVillan]

Where the only players in their natural positions are the 'keeper, one center back, two central midfielders and the central striker and expect to play with fluency, you have absolutely lost the plot. 

Over half of the team played out of position. I'm a Bruce supporter but I am left scratching my head as to why he is doing what he is doing. The 'plan' doesn't make sense to me and it isn't working. 

One thing Bruce can't (and doesn't) complain about is the support. Sell out again, I was sat with the Bristol fans, or should I say neutral fans, so many Villa fans sat in the home end. 

We deserve a bit better than what we saw really. 

[allani]

Just re-watched the Bruce post-match interview last night and there is one thing that really stands out for me.  At one point Bruce says (with a huge amount of pride) that we've only lost once away from home this season.  Excusing him the fact that we also lost away to a team from a lower division and so removing the cup from the equation altogether - another way of looking at that is that we have only won once away from home.  P5 W1 D3 L1 is (on the face of it) not exactly a terrible set of statistics.  Others will look at that and say we've only lost once and been picking up points.  Others will look at it as having dropped points in 4 matches.  For me a record of P5 W2 D0 L3 results in the same number of points.  Last night we ended up with no strikers on the pitch apparently settling for a point - and it is far from the first time that that has happened.  I guess it partly comes down to whether you are a "glass half full" or a "glass half empty" type of person.  I think the easiest way to gain points is to convert draws into wins rather than to stop draws falling into losses - purely on the basis of the fact that it takes half as many matches to yield the same result.

[DaveAV1]

2 hours ago, Dave-R said:

Well DaveAV1- Firstly I have always liked John. But yes Although Bruce is struggling to pull wins out at the moment, Steve actually has made villa a place where there was a good vibe, players were trying there hardest again, trying to better themselves all while heart was showing more regular again, morale was boosted under Steve and still is to a certain extent. Steve saying in the papers that we are once again a team that is tough to beat, in a way that can be agreed on, but it seems it's also a bit of a contradiction considering we can't beat teams. 

All Steve is really missing is a winning formula, he is struggling to find that and this is where John Terry I think comes in. I think John would and could keep alot of the good if not all of what Steve bought to villa and adapt and evolve on what Steve was trying to do, I think in terms of most players john has always had an insight to the game that other players take longer to see, not to mention the respect john brings as well as young players do well around him.

John Terry's time at Villa changed alot of our players for the better, he came in and instantly looked like he had been commanding us for a decade, players took to him instantaneously and took what advice he had for them and used it, terry is certainly a positive that does bring the goods to a team.

I think if Bruce goes, that it maybe in our best interest to try Terry as manager, I not only think he could handle it, but feel because of his time with us, it wouldn't take him all that long to settle in because of how our players. I also think that our players workrates would go up but that's just me.

It all remains to be seen who will be appointed the position and whether they can get the job done. there is still room in the league at the moment and whoever comes in still has time to bring the game and take our team which has a highly skilled set of players, up a bunch of notches.

I am curious also as to what type of football John Terry would install, curious more than any other new manager I guess.

Mainly because Terry or Henry would be new to managing, experimentation would be opened again where as we can see with experience that experimentation is all but lost because they are set in there ways, We most likely need a manager with little to no experience at all to get this rite.

There’s not a lot I disagree with there Dave. JT is definitely an inspirational character and you’re right to say that in theory he shouldn’t take long to settle. What style of football he would bring, or if he is even interested in management are of course unknowns. 

Tierri Henri on the face of it, judging not just by his playing career, but also the fact he is assistant to Martinez would bring attractive football. His ability to do that as a manager/head coach is of course the unknown. As it is with JT. 

Steve Bruce has largely steadied the ship and we are at least no longer a complete basket case as a club. However I believe he has reached the upper limits of his current ability and has to some extent not been able to keep pace with the way in which the Championship has and still is developing. I believe the better clubs in the Championship are now at a level of the average PL club a few years back. Certainly in terms of coaching, preparation and game management. 

I doubt it will be too long now before we find out what our immediate managerial future holds.

 

[JamesBCFC]

21 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said:

Fairly sure he admitted last season that he balls'd up not rotating the squad enough when we lost to QPR and Bolton (I think it was) in a week.

I'm not defending him for the sake of defending him but you say you'd love to hear it from Bruce so there you go........

I think it's something all managers are guilty of not doing often enough.

Lee Johnson is no different, although he made a blanket statement "on being responsible for any goals we concede from trying to play the ball out of defense, as it's the way he is asking the team to play" or words to that effect.

I'm sure, or I'd hope, words would be had with players in private if they were the one caught on the ball on decision making- while I like playing out from the back, there have to be times where you need to get the ball away quicker.

[Farlz]

Why has he not been sacked yet 

[villa89]

7 minutes ago, Farlz said:

Why has he not been sacked yet 

Because he's not going to be. He'll be in charge for the Preston game. 

[mjmooney]

No board would sack a manager immediately after coming back from a goal down to get an away point against decent opposition. 

It normally follows a series of defeats - although I think one might even do it in this case. 

[paul1984]

He will be sacked in a week for the international break if they are going to do it

[a m ole]

1 minute ago, mjmooney said:

No board would sack a manager immediately after coming back from a goal down to get an away point against decent opposition. 

It normally follows a series of defeats - although I think one might even do it in this case. 

how many draws in a row while you lose ground should it take though?

If they’re serious about their investment in the club they’ll be getting the replacement in position ASAP.

[Demitri_C]

Pulis might not be eveyones cup of tea but he has done what bruce has failed to do in half the time.

Bruce out

[sne]

When he is sacked, hopefully withing the hour, it will be because what he has and hasn't achieved during his more than 2 years here, and especially the way we are massively under performing this season.

No potential sacking will be because of a result in isolation, win draw or loss.

If the horror show at Sheffield wasn't enough then it's likely down to timing and not finding a replacement.

Even without a replacement ready he should be shown the door now because he is making us worse by being here IMO.

[rubberman]

15th now.... Getting quite far away from even thereabouts I'd say. 

[DaveAV1]

2 hours ago, srsmithusa said:

At what point does it become sheer negligence for NWSE to let the Bruce rot continue.  IMO He is actively damaging the development and  club loyalty of players.(million pound assets he is actively devaluing)

if we’re not past the point of negligence, we’re damn close to it.  

Whilst I think negligence is a bit strong I absolutely get your point. The hope is of course that they are working furiously to get the right man and that they aren’t prepared to short change us on anything less than what they believe is the gettable best. However every point dropped and every poor performance hurts us both practically and psychologically.

At the moment the finger of blame is more or less entirely pointed at Steve Bruce. However eventually, sooner or later, we will  reach a point where the fan base start to see the board as part of that problem. It’s difficult, perhaps impossible, for them to come out and say, we know this isn’t acceptable and we’re doing x, y or z to change things, but a point may be reached where their hand is forced. In normal business terms NSWE have only been here 5 minutes and Christian Purslow even less. But this is football and business success is judged on the product and not the balance sheet and the customers are getting impatient. The next international break is probably now the most likely time to act, anything longer and restlessness could become open revolt. 

[DaveAV1]

3 minutes ago, rubberman said:

15th now.... Getting quite far away from even thereabouts I'd say. 

Unless he thinks that he’s still saving us from relegation?

[foreveryoung]

West Brom will be promoted, look well drilled. Not looking forward to playing them, although hopefully Bruce will be gone by then.

[Demitri_C]

One win in  nine is pathetic.  Him trying to defend that by saying we have only lost once away from home is even more pathetic 

[paul1984]

15th now but only 6 off 1st place after 10 games.

He has to go before the end of the international break its essential if we are to go up this year.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

45 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

No board would sack a manager immediately after coming back from a goal down to get an away point against decent opposition. 

It normally follows a series of defeats - although I think one might even do it in this case. 

Boards have sacked managers after series of wins.

It's about the bigger picture, not the last result or 2.