Steve Bruce

[Xela]

11 minutes ago, av1 said:

Which i why i left VP yesterday more convinced than ever that Bruce needs to go. 

He rolled the dice yesterday knowing defeat would cost him his job. He will soon revert back to his negative ways, its what he had always done. One result isn't going to change a philosophy that he's held for the last 20yrs. 

A philosophy that has won 4 promotions before?

Lets hope this result is a springboard for the season. I'm happy to have Bruce in charge if we can replicate performances like that for the majority of the remainder of the season. 

 

[villabromsgrove]

7 minutes ago, av1 said:

Which i why i left VP yesterday more convinced than ever that Bruce needs to go. 

He rolled the dice yesterday knowing defeat would cost him his job. He will soon revert back to his negative ways, its what he had always done. One result isn't going to change a philosophy that he's held for the last 20yrs. 

I'm afraid you're right.

[Guest av1]

1 minute ago, Xela said:

A philosophy that has won 4 promotions before?

 

I'm not interested in what he's done before Villa. I'm interested in what he had served up in the previous 40 games with a squad every manager in this league would be envious of. And its been rubbish. 

One decent performance in a vast sea of shit, with a line up he himself admitted he was forced into, doesn't change my opinion of him. 

He needs to go. 

[villabromsgrove]

3 minutes ago, Xela said:

A philosophy that has won 4 promotions before?

Lets hope this result is a springboard for the season. I'm happy to have Bruce in charge if we can replicate performances like that for the majority of the remainder of the season. 

 

Apart from yesterday's unusual and much welcome attacking display, what have you seen in the last forty odd matches that makes you think Bruce's footballing philosophy will work at Villa?  I'm not having a go, I'm just genuinely interested.

[mikeyp102]

I find it amazing that people are criticising Bruce after yesterday. Football is an entertainment sport, yesterday was one of the most entertaining we've had at Villa Park for a good long time. Can't people just celebrate for at 24 hours at least, before we go back to the abuse.

[Xela]

14 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

Apart from yesterday's unusual and much welcome attacking display, what have you seen in the last forty odd matches that makes you think Bruce's footballing philosophy will work at Villa?  I'm not having a go, I'm just genuinely interested.

Maybe i'm a bit more forgiving but I don't think constantly changing the manager/coaching staff/players is conducive to success on the field. History has proven that. 

I do agree, the last 40 games have not been good enough but i'm perhaps an optimist when I think that yesterday may be the turning point. I'm not suggesting we stick with him forever but 4 games into this season is a little bit too early, after Bruce's first pre-season.  We've got the players and we've the manager with the record of promotion so i'm clinging on to that at the moment.  He does have to deliver this season though.

[Eastie]

5 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

I find it amazing that people are criticising Bruce after yesterday. Football is an entertainment sport, yesterday was one of the most entertaining we've had at Villa Park for a good long time. Can't people just celebrate for at 24 hours at least, before we go back to the abuse.

I'm sure we are all happy with the result and performance but Bruce does himself more harm than good with cheap digs about fans criticism - didn't need to say it and is making a rod for his own back by doing so.

Edited August 20, 2017 by Eastie

[villabromsgrove]

4 minutes ago, Xela said:

Maybe i'm a bit more forgiving but I don't think constantly changing the manager/coaching staff/players is conducive to success on the field. History has proven that. 

I do agree, the last 40 games have not been good enough but i'm perhaps an optimist when I think that yesterday may be the turning point. I'm not suggesting we stick with him forever but 4 games into this season is a little bit too early, after Bruce's first pre-season.  We've got the players and we've the manager with the record of promotion so i'm clinging on to that at the moment.  He does have to deliver this season though.

I admire your optimism Xela. I've become more pragmatic over the last few months. For Villa's sake I hope you're right, but going on the reality of Bruce's management so far I'm not going to hold my breath.

[Stevo985]

I've been plenty critical of Bruce over the last couple of weeks. Some of the football served up has been garbage. 

But those putting yesterday's performance down to luck are going too far, imo. 

The guy isn't a moron. He is capable of producing good performances. Yesterday was one of them. 

I'm still not convinced he can do it consistently enough to get us up, but to dismiss it as luck is doing him a disservice.

[Eastie]

11 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I've been plenty critical of Bruce over the last couple of weeks. Some of the football served up has been garbage. 

But those putting yesterday's performance down to luck are going too far, imo. 

The guy isn't a moron. He is capable of producing good performances. Yesterday was one of them. 

I'm still not convinced he can do it consistently enough to get us up, but to dismiss it as luck is doing him a disservice.

Not a question of the performance being good luck but he's admitted himself that the team selection was forced on him through injuries so no doubt a touch of good fortune in that as I doubt we'd have seen the same performance had gabby started and not Davis.

[Jareth]

44 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

I find it amazing that people are criticising Bruce after yesterday. Football is an entertainment sport, yesterday was one of the most entertaining we've had at Villa Park for a good long time. Can't people just celebrate for at 24 hours at least, before we go back to the abuse.

24 hours? We had a nice brief moment at half time when everyone was chuffed (I think) and going on the lack of activity on VT after the game, a sure sign of mass victory beverage consumption. But a whole 24 hours without finding fault? C'est impossible mon petit choufleur.

[Stevo985]

12 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Not a question of the performance being good luck but he's admitted himself that the team selection was forced on him through injuries so no doubt a touch of good fortune in that as I doubt we'd have seen the same performance had gabby started and not Davis.

That's football though isn't it? That's how young players get their chances. 

And I think we played well enough anyway that we'd have still won with Gabby up top. 

[Eastie]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

That's football though isn't it? That's how young players get their chances. 

And I think we played well enough anyway that we'd have still won with Gabby up top. 

But would we have played that well with gabby up top ? Davis is a very different kInd of player and his style suits the likes of green, hourihane, lansbury .

no question it was a vast improvement but we need to build on this now - let's see how we do at Bristol and what team is selected - Bruce has bought himself time and with Jedi and kodija still to come this MAY be the turning point for us - time will tell!

[Stevo985]

4 minutes ago, Eastie said:

But would we have played that well with gabby up top ? Davis is a very different kInd of player and his style suits the likes of green, hourihane, lansbury .

no question it was a vast improvement but we need to build on this now - let's see how we do at Bristol and what team is selected - Bruce has bought himself time and with Jedi and kodija still to come this MAY be the turning point for us - time will tell!

No we probably wouldn't. But I think we'd have still played well. 

Put it this way, if we'd played Davis Vs Reading would we suddenly have played like we did yesterday? No chance.

[Jareth]

Just watched the extended highlights again - have to say the team's passing, commitment, skill level was a joy to watch (aside from Hutton). This cannot be separated from the manager and coaching team. Just have to do this most of the time and we will quickly find very little to moan about. 

[Eastie]

1 minute ago, Jareth said:

Just watched the extended highlights again - have to say the team's passing, commitment, skill level was a joy to watch (aside from Hutton). This cannot be separated from the manager and coaching team. Just have to do this most of the time and we will quickly find very little to moan about. 

Bruce rightly will stand or fall by his results - the ball is in his court - he has the tools available ( literally in huttons case ) , let's now put a run together and see where it takes us .

[Ingram85]

Hopefully this was the catalyst that makes him see the error of his defensive dull methods. Let the shackles off and see what happens. Hope he sticks with this instead of reverting back to type once his preferred line up is available again.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt if he sticks with a more progressive and attacking team/methods. If he goes back to before then I'll go back to wishing him gone.

Up to you Steve.

[Jareth]

1 minute ago, Ingram85 said:

Hopefully this was the catalyst that makes him see the error of his defensive dull methods. Let the shackles off and see what happens. Hope he sticks with this instead of reverting back to type once his preferred line up is available again.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt if he sticks with a more progressive and attacking team/methods. If he goes back to before then I'll go back to wishing him gone.

Up to you Steve.

The most welcome thing about yesterday for me, was that the team didn't fold when Norwich got it back to a goal away, twice, and that they went on to take the win in style - this after Cardiff and Reading. We have needed to find another way, since Kodjia/Jedinak has been injured and I believe this has to be it. What does this come down to? Has to be the quality of the players recruited, combined with having settled in - Whelan and Hourihanne were unrecognisable yesterday. Again, I don't see this as being within Bruce's gift to affect positively or negatively - so I bloody hope we have seen the last of 'typical Villa'. Hopefully Bruce is less afraid now he can see what the players can do. 

[terrytini]

24 minutes ago, Jareth said:

Just watched the extended highlights again - have to say the team's passing, commitment, skill level was a joy to watch (aside from Hutton). This cannot be separated from the manager and coaching team. Just have to do this most of the time and we will quickly find very little to moan about. 

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

If you can't separate it from the coaching what have those coaches been doing since October 

Im pretty sure Hourihane, Osomah , Lansbury, and Elmo all knew how to pass a ball before arriving at VP.

But yes, the skills were well applied yesterday - far better than usual.

Almost as if the more positive approach and system had an impact on the players.

Do the coaches deserve credit for that approach ? Yes definitely.

Equally they deserve slating for it having taken so long to do something  so obvious.

We all now know what most have suggested for ages, take a more positive approach in selection, tactics, and style/ system and our players can give other sides a decent game.

[Jareth]

Just now, terrytini said:

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

If you can't separate it from the coaching what have those coaches been doing since October 

Im pretty sure Hourihane, Osomah , Lansbury, and Elmo all knew how to pass a ball before arriving at VP.

But yes, the skills were well applied yesterday - far better than usual.

Almost as if the more positive approach and system had an impact on the players.

Do the coaches deserve credit for that approach ? Yes definitely.

Equally they deserve slating for it having taken so long to do something  so obvious.

We all now know what most have suggested for ages, take a more positive approach in selection, tactics, and style/ system and our players can give other sides a decent game.

I get it - Bruce out had never been more possible after the last game and if you've your heart set on it then yesterday was a setback. Yes Bruce needs to be more positive, no doubt - so hopefully this is the catalyst for it. I don't at all disagree on the shite that has been served up previously - but as others have said it's not fair to start separating any success from the manager while attributing all the blame. But I see you're not actually doing that, entirely.