Steve Bruce

[lapal_fan]

If you look at things basically, playing a 4-2-3-1 away from home is a good idea.  The DM's effectively become anchors or even CB's when we lose possession if the full backs are further up the pitch providing width.  

Man City did this with Mancini, and it was used by Milan with Nigel De Jong, Mark Van Bommell, Ambrosini and Gattuso. 

It enables the wide players to forget about defensive duties, and somewhat relieves FB's of it too.  

The more modern formation chooses someone with a great engine like Fernandinho who can do 2 roles (a box to box essentially) attacking and defending. 

I think away from home it would be good.  It would allow us to commit wingers/2 forwards to create and be protected to counters because our players are quite slow.

At home though, we need to drop one and go with more offensive players.  

To be honest, we've never replaced Delph (Onomah hopefully) because he would pick the ball up deep and drive forward, committing opponents forward.  He's by no means a great player, but for the way we played, he was very important. 

It's a little defensive, yes - but away from home maybe having 2 deeper sitting players would enable us to dictate play better in the opponents half.  

[striker]

3 hours ago, Eastie said:

Jedinak is a better defensive midfielder than whelan but whelan is a better passer - Bruce may use both in some away games but certainly shouldn't do so at home - baker and Chester were ok last season but nothing special - let's not forget we were set up very negatively and still finished 13th .

Terry is a huge upgrade in quality than baker , he's comfortable in possession and a great organiser - we have been exposed countless times down the right in the 2 games at Cardiff and reading where hutton was far the weakest link in defence .

Last season you made clear in numerous posts your feelings about jedinak and how bad he is but the record with him in the team proves how much a difference he makes . 

Yet the record states that Villa finished 13th in the Championship last season so Jedi does not make that much of a difference.

If you or Bruce are pinning your hopes on Jedinak to turn results around on a consistent basis then i'm not sure where Villa go from here. You also can't rely on Jedinak staying fit as we've already seen.

Last season Jedinak was the missing link and Villa needed more leaders but neither worked. This season it was the signing of Whelan that was going to turn it around but so far that hasn't helped either.

The only thing thats going to improve results to a level of automatic promotion is Bruce having a brain wave allowing all his players to play in their correct positions in the team while removing the shackles from them.

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by striker

[AJ]

1 hour ago, lexicon said:

I agree with a lot of that. It doesn't really help that we really strive to perpetuate the idea that we are a 'massive club' at any given opportunity, as it just serves to increase that pressure. 

The problem we have is that it's not easy to find someone who both isn't going to be overawed by the experience and is good. We've had our fingers burnt by experienced managers, inexperienced managers, foreign ones and domestic ones. Getting it right is obviously not an easy task and also requires a degree of luck IMO. 

I agree, and you raise a very good point of our previous manager selections. However, aside from the thought of us being a massive club, a lot of fans and people looking from the outside in have high expectations of us this season. Since FFP has come into play, those expectations of success are weighed further down with necessity to meet those expectations. To be the man to which to guide the club to meet those expectations, that is a lot of pressure.

Bruce wanted this job, and he should have very well understood what those expectations were, and what that pressure could be like. This isn't Hull or Birmingham City. This is a club that is used to Premier League football, and with its history and success feels out of place by being in a division lower. This is Aston Villa, and the only acceptable direction is forward.

[lapal_fan]

5 minutes ago, striker said:

Yet the record states that Villa finished 13th in the Championship last season so Jedi does not make that much of a difference.

If you or Bruce are pinning your hopes on Jedinak to turn results around on a consistent basis then i'm not sure where Villa go from here. You also can't rely on Jedinak staying fit as we've already seen.

The only thing thats going to improve results to a level of automatic promotion is Bruce having a brain wave allowing his players to play in their correct positions all over the team while taking the shackles off them.

 

Have you not seen the results with/without Jedi in the team?  They are absolutely stark and if anything show just how important he is to us. 

I think the argument here is that you deem him too defensive, but footballs a rolling thing, you go through periods in games where you apply pressure, and periods where the opponents apply pressure.  I think Villa's biggest problem for a time now is that we're not able to ride that storm without conceding.  Hull at home being a prime example.  We looked great for 45 minutes, never got that 2nd goal and they came out, attacked us for 10 minutes, got the goal and then let us attack them and tried to counter us whilst we were less than optimal with our finishing/build up play. 

You can be a defensive player, and still have a very important impact on the pitch, even if that's just giving it to attacking players at a decent tempo.  

[lexicon]

3 minutes ago, AJ said:

I agree, and you raise a very good point of our previous manager selections. However, aside from the thought of us being a massive club, a lot of fans and people looking from the outside in have high expectations of us this season. Since FFP has come into play, those expectations of success are weighed further down with necessity to meet those expectations. To be the man to which to guide the club to meet those expectations, that is a lot of pressure.

Bruce wanted this job, and he should have very well understood what those expectations were, and what that pressure could be like. This isn't Hull or Birmingham City. This is a club that is used to Premier League football, and with its history and success feels out of place by being in a division lower. This is Aston Villa, and the only acceptable direction is forward.

You can say that again! (budum tish)

 

Sorry.

 

Anyway, realistic best case scenario for me is that Bruce pulls it together. Otherwise, it'd more than likely be a case of distraction, disruption and probably end up with us staying in the league for another year. 

[Eastie]

31 minutes ago, striker said:

Yet the record states that Villa finished 13th in the Championship last season so Jedi does not make that much of a difference.

If you or Bruce are pinning your hopes on Jedinak to turn results around on a consistent basis then i'm not sure where Villa go from here. You also can't rely on Jedinak staying fit as we've already seen.

Last season Jedinak was the missing link and Villa needed more leaders but neither worked. This season it was the signing of Whelan that was going to turn it around but so far that hasn't helped either.

The only thing thats going to improve results to a level of automatic promotion is Bruce having a brain wave allowing all his players to play in their correct positions in the team while removing the shackles from them.

 

Of course we know he needs to remove the shackles but in doing so and playing a more attacking game this is where jedinak will be needed to protect the back 4  - it's no good throwing off the shackles and leaving ourselves totally exposed on the break - there is no reason why Bruce cannot play jedinak and take off the shackles from our attacking players - it's about the right balance .

The results with jedinak in the team compared to without him show how valuable a role he plays for us , it is in fact jedinak return which should give Bruce the balls to then have confidence to let our attacking midfielders play as Jedi provides more protection than whelan .

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/its-time-for-aston-villa-to-sack-steve-bruce-and-appoint-this-man/

Quote

 

IT’S TIME FOR ASTON VILLA TO SACK STEVE BRUCE AND APPOINT THIS MAN

 

Aston Villa arguably boast the best squad in the Championship.

With strength in depth across all positions on the pitch, there is no doubt they are currently underachieving.

Villa have had a very solid window, bringing in numerous experienced professionals such as John Terry, Glenn Whelan, Ahmed Elmohamady, Chris Samba and Robert Snodgrass.

However, with just one win from their first five games and away form which has continued to be as poor as last year, there is a clear variable which is preventing success at the club.

For me, that variable is Steve Bruce.

 

With just over ten months in charge of Villa he is yet to stamp an identity on his team.

Despite Bruce boasting an impressive Championship CV, which includes four promotions to the Premiership there are no signs that he is about to do the same with Villa.

It is obvious that the former Hull manager does not yet know his best starting XI and formation.

Bruce attempted a five at the back formation against Bristol City, which conjured up a dismal and dull performance.

Villa looked bereft bereft of ideas, despite a creative looking midfield which included the likes of Conor Hourihane and Josh Onomah.

City were Villa’s first away point, after enduring a 3-0 battering at Cardiff and a poor 2-1 defeat at Reading.

Bruce’s negative approach to games, in particular away from home, in my opinion handicaps his attacking players.

Scott Hogan, who Villa splashed £15m on in January, has scored just one Championship goal since his arrival from Brentford and he often finds himself on the bench.

I don’t think it’s a question of whether Hogan is good enough for Villa, due to his success at Brentford, but the fact Bruce’s defensive style hinders his ability to impact games.

Not only Hogan, but experienced Championship players such as Albert Adomah and Henri Lansbury have struggled under Bruce despite being successful at their previous clubs.

A recurring theme, it seems.

Villa should definitely look towards appointing a manager who adopts an attacking style of football.

One to excite their loyal fans again, and to most importantly get the best out of the attacking prowess they possess.

For me, the best man for the job is Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

Jokanovic led Watford to automatic promotion in 2015 in his first season in English football, as well as guiding Fulham to the play off semi-finals last season.

Rumours have been rumbling over the summer that Jokanovic is unhappy at Fulham, so it could be worth a go to attempt to prize the Serbian to Villa park.

 

 

 

[Eastie]

4 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/its-time-for-aston-villa-to-sack-steve-bruce-and-appoint-this-man/

 

 

He's the one that I want - ooh ooh ooh  

[TrentVilla]

3 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/its-time-for-aston-villa-to-sack-steve-bruce-and-appoint-this-man/

 

 

This.

[Dave J]

11 hours ago, VillaCas said:

By the time he's up to speed (if ever) half the season will be gone and we will still not be in contention - then next season he's gone and we go again. A mistake to let Baker go

The Terry arguement may well rumble on - personally I think he will prove his worth over the course of the season but I honestly do not think Baker for all his efforts  and endeavour is not a top six player and certainly not a prem player imo 

[romavillan]

40 minutes ago, Dave J said:

The Terry arguement may well rumble on - personally I think he will prove his worth over the course of the season but I honestly do not think Baker for all his efforts  and endeavour is not a top six player and certainly not a prem player imo 

Time will tell, but as of right now, we were stronger with Baker than without IMO. In the future I think both Clark and Baker will prove to be far better than the amount of abuse they got whilst they were here might lead you to believe..

Baker is better than Samba or Elphick for me.

[AJ]

6 hours ago, lexicon said:

You can say that again! (budum tish)

 

Sorry.

 

Anyway, realistic best case scenario for me is that Bruce pulls it together. Otherwise, it'd more than likely be a case of distraction, disruption and probably end up with us staying in the league for another year. 

Oh dammit. Me stoopid intynet went all fartsy again.

Yes, I agree.

[Zatman]

couldnt disagree with that article at all. Bruce has had nearly 40 games in charge including the mythical pre-season and 2 transfer windows and still doesnt know his best line-up

Club has to bite the bullet now. He has probably managed same amount of games for the club than McLeish and football is just as bad (at least in McLeish defence we were cost-cutting and hit an injury crisis neither which Bruce has had)

[Lord Willard]

Reading the comments at the end of that article. Most think it's madness and a stupid article.

Either way I've tweeted to Doc saying it's a good little read. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

14 minutes ago, Lord Willard said:

Reading the comments at the end of that article. Most think it's madness and a stupid article.

Either way I've tweeted to Doc saying it's a good little read. 

As did I . lol

[TrentVilla]

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

couldnt disagree with that article at all. Bruce has had nearly 40 games in charge including the mythical pre-season and 2 transfer windows and still doesnt know his best line-up

Club has to bite the bullet now. He has probably managed same amount of games for the club than McLeish and football is just as bad (at least in McLeish defence we were cost-cutting and hit an injury crisis neither which Bruce has had)

As much as I'm critical of Bruce I don't think his football is even remotely close to being as negative as McLeish, that really was something else.

[Heretic]

17 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

As much as I'm critical of Bruce I don't think his football is even remotely close to being as negative as McLeish, that really was something else.

In absolute terms, you're right Trent.

Worth remembering that AML was trying to keep a ramshackle squad in the Prem.

In relative terms, it probably is. SB has had it so much easier. We are 'Champions League' in the Championship and some of the SB setups remind me of the mission AML was on.

To be fair. AML was snookered. SB really has no excuse. I don't know if you agree, but some of the defending I saw last year from some opponents was shocking, and not just at the bottom. This squad of players should be picking up all the points against these kind of teams.

[villan_007]

Love how Hogans price goes up with every Bruce rant. Next week he'll have cost 20mill

[TrentVilla]

16 minutes ago, villan_007 said:

Love how Hogans price goes up with every Bruce rant. Next week he'll have cost 20mill

Does it? Can't say I've really seen that, in fact most criticism I've seen of Bruce in relation to Hogan isn't about what he cost but Bruce's absolute inability to play to his strengths or get the best out of him.

[villan_007]

9 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

Does it? Can't say I've really seen that, in fact most criticism I've seen of Bruce in relation to Hogan isn't about what he cost but Bruce's absolute inability to play to his strengths or get the best out of him.

Yep - within that criticism. It's gone from 9mill, 12mill, 14mill and then 15mill in the article above. I agree with the criticism by the way.