Steve Bruce

[Tommo_b]

Could be his last game today 

[Dr_Pangloss]

6 minutes ago, Tommo_b said:

Could be his last game today 

God willing. 

[Mark Albrighton]

I don't think a defeat today will result in Bruce getting the sack. If it's a hammering then maybe.

But I think he'll be here for the Bristol game. 

 

[a m ole]

I think @sne put it right when he said you can't win a league or even do well in it by making 1 or 2 half chances a game for your centre forward and hoping we convert 100% of them. I thought we'd resolve it in preseason and come into these first games flying and looking dangerous but it has just been insipid. When we've got forward and scored it has been through players taking initiative (Green and O'Hare at Colchester, Hourihane's frustration at Reading, opportunist counter attack against Hull) and not playing percentages with positive patterns of play.

You worry about not converting chances when you're making enough to win a game.

[AntrimBlack]

Since they have not got rid of him by now, I suspect that unfortunately he could be here until the international break.

[VillaCas]

I think we may get a narrow win which will muddy the waters - I can see Bruce limping along for some time until it is both clear that we are not getting promotion and too late to bring someone in to change things. 

Ive already written this season off. There is no way in my opinion we are going up and things will just get harder and harder 

A great opportunity under a supportive and progressive new owner spurned by two poor managerial appointments 

Edited August 19, 2017 by VillaCas

[DCJonah]

25 minutes ago, Shropshire Lad said:

I don't think a defeat today will result in Bruce getting the sack. If it's a hammering then maybe.

But I think he'll be here for the Bristol game. 

 

Surely not. 

Bottom of the league after 4 games. Xia would be mad to let it continue. 

[JPAngel]

Hey folks,

It's been an awful long time since I posted here (I tend to visit forums at work when I get a spare minute (or hour) but VT is blocked by our proxy sadly. This means I can only use the Vital Villa board. Anyway, I posted something on there a couple of days ago that I thought you might be interested in regarding Bruce (if you haven't already read this).

I just had a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine. He was at the day night test cricket last night and was sat in a box with a few other people. 

Three people of note were someone on the board at Villa (he couldn't remember his name), a certain Mr Bruce and his son Steve! 

After talking to Mr Bruce, Steve's step dad - an avid Newcastle supporter, he asked him what on earth was going on at Villa Park at the moment. Mr Bruce replied that he should speak to his son as he'd tell him all about it. 

Apparently SB was the most genuine bloke you could image and spoke very candidly about it. Take any of the below how you like, but at least we have a little bit of an insight into what Bruce is actually thinking right now. Here are the key points: 

- After the Cardiff game he wanted to take off every single senior player and replace them with the youth team - that was how angry he was with that performance. 

- He wants to sign more players but his hands are completely tied at the moment (but we already knew that). 

- There are certain players in the Villa squad that simply don't want to be there. One that was specifically mentioned was McCormack and the gate incident was specifically alluded to and apparently SB believed that the player simply couldn't be arsed to play. 

- He has identified "the right players" but currently they're stuck with some "wrong ones". 

It was a very eye opening conversation. My friend said that in the end he just felt sorry for SB as it's clear as day that he's as annoyed as we are and is having trouble turning it around. 

To be honest with you, it's changed my outlook on it quite a bit.

[Mark Albrighton]

31 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Surely not. 

Bottom of the league after 4 games. Xia would be mad to let it continue. 

I'd hope you're right, but i just have a gut feeling that a 1-0 defeat (say) to Norwich wouldn't lead to him going with immediate effect.

 

Edited August 19, 2017 by Shropshire Lad
Completely contradicting myself

[USA_Villa]

5 minutes ago, JPAngel said:

Hey folks,

It's been an awful long time since I posted here (I tend to visit forums at work when I get a spare minute (or hour) but VT is blocked by our proxy sadly. This means I can only use the Vital Villa board. Anyway, I posted something on there a couple of days ago that I thought you might be interested in regarding Bruce (if you haven't already read this).

I just had a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine. He was at the day night test cricket last night and was sat in a box with a few other people. 

Three people of note were someone on the board at Villa (he couldn't remember his name), a certain Mr Bruce and his son Steve! 

After talking to Mr Bruce, Steve's step dad - an avid Newcastle supporter, he asked him what on earth was going on at Villa Park at the moment. Mr Bruce replied that he should speak to his son as he'd tell him all about it. 

Apparently SB was the most genuine bloke you could image and spoke very candidly about it. Take any of the below how you like, but at least we have a little bit of an insight into what Bruce is actually thinking right now. Here are the key points: 

- After the Cardiff game he wanted to take off every single senior player and replace them with the youth team - that was how angry he was with that performance. 

- He wants to sign more players but his hands are completely tied at the moment (but we already knew that). 

- There are certain players in the Villa squad that simply don't want to be there. One that was specifically mentioned was McCormack and the gate incident was specifically alluded to and apparently SB believed that the player simply couldn't be arsed to play. 

- He has identified "the right players" but currently they're stuck with some "wrong ones". 

It was a very eye opening conversation. My friend said that in the end he just felt sorry for SB as it's clear as day that he's as annoyed as we are and is having trouble turning it around. 

To be honest with you, it's changed my outlook on it quite a bit.

Same old SB. Blames everything and everybody else but himself. Isn't it his job to pick the right players and play the right system. The donut has had 10 moths to sort it out. Tell him to stop feeling sorry for himself and sort the mess out that he has created with his signings and tactics.

[sne]

5 minutes ago, JPAngel said:

Hey folks,

It's been an awful long time since I posted here (I tend to visit forums at work when I get a spare minute (or hour) but VT is blocked by our proxy sadly. This means I can only use the Vital Villa board. Anyway, I posted something on there a couple of days ago that I thought you might be interested in regarding Bruce (if you haven't already read this).

I just had a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine. He was at the day night test cricket last night and was sat in a box with a few other people. 

Three people of note were someone on the board at Villa (he couldn't remember his name), a certain Mr Bruce and his son Steve! 

After talking to Mr Bruce, Steve's step dad - an avid Newcastle supporter, he asked him what on earth was going on at Villa Park at the moment. Mr Bruce replied that he should speak to his son as he'd tell him all about it. 

Apparently SB was the most genuine bloke you could image and spoke very candidly about it. Take any of the below how you like, but at least we have a little bit of an insight into what Bruce is actually thinking right now. Here are the key points: 

- After the Cardiff game he wanted to take off every single senior player and replace them with the youth team - that was how angry he was with that performance. 

- He wants to sign more players but his hands are completely tied at the moment (but we already knew that). 

- There are certain players in the Villa squad that simply don't want to be there. One that was specifically mentioned was McCormack and the gate incident was specifically alluded to and apparently SB believed that the player simply couldn't be arsed to play. 

- He has identified "the right players" but currently they're stuck with some "wrong ones". 

It was a very eye opening conversation. My friend said that in the end he just felt sorry for SB as it's clear as day that he's as annoyed as we are and is having trouble turning it around. 

To be honest with you, it's changed my outlook on it quite a bit.

Those sounds like the problems every manager at pretty much every club should expect to have to deal with all the time tbf.

Part of the job IMO.

He seem like a really nice bloke. But it just isn't working here.

 

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, Shropshire Lad said:

I don't think a defeat today will result in Bruce getting the sack. If it's a hammering then maybe.

But I think he'll be here for the Bristol game. 

 

Think atmosphere in crowd could get toxic and that be final straw

[wazzap24]

Keeping his job may well depend more on the performance than the result today imo. 

Play like we did against Hull 1st half and I think he'll stay, even if we lose. 

Play like we did against Cardiff, then I think he'll be gone. 

[DCJonah]

24 minutes ago, JPAngel said:

Hey folks,

It's been an awful long time since I posted here (I tend to visit forums at work when I get a spare minute (or hour) but VT is blocked by our proxy sadly. This means I can only use the Vital Villa board. Anyway, I posted something on there a couple of days ago that I thought you might be interested in regarding Bruce (if you haven't already read this).

I just had a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine. He was at the day night test cricket last night and was sat in a box with a few other people. 

Three people of note were someone on the board at Villa (he couldn't remember his name), a certain Mr Bruce and his son Steve! 

After talking to Mr Bruce, Steve's step dad - an avid Newcastle supporter, he asked him what on earth was going on at Villa Park at the moment. Mr Bruce replied that he should speak to his son as he'd tell him all about it. 

Apparently SB was the most genuine bloke you could image and spoke very candidly about it. Take any of the below how you like, but at least we have a little bit of an insight into what Bruce is actually thinking right now. Here are the key points: 

- After the Cardiff game he wanted to take off every single senior player and replace them with the youth team - that was how angry he was with that performance. 

- He wants to sign more players but his hands are completely tied at the moment (but we already knew that). 

- There are certain players in the Villa squad that simply don't want to be there. One that was specifically mentioned was McCormack and the gate incident was specifically alluded to and apparently SB believed that the player simply couldn't be arsed to play. 

- He has identified "the right players" but currently they're stuck with some "wrong ones". 

It was a very eye opening conversation. My friend said that in the end he just felt sorry for SB as it's clear as day that he's as annoyed as we are and is having trouble turning it around. 

To be honest with you, it's changed my outlook on it quite a bit.

McCormack hasn't been round the team for ages. If his answer is to just buy more players then he's a waste of time. He can't make the biggest signing in league history and moan about hands being tied. He's not happy with senior players? Well it's his job to get the best out of them and playing them in their best positions and in an attacking manner may help that. 

No idea why those excuses would change anyone's outlook on him. 

[Mark Albrighton]

4 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Think atmosphere in crowd could get toxic and that be final straw

Yep, I agree that will be a factor. 

It's totally conceivable that he'll be sacked following a narrow defeat today - especially if the performance is as drab as it has been.

I just have a feeling he won't be (if we indeed lose by narrowly). I hope I'm wrong.

[DCJonah]

4 minutes ago, wazzap24 said:

Keeping his job may well depend more on the performance than the result today imo. 

Play like we did against Hull 1st half and I think he'll stay, even if we lose. 

Play like we did against Cardiff, then I think he'll be gone. 

Which would show how clueless the people running the club are. 

The hull first half was decent but let's not get carried away, it was nothing too amazing, it was just better than the usual garbage served up. 

[Zatman]

Just now, Shropshire Lad said:

Yep, I agree that will be a factor. 

It's totally conceivable that he'll be sacked following a narrow defeat today - especially if the performance is as drab as it has been.

I just have a feeling he won't be (if we indeed lose by narrowly). I hope I'm wrong.

I think he will hang on with a drab 0-0 draw just to extend the misery

[Mark Albrighton]

1 minute ago, Zatman said:

I think he will hang on with a drab 0-0 draw just to extend the misery

Yes, I think it'll be a draw today too. I'm essentially picturing a carbon copy of the Hull game. I also expect the atmosphere to be sour.

He should go if he doesn't win today. I just suspect he'll still be here next week (unless we get hammered).

[wazzap24]

5 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Which would show how clueless the people running the club are. 

The hull first half was decent but let's not get carried away, it was nothing too amazing, it was just better than the usual garbage served up. 

I don't agree or disagree tbh, we are all just speculating now as to what might happen. 

I mention performance, because if the owner/board are 'on the fence', then a positive performance, almost regardless of the result to an extent, may make them hold on. 

If I was them, I'd need to be convinced that we can turn it around long term and the performances would potentially be more telling than the results in that respect. 

 

[DCJonah]

2 minutes ago, wazzap24 said:

I don't agree or disagree tbh, we are all just speculating now as to what might happen. 

I mention performance, because if the owner/board are 'on the fence', then a positive performance, almost regardless of the result to an extent, may make them hold on. 

If I was them, I'd need to be convinced that we can turn it around long term and the performances would potentially be more telling than the results in that respect. 

 

But they could look at any performance over the last 10 months to tell them it's highly unlikely. 

If we don't win today and he remains in the job I'll start to lose even more faith in Xia. 

I said days ago, any points we drop today are on the owner.