Steve Bruce

[DCJonah]

42 minutes ago, TRO said:

I have a feeling Steve Bruce has told the powers that be ,that the size of the club and expectation is an albatross around our necks and that we need seasoned and rounded professional who can resist the pressure that succumbs from opposition teams that come to dump us on our ****. that has influenced the transfer strategy.

I think that could be deemed a reasonable shout, if its true.

While I think hindsight is an exact science and that it could work out that this is a falsehood, it beggars the question ,then what is the right approach.

I guess some could say the young and hungry route, players on the way up from the lower divisions....which it seems to me so far that our adversaries have primarily chosen are having some success particularly against us with....but we have tried that too and could you imagine the hue and cry if we signed the likes of Szmodics- Hoillet-Laing & Zohore.....but these are the types of players derailing us or at least giving us a hard time.

Its been said many,many times, its ok having the ability and having proved it elsewhere, but you have to apply it for it to work.....its no good too many players thinking they are the foreman and they don't have to work, its clear they do.

I am not sure, where we go from here.

I think Steve has blown it, if I am honest and I know we will all have our own views how much he is responsible for.....if I was him, I would put the kids in and go down fighting.

It's not true. 

He's come out today making excuses for his transfers. He didn't really want these players he wanted to sign 26 year olds but couldn't. Even though he sold 26 Nathan Baker so he could sign 30+ Terry and Samba. 

The guy is fast turning into a joke as he attempts to shape his failure as not this fault. 

It's this kind of stuff that indicates he hasn't got long left. 

[KJT123]

Lose tomorrow night and surely it will be the end for Bruce? Go ahead and call me a shit fan, but i'd take the loss and get in a new manager to try and turn us around and mount a promotion charge. Either that or scrape an unconvincing win, paper over the cracks, allow Bruce to spend even more money in the transfer market and find ourselves in the exact same position as we did last year. 

[villasteed]

32 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

How on earth have we stabilised under Bruce?

Before Bruce took over, we had only won one of out first eleven Championship games. Prior to that we had just been relegated from the premier league wining only 3 games all season. This is after 5 years of Premier League struggles..

We all have high expectations for Villa but you can't argue that Steve Bruce hasn't improved on this record. I'm not saying he's got a great record but at this point we need some stability and if we sack Bruce now, we just begin the merry-go-round all over again. 

The grass isn't always greener and the list of potential Bruce replacements fills me with mild dread. 

[TRO]

11 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

It's not true. 

He's come out today making excuses for his transfers. He didn't really want these players he wanted to sign 26 year olds but couldn't. Even though he sold 26 Nathan Baker so he could sign 30+ Terry and Samba. 

The guy is fast turning into a joke as he attempts to shape his failure as not this fault. 

It's this kind of stuff that indicates he hasn't got long left. 

I wasn't aware he came out today saying that.

Oh Dear.

Yeah, I think your last line might have some mileage.

[dounavilla]

The problem with that is Bruce mostly always says 'the right thing' , it just doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

I just hope the board and the Dr have come to realise he talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. 

[macandally]

40 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

To be honest, I disagreed with just about every single point you made. But this one is perhaps the one I take the greatest issue with.

Bruce isn't bringing any stability.

We change formation from match to match, 10 months in we are no closer to a system than the day he arrived, he has signed 12 or 13 players yet bemoans the restrictions placed on him. He asks for patience, seemingly impervious to the fact that he just got taken apart by a team manager by a guy afforded no more time and far less resources than he has enjoyed.

He brings no more stability to the club than any incumbent would in the position through the gift of time.

His on stability comes from the time in post, that is it and frankly the notion we should stick with him for his reason alone is ridiculous.

He has a record of 8 wins in 26, wins seemingly only achievable if Kodjia is fit. He has signed a load of players he hasn't a clue how to use none of whom have been able to replicate the form that attracted his interest.

He is down playing expectations, making excuses and seemingly admitting he hasn't a clue how to improve things.

Well I've two suggestions, one is try and retain the ball and use it with some form of purpose. The second, is if he can't do the first, he should quit.

How on earth have we stabilised under Bruce?

Absolutely this, couldn't agree more!!

[TrentVilla]

3 minutes ago, villasteed said:

Before Bruce took over, we had only won one of out first eleven Championship games. Prior to that we had just been relegated from the premier league wining only 3 games all season. This is after 5 years of Premier League struggles..

We all have high expectations for Villa but you can't argue that Steve Bruce hasn't improved on this record. I'm not saying he's got a great record but at this point we need some stability and if we sack Bruce now, we just begin the merry-go-round all over again. 

The grass isn't always greener and the list of potential Bruce replacements fills me with mild dread. 

That isn't stability. 

[sne]

1 minute ago, villasteed said:

Before Bruce took over, we had only won one of out first eleven Championship games. Prior to that we had just been relegated from the premier league wining only 3 games all season. This is after 5 years of Premier League struggles..

We all have high expectations for Villa but you can't argue that Steve Bruce hasn't improved on this record. I'm not saying he's got a great record but at this point we need some stability and if we sack Bruce now, we just begin the merry-go-round all over again. 

The grass isn't always greener and the list of potential Bruce replacements fills me with mild dread. 

But stable at 13th in the Championship or our current at 21st isn't  quite good enough is it?

We don't want to be stable, we need to improve, a lot.

Can't see that under Bruce, certainly not now. I could have worked, but it didn't.

[macandally]

Some people are too prepared to accept mediocrity for the sake  of stability.  We are Aston Villa, we expect more than "hopefully".

 

Bruce was the wrong man from the start and the facts are bearing that out, I would genuinely have rather us give RDm more time, at least he had attacking intent.

We will park the bus tomorrow and hope for something, which will prove even more why Bruce is not the right man for this club!

[Grasshopper]

I'm angry.

Sooooooo F******* angry.

Bruce Out!

every day he stays f****s us more

I saw enough after the Boro friendly to form the opinion "RDM Out!" The luton defeat only rubberstamped my opinion

I'd seen enough after Cardiff away last season, knowing that Bruce bringing back Gaby and "bad-man-managementing" McC. 3-0 to Brentford rubberstamped it for me.

So I'm angry, really angry because for me it was sooooooo apparant to see what was coming.

Bruce was a punt - A punt is something you go with but as soon as it doesnt work, you sling it.

DrT started with RDM - sacked him too late - appointed Bruce as a "get us up last resort for the season". A hard task sure, but it was all too clear to see that by the Brentford defeat, all was lost.

For me Bruce should have gone after Cardiff, latest Brentford.

We had the chance to write that season off and take whatever means to get the "man" in and give him a quarter of a season as his preaseason/Window to hit the ground running.

We would have had the pick of the bunch to line up or choose our man.

We could have tempted Howe, Dyche, Puel, Hull guy, Clements, Wagner, Warburton, Hughton, Carvalho, Jokovic De Buer. The whole bunch could have been sounded out and we could have had a 6 month head start on anyone in the CH.

But the board chickened out of a decision and stuck with him.

So he got his 2 windows, 30+ games a preseason and some in/some out.

What does he serve us? The same old dire uneffective shyte.

But now we sit 3 games in, Stick or twist? Who? how much?

Then our lucky dip has to hit the ground running within his first 10 games.

What a complete f***** mess.

How stupid to stand still and let it all unfold.

I'm so angry, another season wasted. All the cknsequences and knock on effects I cant bare to think about (losing Kodjia, Chester, less Parachute money, FFP putting the nail in DrT's coffers)

I'm sooooooooo angry.

Bruce through his incompetence has literally screwed us over. He was given everything a manager could wish for and now proceeds to bile out the excuses so as to make it not his fault. it beggars belief.

Bruce out! even though it may be too late

Edited August 14, 2017 by Grasshopper

[Villan_of_oz]

32 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

It's not true. 

He's come out today making excuses for his transfers. He didn't really want these players he wanted to sign 26 year olds but couldn't. Even though he sold 26 Nathan Baker so he could sign 30+ Terry and Samba. 

The guy is fast turning into a joke as he attempts to shape his failure as not this fault. 

It's this kind of stuff that indicates he hasn't got long left. 

Can I get link to read this DC, sounds like a dead man walking. 

[mykeyb]

1 hour ago, villasteed said:

Football is a strange game. A strange games that hightens emotions and evokes a passion that some people don't appear to be able to control. 

 

I'm sitting here reading some of these comments (not just this thread) with a slightly puzzled look on my face. "Sack the manager". "He's taking us down". "He plays terrible football". "He's clueless". "We're doooooomed". "I've never liked him". Whilst some of these statements have an element of truth, they are huge exaggerations...or just plain burps of uncontrolled emotion.

 

The reality is:

 

1) We're only two games into a brand new season - the first of which we showed some promise. 

 

2) Steve Bruce has been our manager for only 10 months - in that time we've had good run of results (losing only one in nine) and also a bad run of results (nine games without a win). Inconclusive.

 

3) The list of managerial candidates who are available to replace Bruce are a depressing list of failed managers or inexperienced punts who may or may not do any better.

 

I'm not here to say that we should all love Bruce, or that we should stand by him with blind faith, but he IS the current Aston Villa manager and while his record is not exactly amazing, it isn't sacking worthy. Especially when you consider our shocking recent history (pre Bruce) and the and the amount of changes we've already been through.

 

Will Bruce lead us to promotion? I don't know. None of us know. But what I do know is that changing manager doesn't guarantee us success. In fact it just creates more chaos and confusion and in all likelihood another cycle of moaning about our manager and wishing them to be sacked without really considering the consequences.  

 

There's a bigger picture here. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but if you want Bruce out, realistically, who will take over? How many years will it take for them to build a new team? Do we have the finances to back a new manager? How many more managers will we need to sack? Does a new manager guarantee success? 

 

We really need some stability. And whether you like Bruce or not, we have stabilised under him so let's give him the opportunity to progress.

The game is all about opinions and unfortunately I disagree on almost every point you make.

Stability is only any good if it gives you a base to build on, Bruce is still looking at the plans scratching his head and trying to work out which is the front and which is the back after ordering a selection of materials he doesn't know if he needs.

[sidcow]

The fact is no club ever would have stability unless a manager went in and had a modecom of success. 

No club will ever suffer a manager under performing from their expectations for a chance things might get better in the future. 

The manager who starts that ball rolling must at least do well and meet at least the minimum expectation for the majority of his tenure. 

Stability must have solid foundations. 

Even the mighty Alex Ferguson would not have had the chance to build his empire if Mark Robbins hadn't have scored one goal. One single goal stopped the most successful manager ever from being sacked before he had started. 

[peterms]

This is quite interesting.  Possibly it's Bruce defending himself - I'm sure that is part of it - but there are insights there as well.

The point about culture is important.  It takes time to build a culture, and our managers haven't been there long enough to do it. 

O'Neill left seven years ago.  Since then we have had Houllier, McLeish, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde, di Matteo, and Bruce.  Alongside the managers, we've had owners who didn't/don't know much about the game.  It's not a recipe for building a culture.  When the players know they will outlive the manager, then the manager will struggle to instill anything much.  That's not a football thing, it's a general point.

I don't think Bruce is the right person for the job.  But he had a task that was possibly harder than it should have been.

Quote

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has stated he needs to change the culture at Villa Park, claiming that his players do not care enough if they lose, while refusing to go on a spending spree after a slow start to the season.

The outburst comes after the Villans have failed to win either of their opening two Championship matches to open up the season.

They were held to a 1-1 draw by Hull City in their first match of the campaign and then fell to a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Cardiff City on Saturday, which led to the Villa manager condemning the attitude of his players.

Bruce ensured he brought in experience in the summer to go some way to changing the mindset among his squad but two matches in little appears to be different.

The former Hull boss added the likes of John Terry and Glenn Whelan to his squad to give it the mixture of young and old needed to launch a successful campaign, but he is growing frustrated with the situation and was keen to stress that more new players are not the answer.

“I haven’t got millions to spend. The club has spent millions in the past. That is not the answer when you get beat,” Bruce was quoted as saying in the Express and Star.

“We have to change the culture. We get beat and it doesn’t mean enough. We have to change that culture and turn it around.

“There’s glimpses but there’s still a long way to go, especially away from home.

“When you analyse it we aren’t good enough and we haven’t got what it takes. It’s difficult to take. The basics simply aren’t there.”

He went on to add what his side need to do going forward.

“We have to go to work again and perform to a level far better than we did in Cardiff,” he said.

“There were far too many who were bang average and below average. They looked so fragile.

“A team of mine shouldn’t be like that. They can get beat but it’s the manner in which they get beat.

“Since I’ve been here, it’s happened too many times. That’s why I got the experience in but even they couldn’t give us that determination that we need.”

It gets no easier for Aston Villa as their next match comes against beaten play-off finalists Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Bruce will be demanding a much better performance from his side as they go in search of as first league win of the season and all eyes will be on the Villans boss to see what changes he makes to his side in the quest for those elusive three points.

 

Edited August 14, 2017 by peterms

[jacketspuds]

Hmmm. How do I get the players onside? I know, I'll blame all of them for the loss and moan about my lack of funds.

Nice attempt at arse covering from Bruce.

Please sack him now.

[dounavilla]

“When you analyse it we aren’t good enough and we haven’t got what it takes. It’s difficult to take. The basics simply aren’t there.”

This bit stands out for me. Unbelievable considering most people would say we have one of the strongest squads in the division and just goes to highlight what utterly poor coaching and matchday tactics they must be experiencing. 

Do one Brucie.

[AvfcRigo82]

So he has lost the fans.. and now the dressing room too.

Great work! 

[villasteed]

42 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

The game is all about opinions and unfortunately I disagree on almost every point you make.

Stability is only any good if it gives you a base to build on, Bruce is still looking at the plans scratching his head and trying to work out which is the front and which is the back after ordering a selection of materials he doesn't know if he needs.

It seems that my diplomatic opinion is in the minority here. To me it would be crazy to sack our manager after just 2 games - Bruce's first full season. I understand the Cardiff game was totally unacceptable and if there are more performances like this one, I'll be calling for Bruce to go too. But let's see where we are after 10 games. I don't think that's too much to ask. 

I'm certainly not accepting mediocrity, as suggested in other posts, but sacking Bruce doesn't guarantee success. If anything, it could cause even more disharmony and yet another season of mediocrity and transition. In the same way, we don't know that Bruce is going to fail like many are suggesting. We simply don't know what will happen..

And who can we get to replace Bruce? It's a very serious question that no one has answered. 

Edited August 14, 2017 by villasteed

[PaulC]

8 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

Hmmm. How do I get the players onside? I know, I'll blame all of them for the loss and moan about my lack of funds.

Nice attempt at arse covering from Bruce.

Please sack him now.

Yes and he comes up with bullsiht like I've been at the club six months, we hadnt won an way game in 18 months when I arrived and the height of MCormacks fence. hes full of massive exagerations. I don't believe anything he says anymore!

[peterms]

8 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

Hmmm. How do I get the players onside? I know, I'll blame all of them for the loss and moan about my lack of funds.

We have Wyness apparently saying (this is from @villabromsgrove in another thread)

Quote

    Wyness says that we have to build three teams, "one to get us up, one to keep us up and one to push on from there". I can only see Steve Bruce being involved in the "one to get us up".

which basically means "Get us promoted, then we'll get rid of you".

Doesn't seem likely to get players onside.