DaveAV1 Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 28 minutes ago, theboyangel said: Thinking about it - we were probably so pleased that following Bruce coming in and halting our last minute leaky defence we initially forgot about the attack as we were still pinching the odd goal to win matches. It became more apparent in January/February when we lost so many matches we should have been winning. It has taken too long for the new signings to bed in and begin to function as a team but you're right, there was a sliver of hope we're going in the right direction. Chuck in some additional attacking coaches and it'll become more than a mere sliver! Under RDM we conceded 11 goals in 10 games under SB we've conceded 37 in 36 games, not much of a defensive improvement and we swapped it for zero attacking intent. He gave up on the Jedi role today because we didn't have Jedi, was it a conscious decision or just circumstances. Worried of Villa Park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Just now, DaveAV1 said: Under RDM we conceded 11 goals in 10 games under SB we've conceded 37 in 36 games, not much of a defensive improvement and we swapped it for zero attacking intent. He gave up on the Jedi role today because we didn't have Jedi, was it a conscious decision or just circumstances. Worried of Villa Park. I was talking about the initial firming up of the defence when we stopped conceding in the last 5 minutes each game as we did under RDM. i'm well aware we've conceded goals under Bruce and not happy with our season. my comment was more about our relief that the ship had been steadied, when he took over to not notice how impotent our attack was becoming. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted May 7, 2017 Moderator Share Posted May 7, 2017 1 hour ago, DaveAV1 said: Move Bree to center half, drop Amavi to left back and bring on O'Hare. Who moves to right back to cover Bree? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 I'll still behind Bruce (just!) but my word, we need to come out the blocks firing next season. The only reason i'm still onside with him is down to his reputation for getting teams out of this division. No excuses from now on. If we start slow and show no sign of improvement then the club needs to act fast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Stevo985 Posted May 7, 2017 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted May 7, 2017 (edited) 3 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: Who moves to right back to cover Bree? Exactly. I honestly cannot believe people are moaning about a decision that proved to be extremely effective. How can you moan when the re-shuffle after the red card saw us go on to draw the game, and be unlucky not to win it, with 10 men against the best team in the league. I honestly despair in here at times. Such negativity. People need to have a **** day off and enjoy themselves for a day. Edited May 7, 2017 by Stevo985 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midfielder Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 I'm one of the ones here that gets to about 2,3,4 games maximum a season, live slight bit away. I rely on this site, to keep me in touch with the range of views and from those with season tickets / fingers more on the pulse than mine. I see conflicting views, as ever, not knocking that at all. I'm sure he will still be in post come the start of next season but there can be no excuses for the first few games. Even if we have a clear out and bring in many new faces, about time to gel etc. New faces should slip into a settled squad and he's had many months to settle it. I agree with those who are concerned about our sort of match identity and well, all round game plan. Hes had plenty of time and it's not looking promising. However, full preseason, all the prep that goes with that ....hopefully things will be different. Jury is out for me too. Nothing new in this post I know, but last game played... where do I stand, I'm on the fence. I don't like chop n change, I believe in giving a manager time. But I don't quite "feel it" given the time already and the foundation is quite mixed. But with him as I presume in charge come first game 17/18 I hope he is the man to take us up. However, it'll take some kind of miracle for this pre season to fix a lot of problems we have. Here's hoping. I may. Fornerly a season ticket holder since childhood prior to moving away, and don't get there week in week out but avidly follow as best as I can via whatever I can, sometimes helpfully provided via links from members on here but now it's over this season, I feel very "meh" as the kids say on how things look. One thing is for sure, Bruce doesn't have us firing as intended from the off I don't think Dr Tony will have any problems pulling the trigger. But then, "transition" and all that crap, new manager, wants new players, having to ship out and "make the squad my own".... fed up of manager upheaval. Not a Bruce fanboy but as many have said already, much better than I can say, we have to hit the ground running next year. Things have to change. Will there be change. Will we have identity, can we be Newcastle / Brighton. Can we amass consistency.... can Bruce be the one to do this. Or will he just add to the squad and we muddle on. A lot of questions. I love this club and I hate us being in the Champiionship but to think of us here at the start of 18/19 I can't be doing with that. Bruce you have the summer to right every wrong and prove every doubter wrong. I have many doubts and feel very awkward about our prospects. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 1 hour ago, markavfc40 said: It seems that way on here but I don't sense that at the games. Most fans seem right behind him and are understanding of what he came into and have a belief in him going forward. It has been a disappointing season no doubt about that and I am as disappointed as anyone but I think time will show that this season wasn't a wasted one and was a necessary one in terms of stopping the backwards trajectory and us now moving forwards. I think as much as it was easy to get carried away with us splashing the cash last summer it was naive to think that the dire mess the club was in, the rot that had set in over half a dozen years and the dire stench of defeatism that ran through the club could be removed in one summer. The fact we spent money meant that many of us, including me, felt we'd have a a chance at competing for a top 6 finish. I assumed the money had been spent well though and in hindsight much of it wasn't and it most definitely left us with an unbalanced squad. We also then had RDM who despite overseeing the huge overhaul of players didn't really have a clue how to piece it all together. Then came Bruce. To put in perspective what he inherited had we have continued the points per game tally under RDM we'd have finished on 41 points. That first 12 games where we won one game before Bruce arrived more than suggested that the wreak of a losing mentality was still very much part and parcel of the club and would take some clearing. There is little point in still harping on about the past though I guess and it is time to look ahead and I think the foundations are in place now to move forward with some positivity That losing mentality has now gone now at Villa Park. Where it still lingers is away from home and that certainly needs addressing. The spine of the team looks solid. Hopefully we can keep Johnstone who has grown in stature and looks more assured with each passing game, Baker and Chester are a solid partnership. Jedi in front of them and Kodjia up top. Taylor is as good a left back as we have had in years and Bree showed great promise today and if he forces his way in front of Hutton we will have a fine right back. Where we have been found wanting is creativity and someone to carry the burden of goals with Kodjia. I think Hourihane and Lansbury are excellent players at this level and whilst they haven't flourished yet I think that is down to simply getting used to their new surroundings and building up understandings with the players around them. The same goes for Hogan up top. Then to supplement the players I have mentioned so far we have Grealish, Green, RHM and based on today Davis. All exciting young players capable of shining at this level. I know my post may come across as very positive and has hardly made mention of Steve Bruce. I don't really have any concerns there though. I think he will get things right here. I think he knows where we are lacking and I think 3 or 4 additions over the summer, combined with a number of players fully settling in and having a pre season together, and the manager setting a formation in pre season and sticking with it and we will come out of the traps flying. I don't know how much to take today as a barometer but Brighton finished second and we more than matched them as we did in the corresponding fixture. I don't think it is going to take much to see us up in the top two places next season and I am convinced the worst thing we could do now is to waste the lessons learned from this season and rip the whole thing up and start again. The aim next season is promotion and we don't need to look for a manager to achieve that we already have one who has done it numerous times before and on the back of what he has learned here over the last 7 months he is the most qualified manager we could find to take us into next season and take us up. good post Mark and one I concur with. The fascinating thing for me ( as you allude to, too)is talking to Villa Fans away from VT......say it like you & me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAV1 Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 9 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: Who moves to right back to cover Bree? The boy angel has already pointed out my error there, just checking that everyone is paying attention 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post vreitti Posted May 7, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted May 7, 2017 Looking at the final table. We're 18 bloody points off a playoff position. When Bruce arrived we were 10 points off. Utterly baffling that some are still behind the manager, let alone talk about progress. He might have had 20 promotions from this league for all I care, there's absolutely no reason to think we'll do any better under Bruce next season. Get rid. ASAP. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 13 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: Exactly. I honestly cannot believe people are moaning about a decision that proved to be extremely effective. How can you moan when the re-shuffle after the red card saw us go on to draw the game, and be unlucky not to win it, with 10 men against the best team in the league. I honestly despair in here at times. Such negativity. People need to have a **** day off and enjoy themselves for a day. **** me. Enjoying a draw at home after finishing bottom half of the championship. I know we've been bad but that's what you view as enjoyment? This has been another season that on the whole has been unenjoyable following this team. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villaphan04 Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 4 hours ago, DCJonah said: Have you seen anything that makes you think giving him that would make a huge difference? I just don't see where the faith for more time is coming from with him? He's done nothing. I just have faith in the man who has been able to get out of this division 4 times. He was also able to stop the rot of the continued late equalizers/winners that we conceded under RDM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Villaphan04 said: I just have faith in the man who has been able to get out of this division 4 times. He was also able to stop the rot of the continued late equalizers/winners that we conceded under RDM. I'm hoping his past means something but the more I see of him the less it means anything. Bit like David Moyes, his past means very little right now. He did stop us from doing that, for a couple of months, he then introduced a new level of losing during January. Something we didn't look close to being able to do under RDM. Edited May 7, 2017 by DCJonah 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykeyb Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 If I was the owner he would be clearing his desk tomorrow. I am not so he won't. As others have said an offensive coach has to be his first signing for me, whether that Phelan or a.n.other it has to happen before any players leave or come in. By the end of August if we are not in the top 6 then I am not sure what excuses can be used by him or the fans who think he has done anything more than an average job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frobisher Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 (edited) 23 minutes ago, DCJonah said: **** me. Enjoying a draw at home after finishing bottom half of the championship. I know we've been bad but that's what you view as enjoyment? This has been another season that on the whole has been unenjoyable following this team. I enjoyed what I saw. We were comfortably better than the team that finished 2nd, whose players this game obviously meant a lot to the way the collapsed after we scored. If it had stayed 11 v 11 as it should, I'm sure we'd have won. I can understand dissatisfaction, but not with today's performance. Edited May 7, 2017 by Frobisher 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 8 minutes ago, Frobisher said: I enjoyed what I saw. We were comfortably better than the team that finished 2nd, whose players this game obviously meant a lot to the way the collapsed after we scored. If it had stayed 11 v 11 as it should, I'm sure we'd have won. I can understand dissatisfaction, but not with today's performance. I think playing well in a draw while finishing bottom half in the championship is hardly the scenario to tell people to have a **** day off and enjoy themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 11 minutes ago, mykeyb said: If I was the owner he would be clearing his desk tomorrow. I am not so he won't. As others have said an offensive coach has to be his first signing for me, whether that Phelan or a.n.other it has to happen before any players leave or come in. By the end of August if we are not in the top 6 then I am not sure what excuses can be used by him or the fans who think he has done anything more than an average job. To be fair I get the impression no one will make excuses for him if we don't start on fire next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frobisher Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Just now, DCJonah said: I think playing well in a draw while finishing bottom half in the championship is hardly the scenario to tell people to have a **** day off and enjoy themselves. Good job I didn't then isn't it, mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 6 minutes ago, Frobisher said: Good job I didn't then isn't it, mate. I know you didn't. You quoted my post which was in response to someone who did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 7, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted May 7, 2017 38 minutes ago, DCJonah said: **** me. Enjoying a draw at home after finishing bottom half of the championship. I know we've been bad but that's what you view as enjoyment? I'm talking about today's game. Not the season. If you can't enjoy a good performance when it comes along then what the **** is the point? Yes I enjoyed today's game. I enjoyed seeing Villa play well. I know, **** me right?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 7, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted May 7, 2017 20 minutes ago, Frobisher said: I enjoyed what I saw. We were comfortably better than the team that finished 2nd, whose players this game obviously meant a lot to the way the collapsed after we scored. If it had stayed 11 v 11 as it should, I'm sure we'd have won. I can understand dissatisfaction, but not with today's performance. HAHAHA you're enjoying a villa performance. WHat a loser! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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