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Steve Bruce


Demitri_C

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5 hours ago, striker said:

If you are going to use games played in the Premiership or at international level as a barometer to gage a player's ability then you are on a very slippery slope indeed especially concerning Whelan and who he has played for.

Jedinak was mentioned as the missing link last season in allowing Hourihane and Lansbury to be more offensive yet look how that turned out.

Lyden for me should be given more game time now. He has better control, passing ability and more energy than either Jedinak or Whelan (if signed) will ever have. Plus you have JT at centre back who will keep Lyden disciplined. No better time to blood him now with Jedinak as backup when Lyden needs resting.

 

What do you judge this opinion of lyden on ? Better control passsing ability and energy than jedinak or whelan will ever have - 2 proven players at premiership level compared to a kid who has barely kicked a ball in the championship ? 

You talk of whelan and who he has played for but he's been a regular in a stoke side never in relegation trouble in 8 years , remind me who has Lyden played for that makes him such an asset in your eyes? 

Lyden has miles to go yet to be compared with either in my opinion and this is no time to gamble with an unproven young lad - I've seen little to suggest he is the answer , he may come good and I hope he does but he's not ready to hold down such a vital role at this moment in time for me .

Edited by Eastie
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Bruce is baffling me with his team selections and tactics. I thought pre season was supposed to be a time to try out things that you will use in the season yet he plays people in positions that are unnatural or that we know already don't work. He should've used the end of  last season to experiment so now he's got an idea of who can play where. Amavi right wing? He will never play there again so why try something we all know won't work? Just going off the games so far we look clueless and it seems he's waiting for a Kodija and Jedinal to be fit to get back to grinding out results. 

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17 hours ago, Grasshopper said:

do you mean deliberately to get him sacked?

Well I think that he is placing his faith more on the players than his  own philosophy and style of play.   

are you sure he is signing the players?

so which is it?

I think Steve Round & the scouting team have been suggesting players.  Personally I don't think Bjarnsson was his signing nor do I think Hogan & Hourihane were his signings too.

bruce signing players he cant get his "style" out of

or

Wyness/Round are signing players whilst having the wrong manager in place

would that be Moyes by any chance?

Well, i don't think so. I think IF Bruce got sacked they would look towards a young progressive manager either in England or Germany to be honest. Round & Wyness have definitely took note of the impact Wagner has had in Championship football.

We have far too many players full stop

 

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4 hours ago, mykeyb said:

Sigh,

In points we were further off than before he took over.

To be fair, you could be a maximum of 3 points off after the first game and 70-80 odd after the final game.

8 points away after 11 games is 0.72 points per game to catch up. 18 points from 35 games is 0.51 points per game to catch up.

We went from averaging 0.9ppg to 1.48 under Bruce, and increase in performance of 0.58ppg or 64%. An average of 1.74ppg over 46 matches was required to finish above Fulham. After 12 Oct an increase of 0.84ppg or 94% in performance was necessary to secure promotion.Bruce fell short by 0.26ppg from 12 Oct, needing 5 draws turned to wins, 12 losses into draws, or a combo of the two.

My opinion is undecided, but just clearing up the facts.

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2 hours ago, mykeyb said:

I am going to be the one to say it.........Tim Sherward would get better results with this group of players.

We would see more goals probably at both ends

I think its safe to say he wouldn't. The guy was absolutely hopeless

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Would definitely be more entertaining to have Sherwood in charge, neither would get us promoted but at least we'd score some bloody goals and have more than one target in the box to cross to. 

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2 hours ago, mykeyb said:

I am going to be the one to say it.........Tim Sherward would get better results with this group of players.

We would see more goals probably at both ends

For a moment then I thought you said Tim Sherwood, but thankfully nobody's that batsh*t crazy. 

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2 hours ago, mykeyb said:

I am going to be the one to say it.........Tim Sherward would get better results with this group of players.

We would see more goals probably at both ends

I make you right 

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59 minutes ago, andym said:

So with Whelan about to sign i make that Johnstone, Lansbury, Hourihane, Bree, Taylor, Bjarnasson, Terry, Elmohamady, Whelan and Hogan who Bruce has signed so far.

Add in players he inherited such as Kodjia, Jedinak, Chester, Grealish and even McCormack, who i imagine most managers in the league would be very happy to have, and Bruce has no excuse this season.

No excuses for dire negative hoofball, lack of goals, and struggling to beat the shitty teams that make up the Championship. He's been given resources miles beyond other managers in this league, and if he's not able to show he can make it work sharpish, i will be calling for his head. With the money we have spent, we have to get promoted this season, we can't afford to mess it up again.

 

I'm sure everyone will agree with this.

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55 minutes ago, a m ole said:

To be fair, you could be a maximum of 3 points off after the first game and 70-80 odd after the final game.

8 points away after 11 games is 0.72 points per game to catch up. 18 points from 35 games is 0.51 points per game to catch up.

We went from averaging 0.9ppg to 1.48 under Bruce, and increase in performance of 0.58ppg or 64%. An average of 1.74ppg over 46 matches was required to finish above Fulham. After 12 Oct an increase of 0.84ppg or 94% in performance was necessary to secure promotion.Bruce fell short by 0.26ppg from 12 Oct, needing 5 draws turned to wins, 12 losses into draws, or a combo of the two.

My opinion is undecided, but just clearing up the facts.

Did you work that all out? Brilliant!

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10 hours ago, Michael118 said:

Mark Milligan has always reminded me of Garreth Barry. Started his career as a LB and developed into a CM. Solid, intelligent and composed like Barry. As mentioned in the transfer thread he might not be available due to difficulties getting a work permit but he's been linked with Birmingham City and Burton Albion and I think he could make a big difference for us in midfield for a small price.

 

 

 

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BTW, Brentford beat Oxford 4-3. Now that's what I expect to see when you're playing a League one team in pre-season. Plenty of goals and chances, because you're theoretically the better team. Plus, changing and experimenting means you will concede more than you usually would. Not dysfunctional defeats and 0-0 draws.

I hope the Villa hierarchy are watching what is happening down at Brentford, even after we overpaid for their best striker. Dean Smith is doing a lot of good things down there.

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8 hours ago, Eastie said:

What do you judge this opinion of lyden on ? Better control passsing ability and energy than jedinak or whelan will ever have - 2 proven players at premiership level compared to a kid who has barely kicked a ball in the championship ? 

You talk of whelan and who he has played for but he's been a regular in a stoke side never in relegation trouble in 8 years , remind me who has Lyden played for that makes him such an asset in your eyes? 

Lyden has miles to go yet to be compared with either in my opinion and this is no time to gamble with an unproven young lad - I've seen little to suggest he is the answer , he may come good and I hope he does but he's not ready to hold down such a vital role at this moment in time for me .

Well mate if that was the prevalent attitude in teams by all managers then younger players wouldn't get a game and given time to develop. You will note Bruce has already given Green game time and imo Bruce should do the same with Lyden.

As it is Bruce has got his man so I guess we're going to learn pretty quickly whether the inclusion of Whelan is now going to change Bruce's tactics from ultra defensive to being more offensive. When you reflect on last season the inclusion of Jedinak made little difference to the way Villa played so it will be interesting to see what happens?

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6 hours ago, mykeyb said:

I am going to be the one to say it.........Tim Sherward would get better results with this group of players.

We would see more goals probably at both ends

So who exactly is this "Tim Sherward"? Sounds exciting!

Is he one of the many hundreds of young/progressive English or German managers who I understand are sitting around in job centres just waiting for the call to lead Villa back to the top of the premier league?

Of only the Villa board weren't so stubborn in sticking with a dinosaur!

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27 minutes ago, striker said:

Well mate if that was the prevalent attitude in teams by all managers then younger players wouldn't get a game and given time to develop. You will note Bruce has already given Green game time and imo Bruce should do the same with Lyden.

As it is Bruce has got his man so I guess we're going to learn pretty quickly whether the inclusion of Whelan is now going to change Bruce's tactics from ultra defensive to being more offensive. When you reflect on last season the inclusion of Jedinak made little difference to the way Villa played so it will be interesting to see what happens?

I know it's gotten into 'rabbit hole' territory for a few but the point about needing a DM like Jedinak/Whelan/Lyden along with a decent backline isn't so that it therefore, singlehandedly changes "Bruce's tactics from ultra defensive to being more offensive". But surely the theory is sound that if those 5 can provide a solid platform we'll be giving the offensive 5 a better chance. Full backs and DM always making themselves available for the ball and the rest left to play triangles further up the pitch. Seeing as Kodjia and Adomah were our only real performers in that area last season as well as us scoring so few goals as a team it's obvious where we need to improve. But to ignore the fact that an injury to Jedinak or Baker last year stopped us having any sort of base to play from highlighted how unbalanced this squad was. That Jedinak and Lyden were both injured at the same time last year led to round pegs in square holes imo. In a squad with about 8 central midfielders too. Tish, Gardner, Bacuna, Lansbury, Hourihane or Bjarnason just aren't that player imho.

The idea that people are suggesting Whelan will make Green and Grealish turn promise into performance, Lansbury, Bjarnason and Hourihane to start racking up goals and assists, McCormack and Hogan to start finding the net and start justifying those mammouth fees and getting all of them to pass and move in some sort of coherent manner is disingenuous to the actual point being made though. Not having Lansbury/Hourihane constantly coming back into our own half to get the ball or asking Jedinak to play through injuries is more the idea.

As for Lyden and any and all youngsters at any club anywhere,  if they are good enough, they'll play. If Jedinak and Whelan are as bad as some seem to think and Lyden is as good as you rate him he'll walk into this team and make the position his own without a bother in the world. So happy days.

We've had the pleasure in recent years of watching people like Yorke, Barry and Delph actually improve here from the 'rough around the edges' youngsters that arrived into the players they became. We saw Petrov reinvent himself as a holding player. We've also watched many a Delfouneso or Gardner just stagnating. Young players with promise - especially from the academy - are already cut a lot of slack. Look at Grealish for example (and I like that), but the idea is when/if the chance comes, you make yourself undroppable. Green isn't there yet, but he's getting there and we lack someone as direct as him. I don't want to put any pressures on him but he could well be our new Tony Daley. And I loved Tony Daley me. But I've no problem heading into this season with him and Grealish fighting for that left wing role and from what we've all seen so far I think a fair few people, me included, want him to start down the left. It is only because his performances on the pitch for us have earned him that in my eyes though.

I hope you're right about Lyden. I've not seen much of him, but who doesn't want a combative midfielder with energy who can pass the ball?

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