Steve Bruce

[TB]

19 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

There has not been any continuity at Villa since MON left. 

And even back then many fans wanted MON's kind of continuity to be replaced by something better/more progressive. Playing his 1st eleven until they were totally exhausted in March, subs in the 73rd minute on the dot, bringing in a brand-new back four and then still playing CBs as full-backs etc.

Unless you mean that the discontinuity he created when he suddenly upped and left days before the new season was about to start still lingers.

[DaveAV1]

15 minutes ago, srsmithusa said:

So I didn't see it.  But I'm confused.  Bruce is excused for losing a long stretch of games when Jedi was hurt because we needed Jedi to protect the back four. Then he's praised today for playing without Jedi because it made us more offensive. 

Well he didn't have much choice because Jedi was injured, so it's hard to praise him for not playing Jedi but some people have managed to anyway. Although we made the goalkeeper make a couple of saves and Hourihane missed a header that was easier to score, the first half was pretty drab. 

Second half was better. Hogan went off injured, hard to believe I know, and was replaced by Keinan Davis who did well, he probably contributed more than Hogan has since he got here. Then they got a penalty and Baker got a straight red. I haven't seen a replay so I am still mystified by both decisions. In fact the ref was mystifying throughout, I thought he missed two clear cut penalties to us. Why refs don't sit next to me in the upper Holte I'll never know, I haven't got a single decision wrong since the Holte was rebuilt, or indeed before that.

We actually looked better with 10 men and deserved our equaliser, although it wasn't a great shot from Grealish and it's fair to say their goalie was disappointed. We were more offensive than we have been, whether that's down to tactical enlightenment or injuries is anyone's guess. Although given what has happened over the previous 35 games I could make an educated guess, but I won't because we've all been warned that we have to be happy and grateful that we earned a point and finished 13th in the Championship. 

We await with baited breath who we will sign in the summer and what Steve Bruce can do with them with a full preseason. Have I mentioned he's been promoted 4 times before?

[bannedfromHandV]

On 5 May 2017 at 17:48, srsmithusa said:

Is it the managers fault when the players have no comprehensive game plan explained in a way they can apply it, and practiced in meaningful drills, to know WHERE to move and WHERE to expect a teammate for a pass   The answer to that one is "yes"   and MAY explain most of those you list.

Except for the one where you assert that the players do not give a shit.  But I think if we interviewed them each, they would deny that one.

FWIW, I don't think Bruce is the problem (his promotion record supports that) and I don't think the players are poor quality (their stats at other clubs support that).   I think the culture of the club is the problem (our multi-year decline across multiple personnel supports that) and Bruce is not doing the things necessary to address it.(our performances on the field support that).

I'm sorry but football is fluid and instinctive, you don't have time in Sunday league let alone professional level. 

 

At set pieces sure, there should be a game plan and yes, you'll work on potential in-play approaches but there are so many variables in any moment of in-play action that it makes it impossible to practice coordinated routines, in my view.

 

You're relying on players being motivated and playing to their potential 9 times out of 10 to win football matches and from what I've seen, which admittedly is far less than a lot of you guys having only attended 2 games this season in person, we haven't often had that luxury.

 

Now, this is where I do concede that it is the managers responsibility to drive that motivation during training throughout the week which brings me back to my original point that I find it difficult to believe that the succession of managers we've had can have been so individually inept to have been so directly responsible for our decline.

 

Ive said before, I personally wasn't enamoured with the appointment of Bruce however, I'm sick of seeing us change managers without addressing what to me seems the more obvious and direct influence which is the players and I'm sorry to say it (given that it really wasn't that long ago we were touted as having one of the best) but the academy setup - we're just not producing enough talent capable of being a consistent performer (Green could buck that trend if he continues developing into next season).

[srsmithusa]

Fluid and instinctive, yes. But there are predictable runs as well.  They can absolutely be coached.  When they are made, teammates know what to expect.  We don't routinely make them.  

[TRO]

On 5/7/2017 at 19:05, 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. 

Are you carrying your understandable disappointment over from the Blackburn game ( or any miserable game this year) to this one and calling it the whole season.?

I would of thought a draw against them, under our circumstances is a decent result and indication of positive progress.

[TRO]

I had to redevelop my garden in my new house 18 months ago......The Mrs knows what she is doing in terms of horticulture and planted merrily.

My Daughter come round unimpressed and accused my mrs of NOT knowing what she is doing....." it doesn't look very good ,was her retort.".....my Mrs said " she Ain't got a clue how long these things take" and laughed.

Plants can't talk but like football players they develop.....and they develop at their rate not ours.....you can talk to a player, but it might not sink in.

The daughter came round the other day and said OMG your garden looks beautiful, what have you done different.....My wife said " Nothing, it was done last year, dear....you know when you said I did'nt know what I was doing.....what do you think now"

 

[sne]

7 minutes ago, TRO said:

I had to redevelop my garden in my new house 18 months ago......The Mrs knows what she is doing in terms of horticulture and planted merrily.

My Daughter come round unimpressed and accused my mrs of NOT knowing what she is doing....." it doesn't look very good ,was her retort.".....my Mrs said " she Ain't got a clue how long these things take" and laughed.

Plants can't talk but like football players they develop.....and they develop at their rate not ours.....you can talk to a player, but it might not sink in.

The daughter came round the other day and said OMG your garden looks beautiful, what have you done different.....My wife said " Nothing, it was done last year, dear....you know when you said I did'nt know what I was doing.....what do you think now"

 

Well we certainly have put enough fertilizer down on the field for something beautiful to sprout considering all the shit we've served up under Bruce and Di Matteo 

[TRO]

19 hours ago, DaveAV1 said:

Well he didn't have much choice because Jedi was injured, so it's hard to praise him for not playing Jedi but some people have managed to anyway. Although we made the goalkeeper make a couple of saves and Hourihane missed a header that was easier to score, the first half was pretty drab. 

Second half was better. Hogan went off injured, hard to believe I know, and was replaced by Keinan Davis who did well, he probably contributed more than Hogan has since he got here. Then they got a penalty and Baker got a straight red. I haven't seen a replay so I am still mystified by both decisions. In fact the ref was mystifying throughout, I thought he missed two clear cut penalties to us. Why refs don't sit next to me in the upper Holte I'll never know, I haven't got a single decision wrong since the Holte was rebuilt, or indeed before that.

We actually looked better with 10 men and deserved our equaliser, although it wasn't a great shot from Grealish and it's fair to say their goalie was disappointed. We were more offensive than we have been, whether that's down to tactical enlightenment or injuries is anyone's guess. Although given what has happened over the previous 35 games I could make an educated guess, but I won't because we've all been warned that we have to be happy and grateful that we earned a point and finished 13th in the Championship. 

We await with baited breath who we will sign in the summer and what Steve Bruce can do with them with a full preseason. Have I mentioned he's been promoted 4 times before?

Dave what you haven't mentioned is that each player with the odd exception has their consistency up and down like a fiddlers elbow.....each week you could end up arguing with yourself as to who should be in.

Its hard to pick a team when you have that.

stability is a factor that helps with consistency, lets embrace it.

 

[TRO]

7 minutes ago, sne said:

Well we certainly have put enough fertilizer down on the field for something beautiful to sprout considering all the shit we've served up under Bruce and Di Matteo 

Can't argue with that.....but we have the good times to come.....and it will be all the more sweeter.

[DaveAV1]

22 minutes ago, TRO said:

Can't argue with that.....but we have the good times to come.....and it will be all the more sweeter.

Good times to come? Has he gone?? 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Now I think about it, some of the best runs/results we have had this season have actually come from forced changes through injuries/suspensions and not straightforward tactical/personnel changes by Bruce. Food for thought.

[DCJonah]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Are you carrying your understandable disappointment over from the Blackburn game ( or any miserable game this year) to this one and calling it the whole season.?

I would of thought a draw against them, under our circumstances is a decent result and indication of positive progress.

A draw is a decent results. Enjoyable? I wouldn't go that far, it's still a result that  cemented  a bottom  a half  finish. But my opinion. I'm not saying you can't enjoy it. 

[Dave J]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

Are you carrying your understandable disappointment over from the Blackburn game ( or any miserable game this year) to this one and calling it the whole season.?

I would of thought a draw against them, under our circumstances is a decent result and indication of positive progress.

TRO - with respect I don't see how a home draw can be seen as positive progress to be truthful. Yes if we had battered them into submission you might be able to make this point - but not on the back of a draw 

[TRO]

12 hours ago, Dave J said:

TRO - with respect I don't see how a home draw can be seen as positive progress to be truthful. Yes if we had battered them into submission you might be able to make this point - but not on the back of a draw 

My comment is based on Brighton taking nearly 40 points on the road.....and us being without key players.

this is not Rotherham or wigan.

[lmarsha_926]

Take the middle 8 games out from Cardiff to Newcastle

That leaves 

27 games - 15 wins, 7 draws, 5 defeats, 52 points

That is 1.92 points per game which is 89. Meaning we would go up easily.

Losing Kodjia in Jan, Signing too many players and not addressing Gabby being the only fit striker for so long cost us massively. Bruce has to take some blame for it. But if we had Kodjia through that period we would have been alot closer

 

[Junxs]

9 minutes ago, lmarsha_926 said:

Take the middle 8 games out from Cardiff to Newcastle

That leaves 

27 games - 15 wins, 7 draws, 5 defeats, 52 points

That is 1.92 points per game which is 89. Meaning we would go up easily.

Losing Kodjia in Jan, Signing too many players and not addressing Gabby being the only fit striker for so long cost us massively. Bruce has to take some blame for it. But if we had Kodjia through that period we would have been alot closer

 

Yeah, and if you look at RDM record against Rotherham, that's an average of 3 points per game, giving us 138 points and breaking the championship record. Bring him back quick!

[lmarsha_926]

8 minutes ago, Junxs said:

Yeah, and if you look at RDM record against Rotherham, that's an average of 3 points per game, giving us 138 points and breaking the championship record. Bring him back quick!

What happened in January to go from 2 defeats in 14 games, to 0 wins in 9 games. Then nack to 8 wins in 10 games.

 

[Junxs]

4 minutes ago, lmarsha_926 said:

What happened in January to go from 2 defeats in 14 games, to 0 wins in 9 games. Then nack to 8 wins in 10 games.

 

Obviously we lost Kodjia, but that just goes to show any lack of plan or creative ideas under Bruce. What's to say Kodjia wouldn't have got injured for the rest of the season had he not gone to AFCON, we might have got relegated without him with the run we were on.

I just think its too convenient to pick a set of positive results and say if you ignore the rest we would have got 80 odd points. I'm sure other clubs in a similar position can also pick certain parts of their season and say "if only".  You have to judge the season as a whole.

[mykeyb]

On 2017-5-7 at 21:32, mikeyp102 said:

Unless something goes on behind the scenes like at Hull last season, then I'm 100% certain Bruce starts next season.

Wouldnt be at all suprised to see that he has to generate his own funds to bring in replacements.

[mykeyb]

20 hours ago, TRO said:

I had to redevelop my garden in my new house 18 months ago......The Mrs knows what she is doing in terms of horticulture and planted merrily.

My Daughter come round unimpressed and accused my mrs of NOT knowing what she is doing....." it doesn't look very good ,was her retort.".....my Mrs said " she Ain't got a clue how long these things take" and laughed.

Plants can't talk but like football players they develop.....and they develop at their rate not ours.....you can talk to a player, but it might not sink in.

The daughter came round the other day and said OMG your garden looks beautiful, what have you done different.....My wife said " Nothing, it was done last year, dear....you know when you said I did'nt know what I was doing.....what do you think now"

 

Are you married to Charlie Dimmock?