Steve Bruce

[markavfc40]

8 hours ago, jacketspuds said:

He doesn't really know how he wants us to play and, subsequently, what players he needs to play this way.

I think this probably hits the nail on the head doesn’t it. I was hoping after a full pre season and a handful of signings over the summer he would know exactly the system he wanted to play and would play it and be unwavering in his belief he could get the best out of the squad he has now had a big hand in assembling. That isn’t the case though. Two league games in and he is saying he is not sure we are ready to play 2 up top.

What message does that send out to the players, that the manager has no belief in them that they can play to the system he wants.

The first thing any manager worth his salt does is have a system he wants his teams to play and then, if he can, bring in the players to ensure he can play that system. Some managers don’t have that luxury but Bruce has had the luxury of bringing in 12 players so far. It seems he still either doesn’t know the system he wants to play or isn’t confident the players can play that system. Either way after 9 months and having brought in 12 players that is unacceptable.

Be interesting to see what he does tonight. My money is on him going into survival mode and ultra defensive, shutting up shop and playing for a draw or snatching a goal on the break. If he had any belief in himself or his players though he would go on the front foot and take the game to Reading and get a real positive reaction from the players after Saturday. Show that, in terms of this season, that was a hiccup and that he believes in his players and himself that we are way better than Saturdays result and performance. Unfortunately I think he’ll do the former and that won’t be close to being good enough.

Edited August 15, 2017 by markavfc40

[fightoffyour]

Batten down the hatches! We go again!

[AntrimBlack]

10 hours ago, MikeMcKenna said:

New manager, new owner, new players, new coaches. Imho it is nothing to do with an innate AVFC cultural issue. On paper we have one of the best squads in the Championship but the last 10 months has proved we have a manager who doesn't know how to get the best out of them. Xia has invested but via the wrong manager. 

Very much this. I am so fed up with people blaming the club.

[DCJonah]

52 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Oh come on.

There's plenty to be angry at Bruce about. Plenty.

But players as young as O'Hare are still developing. Playing reserve games is part of that. 

He played in the last two games, and he'll play in plenty of games going forward if he keeps his performance levels up.

 

Bruce shouldn't be slated for letting a young player play football.

I think given our last two games and the way he's played it would have been a nice incentive for others if he'd been given a chance to start tonight 

What message does it send if you perform well but stay on the bench and you don't perform but keep getting picked? Where's the motivation to perform when you get your chance off the bench or in cup games? 

[villan-scott]

1 hour ago, Kentish Villan said:

I noticed O'Hare played last night which indicates Bruce has no intention of including him for tonight's game. Great tactic not to include one of our most talented youngsters in any capacity. 

I also think that he might be keeping out of what could potentially be a poisonous atmosphere should we go behind early.  

We don't need to be pinning all our hopes on O'Hare, as exciting a youngster as he may be. 

[Grasshopper]

The players cant tell the owner "sack the manager" face to face.

They can however act "proffessional" and do the minimum requirements thus putting in a collective performance that is likely to end in a defeat or draw so, as to speak, to tell the owner "please sack the manager".

I dont think its a directive from any particular player, I think its a reliance on the fact " I've signed a 1/2/3 year contract - he's on a roller - I'll be here longer than him anyway - lets just speed up the prossess a little"

Players individually and as a group (not in cahoots) get gist of how a manager reacts to the press & Board so if anything is in the air, they smell it, they only need to look at each other, nothing said, they know whats going on.

I think Bruce has lost the players, he's well and truly lost a mjority of the fans. just the board to go then its game set abd match.

OT - Terry is known for a bit of backstabbing, I bet he'd be up for a crack at it. The only comfort in that is that he would be "our" backstabber.

[AJ]

3 minutes ago, Grasshopper said:

The players cant tell the owner "sack the manager" face to face.

They can however act "proffessional" and do the minimum requirements thus putting in a collective performance that is likely to end in a defeat or draw so, as to speak, to tell the owner "please sack the manager".

I dont think its a directive from any particular player, I think its a reliance on the fact " I've signed a 1/2/3 year contract - he's on a roller - I'll be here longer than him anyway - lets just speed up the prossess a little"

Players individually and as a group (not in cahoots) get gist of how a manager reacts to the press & Board so if anything is in the air, they smell it, they only need to look at each other, nothing said, they know whats going on.

I think Bruce has lost the players, he's well and truly lost a mjority of the fans. just the board to go then its game set abd match.

OT - Terry is known for a bit of backstabbing, I bet he'd be up for a crack at it. The only comfort in that is that he would be "our" backstabber.

If I supported a team that threw matches just to have the manager sacked, I would be embarrassed and ashamed.

[Stevo985]

25 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I think given our last two games and the way he's played it would have been a nice incentive for others if he'd been given a chance to start tonight 

What message does it send if you perform well but stay on the bench and you don't perform but keep getting picked? Where's the motivation to perform when you get your chance off the bench or in cup games? 

But it's one game. For all we know O'Hare might start on Saturday.

If he's dropped forever then I agree with you.

[AshVilla]

Hopefully his last day as manager.

[tom_avfc]

7 minutes ago, AshVilla said:

Hopefully his last day as manager.

I dunno - I was actually hoping we'd win tonight to be honest. The wish for failure baffles me a bit to be honest.

[Grasshopper]

17 minutes ago, AJ said:

If I supported a team that threw matches just to have the manager sacked, I would be embarrassed and ashamed.

Yes

me too

only stating a possible senario. would surprise me if it is so though.

[villa89]

2 minutes ago, tom_avfc said:

The wish for failure baffles me a bit to be honest.

People are scared that if Bruce plods along until December before being sacked that this will be a lost season with no chance of promotion just like last year. If we start badly and he gets sacked after 5 or 6 games then there would still be time to get back into the promotion race. 

[AJ]

1 minute ago, Grasshopper said:

Yes

me too

only stating a possible senario. would surprise me if it is so though.

Those pigs at Leicester did that last season. Its a disgusting act that sets the bar for unprofessionalism. It made me feel a bit sorry for their fans.

Well, just a wee bit.

[lexicon]

Conversely, we might win and go on a good run. You never know with these things. 

I dare say he has much longer to churn out bad results and poor performances though. 

[tom_avfc]

Just now, villa89 said:

People are scared that if Bruce plods along until December before being sacked that this will be a lost season with no chance of promotion just like last year. If we start badly and he gets sacked after 5 or 6 games then there would still be time to get back into the promotion race. 

Which is fine. That doesn't mean I hope we lose every game until he's sacked. I hope we win the game tonight as I do every game we play. If we continue to play as we did on Saturday I hope and am sure he will be sacked soon enough.

[ViewFromT2]

15 minutes ago, villan-scott said:

I also think that he might be keeping out of what could potentially be a poisonous atmosphere should we go behind early.  

We don't need to be pinning all our hopes on O'Hare, as exciting a youngster as he may be. 

He also mentioned something about using the U23 players going forward if the first team perform like they did on Saturday again. Presumably he is keeping the likes of O'Hare away for now to see if the first team respond.

It's a dicey tactic to play against the modern day player. They could very well play at 80% capacity tonight on the back of that threat. If they do and they get turned over again then Bruce is backed into a corner....drop £40/£50m worth of investments, or retract on his threat!

Of course, 20 years ago such threats would most likely have gotten the desired reaction from championship players. It's a shame Steve Bruce seems to be stuck there!

[AshVilla]

10 minutes ago, tom_avfc said:

I dunno - I was actually hoping we'd win tonight to be honest. The wish for failure baffles me a bit to be honest.

Where in my post did i say i want us to lose.

[AvfcRigo82]

12 minutes ago, tom_avfc said:

I dunno - I was actually hoping we'd win tonight to be honest. The wish for failure baffles me a bit to be honest.

It is not so much a wish for failure but if us losing means this bellend of a manager leaving then go on Reading.

[tom_avfc]

14 minutes ago, AshVilla said:

Where in my post did i say i want us to lose.

Well he's not going to get sacked on the back of an away win at Reading is he?

[Nabby]

35 minutes ago, ViewFromT2 said:

He also mentioned something about using the U23 players going forward if the first team perform like they did on Saturday again. Presumably he is keeping the likes of O'Hare away for now to see if the first team respond.

It's a dicey tactic to play against the modern day player. They could very well play at 80% capacity tonight on the back of that threat. If they do and they get turned over again then Bruce is backed into a corner....drop £40/£50m worth of investments, or retract on his threat!

Of course, 20 years ago such threats would most likely have gotten the desired reaction from championship players. It's a shame Steve Bruce seems to be stuck there!

See last season he could get away with that as they were not this players , now they are so if he has to drop them it shows he brought the wrongs players or /and he just can't manage either way its pretty damming isn't it !!