Steve Bruce

[tonyh29]

47 minutes ago, Hoof hearted said:

Will you eat humble pie if it turns into a 10 game argument or 15? Fickle much?

That doesn't really seem fair 

it's not fickle to say a man has been in a job for nearly a year and under performed with his methods based on what was available to him

that he's changed system for the last 2 games and presumably will for a few more games , hopefully with positive results , just reaffirms what a lot of people had said

fair play if it works and he turns it around I'm sure we'd all be happy ... 

[AshVilla]

15 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

That doesn't really seem fair 

it's not fickle to say a man has been in a job for nearly a year and under performed with his methods based on what was available to him

that he's changed system for the last 2 games and presumably will for a few more games , hopefully with positive results , just reaffirms what a lot of people had said

fair play if it works and he turns it around I'm sure we'd all be happy ... 

I'm still of the opinion that Bruce isn't the right man for the job and even if we do go up he would need to be replaced asap or we will go straight back down IMO.

My stance hasn't changed since the end of last season but I will be more than happy for Bruce to prove me wrong should it mean we go up.

I think a bit of heat towards the manager after the first 3 games was fair and if it means we push him and the team to perform at the level they should be I think its justified.

What I won't apologise for is my passion for villa and things said in the heat of the moment. I did call bruce a potato head after the cardiff result which was probably a bit uncalled for in hindsight.

 

Edited August 23, 2017 by AshVilla

[Lerner's Driver]

1 minute ago, AshVilla said:

What I won't apologise for is my passion for villa and things said in the heat of themoment. I did call bruce a potato head after the cardiff result which was probably a bit uncalled for in hindsight.

 

Isn't that an apology, of sorts?

[AshVilla]

24 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Isn't that an apology, of sorts?

Yeah the name calling is a bit ott i did also used to call Lambert lamberk and lamebert but that was mostly because I found the puns funny and not out of hatred for the man.

I think its open season on redknapp though calling him candleface and magma cheeks is completely acceptable.

Edited August 23, 2017 by AshVilla

[Demitri_C]

Have to admit if bruce continues like this he would have won me back. Some real colossal performances. HOWEVER the big test is away from home. This has been superb at home, if he cant get us winning away from home there will no promotion. Therfore no progress.

[TrentVilla]

1 hour ago, Hoof hearted said:

Will you eat humble pie if it turns into a 10 game argument or 15? Fickle much?

Sigh.

As events and situations change so does my opinion, I think that makes a little more sense than taking a stance and sticking to it regardless of circumstance. Seemingly you think the later is preferable, to each their own.

But I have no reason to need to eat humble pie, now or in the event of any kind of imaging run of form which you wish to conjure.

I'm not the subject of this thread so I'm not sure why you are trying to make me it, I've no desire to be it. 

I have simply expressed my views on Bruce, which have changed over a period of time. Last season I was in favour of giving him time, I was more concerned with results than possession stats and I wanted stability. But I said I wanted to see improvement in the way we played and the performances he got from the players he signed.

I raised questions in the summer for what I perceived as being a lack of progress despite him bringing in some good additions. I also raised concerns about some of his comments, a view which I still hold.

I was then unhappy with the level of performance and some of the decisions made in our opening three games and I would still say rightly so. 

My view of Bruce hasn't been improved by his attitude towards what I think has been justified criticism.

The last two games have been better, it will just take longer than that to alter my view which was formed over far more than three games.

My view of Bruce after 10 or 15 games will likely reflect how we perform in those games. I fail to see an issue with that.

I note though that you seem not to understand the word fickle, it has been so widely misused post O'Leary.

The fact I haven't done about turn on Bruce after two games means I'm not fickle but feel free to think what you wish frankly I'm really not interested.

[PieFacE]

I have absolutely no confidence that we will go and win on Friday. Still don't think we will get promoted under Bruce. 

[Rugeley Villa]

Like I've said I still have plenty of concerns, but what gets me is people that want him to fail. People wanting us to lose so Bruce gets the sack. He could win 10 on the bounce then lose 3 on the bounce and people will jump back on him for it. He's got a lot to prove to me still. 

[PaulC]

Yes quite agree. and After the last two games there is room for optimism. that confidence will be taken into the away games

[AshVilla]

32 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Like I've said I still have plenty of concerns, but what gets me is people that want him to fail. People wanting us to lose so Bruce gets the sack. He could win 10 on the bounce then lose 3 on the bounce and people will jump back on him for it. He's got a lot to prove to me still. 

People don't want him to fail they want us to get promoted.

If that means a change of manager is necessary then the change will need to be made.

[DCJonah]

36 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Like I've said I still have plenty of concerns, but what gets me is people that want him to fail. People wanting us to lose so Bruce gets the sack. He could win 10 on the bounce then lose 3 on the bounce and people will jump back on him for it. He's got a lot to prove to me still. 

If he won 10 on the bounce no one would want him out if we lost another 3. 

 

[omariqy]

Bristol City will be a true test of where we are at. It's an away game on Sky. If we win that then I might getting some confidence back in him.

[alreadyexists]

8 minutes ago, AshVilla said:

People don't want him to fail they want us to get promoted.

If that means a change of manager is necessary then the change will need to be made.

To be fair there were a few people, not saying it was you (because it wasn't) or naming names, but there were a few who were saying before Norwich that they hoped we lost so Bruce was sacked or words to that effect. 

[ender4]

2 hours ago, Nigel said:

Unless my maths is way off a win and a draw is as close to a 2 point a game average as you could get!

He's 8 points behind the promotion spots, and we need to make that gap up asap. 

and then maintain 2 points a game for the rest of the season.

[MikeMcKenna]

41 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Like I've said I still have plenty of concerns, but what gets me is people that want him to fail. People wanting us to lose so Bruce gets the sack. He could win 10 on the bounce then lose 3 on the bounce and people will jump back on him for it. He's got a lot to prove to me still. 

As ever people make it unnecessarily personal. If he fails so do AVFC so it is a none argument. I don't give a damn who our manager is provided he gets us promoted. Bruce has rarely inspired and as the 'manager' deserves the brickbats for his appalling lack of form and tactics more often than not. If he gets us back in the reckoning great but I only have one God - AVFC.

Managers, players, owners come and go - the only thing that is permanent is AVFC

[TRO]

8 hours ago, Wezbid said:

If we go for it and attack teams and lose/draw I think more fans in the main will at least appreciate the intent to try and finish teams off. Too many times we've acted like Villa in the last few years of the Prem and trying to cling on to a slender lead. That's partly confidence of the players but it's down to the manager to stop that sort of thing. For a team expected to go for automatic promotion, it isn't good enough.

The last 2 games are positive and hopefully a catalyst both for the team and the manager. I couldn't give a rats arse how certain players got their chance, so long as we use the results and confidence from them to push on. I was starting to join the Bruce out crew but will happily be proven wrong. I just hope others can do so too. If we play positively and don't win, with the likes of Hourihane and Lansbury playing closer to the opposition box than our own then that's a positive sign, not just a poor result to jump on. The same folk will also moan about scraping a win with a cautious approach. That sort of mentality will mean you're never happy as it'll never be constant flowing attacking and winning football but so long as it becomes more often than not than I hope the feeling around the club will change for the better. The last 2 games could be a great springboard in setting up the direction of the season. Bristol City will be tough but they should be more scared of us and I hope Bruce sets us up to go at them. That's all I expect, as the result of a game doesn't always tell the story.

 

Its all about winning football....and if that can be done convincingly and with a swagger, we've cracked it.....not easy though.

I think the secret for us lies in experience and youth as a mix.

the last 2 games have given us hope and more importantly individual players are offering good performances it is looking contagious at present.

However, opposing teams are not just going to let us score 4 goals every game and our defence is as important as its ever been, we must stay stingey at the back.

we have tried the gungo approach with RDM and sherwood.....you get undone.

its a calculated intelligent mix of defence and attack.....hopefully we will grow in to that blend.

[villabromsgrove]

My criticism of Bruce is based over the ten months of his management. 

38 league games of which we've won 16, drawn 8 and lost 14.

56 points gained.

58 points dropped.

Those are the figures, but it's the manner in which we've declined into a team that appears afraid to play football, which has formed my opinion about Bruce's suitability as Villa manager.

The league game against Norwich was the first time the players were freed up to attack as and when they could, and that was in Bruce's 38th league match in charge when by his own admission the change was forced by injuries. 

I think that we could do better with a more modern forward thinking attack minded manager and coach. I'm sure we have the players, but they need to play to their individual and collective strengths.

We won't defend our way out of this league, if we will gain promotion it will be by out scoring and out playing our opposition.

A leopard doesn't change it's spots, and Bruce (imo) will not be able to sustain a drastic change in his management and coaching style indefinitely.

Bruce will stay on as Villa manager unless results dictate otherwise, and I will be pleased with every three pointer result we get whilst his tenure continues, but I think a positive change of manager would be in Villa's best interests.

[TRO]

Winning this league is a marathon, not a sprint.....i have to confess the cardiff and reading reversals would test any fans resolve.

However, we have some cracking young players in a batch which has been a long time coming....the experience we have brought in will prove invaluable to that development.

but in my view they will be a defining asset for us.

There will be setbacks along the way, but we must stay strong in our collective belief that we will achieve our goal.....we are capable of gaining promotion and we have to stay with that belief, because it resonates on to the pitch.

The business can be unpredictable, despite our tendency to want to predict, we have just proved a week in football can be a stark contrast in fortunes....so we can just wind ourselves up at times.

I think the growing confidence in individual performances is most encouraging, we can build on that massive fillip to progress.

I still think too much is made of Steve Bruce in relation to single games....its his overall work that makes the platform for players to thrive or not and it is fair for him to be judged on that as opposed to individual games, good or bad.....once they cross that line, its down to them in the main.I think managers should be judged over a much longer period than we sometimes are prepared to give.i also do not subscribe to giving him hell when we lose and a jaundiced praise when we win handsomely, due to the aforementioned.

But ,just remember, if we think we can,we can.....if we think we can't we can't.

UTV

 

Edited August 23, 2017 by TRO

[TRO]

3 hours ago, mykeyb said:

Have you not stated on here the exact opposite?

No

what i have stated is that the players take the credit or criticism for their performance during that game.....which is entirely different from player good on wins /manager bad on loses.

The manager takes the praise or criticism over a much longer period for his work imo.

[Woody1000]

One little concern for me over Bruce's promotion record is that he has never actually won the title, he has had two 2nd place finishes and the other 2 were via the playoffs. I'm not trying to find a stick to beat him with, and I wouldn't be dismayed about going up in 2nd place, but it does worry me that he doesn't have that knack for getting a team right to the top, even if it's from an "aim for first to finish second" point of view.