Steve Bruce

[wilko154]

It's a bit of a fan mind set, you get fans who don't join in and are just there to watch the game. When you get groups of fans with different mind sets at a game (home games) it breaks up the chants a bit more and the ground is quieter because of it.

Last night everyone was up for it and chants were being started in the concourse before the game and at half time. Great atmosphere last night!

[VillaCas]

3 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

I wasn’t at the game either but watched a live fan stream, spoke with someone who was there and seen the highlights. Reading dominated possession but it seems to me we allowed them to have the ball in areas where they couldn’t hurt us. We had arguably the better chances and certainly just as many. Gollina wasn’t busy.

Maybe we were lucky to get more than a point. I think the game plan was to contain Reading though and it worked a treat as we limited the chances they had. As I said in an earlier post it is an ideal way for us to play away from home against a side that like to keep possession. It won’t work at home though where sides sit back against us. I think we have the options to go with a system that can break teams down. Bruce got it right last night for me and he now needs to do the same on Saturday against Fulham but that won’t be with last nights system.

Agreed. I'd like to think that with some confidence we can start to dominate games - if we can get teams on the back foot, I think we have the personnel to really take teams apart. A few good wins and confidence will soar.  Early days though

I'm of the opinion that we are better without Grealish. I'm not a fan and have a pretty jaundiced view but I think that he tends to slow things down and we lose momentum. I wonder if he would have been picked if available?

NB : what stream did you watch?

[carewjust4u]

I think we have to remember that Bruce has had very very limited training days with this squad, so any rapid changes in the way we play was unrealistic. However, what he has done is managed to get us playing compact last night and severly limit Readings chances, managed to get us playing with at last some sort of identity (although i imagine this will evolve as his tenure endures) and actually managed to get a couple of good results (which will boost the confidence no end). Lastly, what I cannot rate enough is he made the correct substitutions...which it seems none of our recent managers seemed to be able to do. So far so good for Potato Head. 

[vreitti]

12 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

I'm of the opinion that we are better without Grealish. I'm not a fan and have a pretty jaundiced view but I think that he tends to slow things down and we lose momentum. I wonder if he would have been picked if available?

Have to agree here. Sad really, because he certainly has ability. He's probably not a SB type of player either,  but it's still too early to give the final verdict. It's up to him really to realize he needs to develop several aspects of his game.

[markavfc40]

27 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

NB : what stream did you watch?

It is a FB page called AVFC live in the stands. The one in the first half was a Villa fan in the home end on the half way line quite high up. It was a decent stream but his battery ran out so couldn't stream the second half.

Back on topic Bruce has overcome one major hurdle getting that first away win. If we can string two wins together for the first time in around 18 months on Saturday I think that will give the players the confidence and belief that has been so badly lacking. The ability is there for me.

Edited October 19, 2016 by markavfc40

[GeordieVillan]

Last night could easily have gone with either way, but like the Newcastle game we had the rub of the green late on. I'm not complaining about it, because I would say in most of the other games where we have conceded late, our opposition have barely deserved it.

Saturday is a massive for Bruce - if we win then we suddenly have a bit of momentum and new manager bounce and the atmosphere around the club will be very different, and also the media will probably turn in our favour.

A defeat or another frustrating draw, and it will probably feel like a bit of a false dawn again.

[TRO]

45 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

I wasn’t at the game either but watched a live fan stream, spoke with someone who was there and seen the highlights. Reading dominated possession but it seems to me we allowed them to have the ball in areas where they couldn’t hurt us. We had arguably the better chances and certainly just as many. Gollini wasn’t busy.

Maybe we were lucky to get more than a point. I think the game plan was to contain Reading though and it worked a treat as we limited the chances they had. As I said in an earlier post it is an ideal way for us to play away from home against a side that like to keep possession. It won’t work at home though where sides sit back against us. I think we have the options to go with a system that can break teams down. Bruce got it right last night for me and he now needs to do the same on Saturday against Fulham but that won’t be with last nights system.

Spot on for me Mark

I kinda knew Steve would do this and I am very surprised the previous managers didn't and chose Gungho or a style that did not reflect our plight.

We are in a dark place and it requires remedies to suit....its not pretty as you say, but effective.

To improve as we want it, we need to grow in to a style that is entertaining, not leaving behind all the basics we have rediscovered....It will be a long road back....but at least if we know we are on the right path, its better than floundering around for months on end looking for the map and getting nowhere.

Edited October 19, 2016 by TRO

[TRO]

Improvement is not going to be a tap you just turn on....It will be gradual and there will be setbacks.

There will be little things some fans see and some don't, we can help each other.

Edited October 19, 2016 by TRO

[terrytini]

11 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Whatever happens, it is at least good to have a passionate manager hugging the touchline again! I wanted RDM however started to realise he was way too quiet and sat too much. He needed to realise this wasn't Chelsea in the Champions League, but a deflated team which desperately needed both an arm around them , a kick up the backside and aggressive encouragement at the same time!

Good shout

[terrytini]

10 hours ago, TRO said:

Thats cheap

That's the Daily Mail

[TRO]

46 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

I wasn’t at the game either but watched a live fan stream, spoke with someone who was there and seen the highlights. Reading dominated possession but it seems to me we allowed them to have the ball in areas where they couldn’t hurt us. We had arguably the better chances and certainly just as many. Gollini wasn’t busy.

Maybe we were lucky to get more than a point. I think the game plan was to contain Reading though and it worked a treat as we limited the chances they had. As I said in an earlier post it is an ideal way for us to play away from home against a side that like to keep possession. It won’t work at home though where sides sit back against us. I think we have the options to go with a system that can break teams down. Bruce got it right last night for me and he now needs to do the same on Saturday against Fulham but that won’t be with last nights system.

That was a theory Graham Taylor adopted too and often referred to.....It was against Spurs I think and he said " let them have the ball"..." let them wear themselves out"...." we will pick them up when we need to, when they pose danger, that way we conserve energy too".

 

[TRO]

There is knowing and doing

Knowing can be established pretty quickly, doing takes a bit longer.

Steve Bruce comes over to me like, He knows 

Its far from right....but he will do it.

[Genie]

Just now, GeordieVillan said:

 

Saturday is a massive for Bruce - if we win then we suddenly have a bit of momentum

I reckon a win and he might get a statue, back to back wins, 7 points out of 9, beating the local rivals. That is far too much success for Villa fans to cope with in 10 days.

[TRO]

25 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

It is a FB page called AVFC live in the stands. The one in the first half was a Villa fan in the home end on the half way line quite high up. It was a decent stream but his battery ran out so couldn't stream the second half.

Back on topic Bruce has overcome one major hurdle getting that first away win. If we can string two wins together for the first time in around 18 months on Saturday I think that will give the players the confidence and belief that has been so badly lacking. The ability is there for me.

Also Mark, in dark places like we are.....Ability drains and it gives us the fans a false picture....so I share your view.

as the dark stuff returns to light, the ability will return too....its all kind of a confusing paradox....Despite all of our claims to say how bad we have become, I don't think we really appreciate the depths we have gone too.

[VillaCas]

4 minutes ago, Genie said:

I reckon a win and he might get a statue, back to back wins, 7 points out of 9, beating the local rivals. That is far too much success for Villa fans to cope with in 10 days.

Fulham?

[Genie]

Just now, VillaCas said:

Fulham?

I'm getting ahead of myself by a week

[VillaCas]

7 minutes ago, TRO said:

...in dark places like we are.....Ability drains and it gives us a false picture....as the dark stuff returns to light, the ability will return too....its all kind of a confusing paradox....Despite all of our claims to say how bad we have become, I don't think we really appreciate the depths we have gone too.

like a Jedi are you TRO!

Bonkers (but brilliant) haha

PS are you drunk?

Edited October 19, 2016 by VillaCas

[sne]

By all account it wasn't pretty, but just like against Wolves we got points on the board, 3 this time?! Who knew you could get 3 points from 1 game?

Until January ugly wins is all we can hope for, and since I won't be watching more than the odd game either way (non existent tv coverage) I don't really care. 

Obviously I wan't him to continue with a 3 man CM and pick the right players (Amavi before Cissokho for example), but keeping us afloat is all I expect.

So well done Bruce, now we only have to win 20 or so more games to be in contention.

 

[villaglint]

Things Bruce knows about this Villa team.

1- Lacking in fitness.

2 - Conceding late in games very very often.

3 - Shooting ourselves in the foot in some games by playing out from the back when some of players not natural ball players. 

4 - We have quality players for this level who can create a chance/goal.

5 - We have not gelled as a team. Struggling to string moves or sustained possession together. Chances generally coming from individual rather than passing teams to death.

Therefore plan for winning a game despite our weaknesses.

1st Half - extra man in midfield, sit tighter as a team. Absorb pressure, reserve energy. Exploit gaps with pace of Kodjia and Adomah. Midfield stay close to CBs don't concede any space in front of goal. Double up on wings defensively so they are limited to pressurised crosses at best. See if we can nick a goal but whatever happens go into half time with clean sheet.

2nd half - Push on and go for the win. Playing the ball earlier and longer to Gestede. Kodjia, Adomah and Bacuna all looking for flick ons. We have reserved energy so should finish stronger than them. Last 10mins bring on the quality of Amavi, McCormack and Ayew who can hurt tired Reading players. 

 

All sounds pretty sensible to me. Tactics at Villa eh. Take a bit of getting used to this. 

 

[TRO]

6 hours ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Now, I was totally unhappy about the appointment and I will be first to stand on the firing line and admit that.

But so far, 4 pts from 6 is a bloody good start, but let us not get carried away.

If we can keep the momentum up and build on this then hopefully we will keep going upwards.

 

Never thought I would say this, but well done lads & the manager. Superb result.

It doesn't matter who favoured him and who didn't its cosmetic and a bit of internet fun.....we don't need to busy ourselves with point scoring, we have a team to raise.

We ALL need to get behind him....there will be setbacks, we must be ready for that,.....but we mustn't get derailed by them.

When you see all those fans last night.... I see defiance of our low position, I see a manager that gives us hope, I see a team trying to respond, but I see shoots of recovery, no matter how slight.

We must unite