Popular Post Don_Simon Posted May 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted May 17, 2018 Having been to the game on Tuesday night and experiencing perhaps the best atmosphere at Villa Park in many a year, it was clear to me that the fans are completely behind this team. Since said Tuesday night I've spent an unhealthy amount of time watching videos and gifs of the players / fans / owner and coaches from the match. Its becoming increasingly clear that its not just the fans. The team spirit and togetherness in the club is absolutely brilliant. This, below, as an example. They all just seem to want it so badly. Talent and ability will take a team so far, but this spirit might just be what clinches it for us. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Let's just hope this side gets the job done unlike the last time we were at Wembley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Was meaning to post this in the Grealish thread but the quote from Steve Bruce shows more generally just how bad things have been for the past few years: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/15/jack-grealish-found-focus-aston-villa-steve-bruce Quote Bruce...believes Grealish was damaged by a Villa dressing-room culture now erased by his introduction of high-calibre senior professionals including John Terry, Robert Snodgrass and Jedinak. “It wasn’t just on the pitch that I needed John Terry,” Bruce said. “It was to deal with a dressing room that had been toxic for years. It was important Jack Grealish could see a top pro like Terry and think: ‘This is how you do it.’ By the time Jack was 21 he had had seven different managers all telling him different bullshit. He needed stability and focus.” 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 There's no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of the home fans on Tuesday night were well and truly behind the team AND the Manager. The noise against Bruce seems to be confined to the virtual world. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Stevo985 Posted May 17, 2018 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted May 17, 2018 The team spirit is Bruce's greatest achievement so far. And that's something money can't buy you. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 2 hours ago, briny_ear said: Was meaning to post this in the Grealish thread but the quote from Steve Bruce shows more generally just how bad things have been for the past few years: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/15/jack-grealish-found-focus-aston-villa-steve-bruce By the time Jack was 21 he had had seven different managers all telling him different bullshit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 I reckon this is the most 'together' Villa squad I can remember, certainly over the last 10 years. Obviously it's a lot easier to gauge now with twitbooks and the interwebs, but if this was a video game squad harmony would be maxed out. 10/10. Full green bar. I think it can be easily taken for granted how much morale can effect performance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 5 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said: There's no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of the home fans on Tuesday night were well and truly behind the team AND the Manager. The noise against Bruce seems to be confined to the virtual world. To be fair I think even the most die hard Anti Bruce people will have had that on hold for now. Everybody is behind them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted May 17, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted May 17, 2018 Yup it's great to see. I really hope we go up so we can keep a lot of this team together and add a bit of quality on top. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 58 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said: To be fair I think even the most die hard Anti Bruce people will have had that on hold for now. Everybody is behind them. Really? It's reduced but still ongoing, amazingly. The smugness that will come from some quarters should we lose in the final will be more intolerable than losing itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrusr Posted May 17, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted May 17, 2018 It is refreshing to see the team wanting to celebrate with the fans and I am not talking about fans on the pitch on Tuesday. I mean most home games they come over and celebrate and cheer on the holte end. Most, if not all, the players do that and it actually feels like they are proud to wear the shirt. It has been a LONG time since that has happened. Now 1 game away, hopefully they can carry it on. Here we are now, entertain us! Sorry, couldn't resist... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStagMan Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, bannedfromHandV said: Really? It's reduced but still ongoing, amazingly. The smugness that will come from some quarters should we lose in the final will be more intolerable than losing itself. Christ almighty. No. We are all behind the team at this crucial time. That does not mean we suddenly think Steve Bruce is the messiah, nor does it mean that we have forgotten about the poor performances and quality of the football that has occurred in the past, the decent football that has occurred has bought him more time, and potentially he may buy another season by getting us promoted. There are still very big question marks over his ability to lead us to where we want to go in the prem, and there are a number of us that will express them whilst we feel they are still there. Maybe he will fix them I hope so because that is good for Villa. Frankly comments about smugness are stupid. If we fail to get promoted EVERY VILLA FAN will be gutted. Smugness will not come into it I assure you. Edited May 17, 2018 by TheStagMan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, TheStagMan said: Christ almighty. No. We are all behind the team at this crucial time. That does not mean we suddenly think Steve Bruce is the messiah, nor does it mean that we have forgotten about the poor performances and quality of the football that has occurred in the past, the decent football that has occurred has bought him more time, and potentially he may buy another season by getting us promoted. There are still very big question marks over his ability to lead us to where we want to go in the prem, and there are a number of us that will express them whilst we feel they are still there. Frankly comments about smugness are stupid. If we fail to get promoted EVERY VILLA FAN will be gutted. Smugness will not come into it I assure you. As an attempt to demonstrate that the "anti-Bruce people" have stopped making noise against Steve Bruce, that was pretty comprehensively self-defeating. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam2003 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/may/17/liam-rosenior-released-brighton-bitter-pill Quote You’ve been great for us but we’re not prepared to renew your contract for next season.” The words I think every player fears and dreads, so when I heard them from my (now former) manager Chris Hughton, I felt a whole range of emotions. I’m at the stage in my career that I knew what might be coming but at the same time you can never prepare for it. I’ve been released and just like every player who has experienced the scenario there is no way to ready yourself. I just posted this in the Bruce thread but also relevant here - on club culture at Brighton. Agree with the original post and think this is moving in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStagMan Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, briny_ear said: As an attempt to demonstrate that the "anti-Bruce people" have stopped making noise against Steve Bruce, that was pretty comprehensively self-defeating. It was nothing of the sort. It was a response to another of your many snide comments. If you think that identifying concerns and weaknesses are self defeating then good for you. There are others who do look for weaknesses and try to address them, even when things are going well. Edited May 17, 2018 by TheStagMan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junxs Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 I have been against loan signings for as long as they have existed, but I have to say Robert Snodgrass has shown more passion and desire for a loan signing than anyone I can ever remember playing for any club. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted May 17, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted May 17, 2018 12 hours ago, Don_Simon said: Having been to the game on Tuesday night and experiencing perhaps the best atmosphere at Villa Park in many a year, it was clear to me that the fans are completely behind this team. Since said Tuesday night I've spent an unhealthy amount of time watching videos and gifs of the players / fans / owner and coaches from the match. Its becoming increasingly clear that its not just the fans. The team spirit and togetherness in the club is absolutely brilliant. This, below, as an example. They all just seem to want it so badly. Talent and ability will take a team so far, but this spirit might just be what clinches it for us. There is a real bromance going on between that pair and no mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 4 hours ago, TheStagMan said: It was nothing of the sort. It was a response to another of your many snide comments. If you think that identifying concerns and weaknesses are self defeating then good for you. There are others who do look for weaknesses and try to address them, even when things are going well. Just as a matter of fact, It certainly wasn’t a response to one of my comments. Scroll back up the page and have a look if you don’t believe me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danwichmann Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 I'm no fan of Bruce but he absolutely deserves huge credit for sorting out what was a toxic atmosphere and the clubs no.1 problem. If he leaves having only achieved that he'll have more than earned his pay and have been a successful appointment. I honestly thought the toxicity at the club would see us do a Sunderland but he has turned it around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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