Re: Next Aston Villa manager thread

[ember]

Apparently Jim White has just said he's spoken with Bruce this morning, and the meeting with the owners is going to be tomorrow, so we probably won't hear anything official until later tomorrow or Thursday...

I think if Bruce was staying they would have come out and squashed the rumours by now.  Be a major surprise if he stays now - but can see this dragging out until the weekend.

TBH, I think if Bruce was being retained he would have had a meeting with the owners by now telling him so. So I think it's now

[FoxyAV]

The friendly tomorrow is at Walsall.

[achilles]

Funnily enough I think you could easily read it another way (especially as it is the Daily Star), that Bruce is safe in his job as nothing has been said to the contrary.

All this has come about by Henry relinquishing his punditry role at Sky as he wants to concentrate on the football side of things and the Daily Star jumping the gun! Regarding the possibility of this actually being true, I have mixed feelings, as I would like Bruce gone and more positive football played but it is a gamble, although it might tempt Grealish to stay and work under Henry.

[Fpuppys]

Thierry will be the figure head on the new ship, the only problem is who will be the helms man (steve Bould)?

I for one am not scared off fixing something that's broke, Piss into the wind and hope the wind changes.

[AstonThriller]

It really does make me laugh how Villa fans have gotten so used to mediocrity that they are prepared to back a dinosaur who has failed twice at his job. "Stability", they say, "club was in a mess", they say, "we had a great season last year", they say, but the fact of the matter is WE ARE STILL IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, FULL STOP. When he first came in we were in a false position and everyone knew it. We should have easily six out of those first eleven games of RDM, and he came in talking about it being the best squad he'd ever worked with. Then we go within three points of the playoff spots and he couldn't get the job done. He then talks about "saving the club from relegation" which was utter bollox.

The second season arrives and we've got the most expensive, experienced squad the championship has ever seen. Internationals all over the place, guys who have played in the champions league and at world cups etc, and whilst Cardiff's bunch of nobodies storm the league, all he could say is "we'll be there or there abouts". Every game where we had an opportunity to stake a claim for the top two spots we failed. And then when it really mattered in the playoff finals WE FAILED AGAINST TEN MEN.

He's never gonna change his way no matter what system he tries to play. He's stuck in his ways and if he doesn't go now he'll be gone before Xmas anyway so why bother wasting time? Let's give Thierry as much time as possible to implement his philosophy and sign the players he wants. Because appointing someone like him is not just about this season, it's about creating a culture that could move this club forward for the next ten or more years.

[smetro]

Hmmmm this might not be the done deal we have been lead to believe. Bruce will start the season but could get the push as early as 4 games in - Thats why Henry has been sounded out - and it may still happen , but not on the timescales suggested - Bruce will get to start the season.

[AstonThriller]

Hmmmm this might not be the done deal we have been lead to believe. Bruce will start the season but could get the push as early as 4 games in - Thats why Henry has been sounded out - and it may still happen , but not on the timescales suggested -  Bruce will get to start the season.

LOL that may be what you're WISHING, but we'll see. I don't think the rumours would be this big if they intend to give Bruce time. The club could have easily leaked word to the papers that they intend to stick with Bruce, but that hasn't happened at all. Infact, most of the papers seem to think that he's toast.

[smetro]

Hmmmm this might not be the done deal we have been lead to believe. Bruce will start the season but could get the push as early as 4 games in - Thats why Henry has been sounded out - and it may still happen , but not on the timescales suggested -  Bruce will get to start the season.

LOL that may be what you're WISHING, but we'll see. I don't think the rumours would be this big if they intend to give Bruce time. The club could have easily leaked word to the papers that they intend to stick with Bruce, but that hasn't happened at all. Infact, most of the papers seem to think that he's toast.

That was what Alan Nixon tweeted last night. Yes there have been discussions with Henry - but no salary or transfer budget has been mentioned. He also reckons FFP could keep Bruce in place.

[deadbuzzardalive]

It would be a strange to wait for a match day to sack him, when they could have just done so yesterday, only possible explanation is that they want to wait until they can do it in person. I think there's a strong possibility that come this evening he will be the dug-out against West Ham.

[achilles]

If this meeting happens today then I think we will get a statement one way or another.

My guess at the moment is that he will stay for the start of the season but if we aren't in the top three after 10 games or even if we start the season badly, he will go, not ideal but that is my view.

[Dazzle]

I hope Villa do the decent and right thing by allowing Steve Bruce to remain as manager until at least until October, and if sitting in the front runners then remain in post. Now is not the time for further upheaval if the club have any aspirations of promotion for this season, which the new owners surely have. We ended last season with the players fully behind the manager and the squad galvanised. We need a continuation and improvement of that, if we don’t see it in the first 6-8 games then change things, fair enough. It would be near lunacy to rip things up now with the season start upon us. A fast start can be pivotal in this league, and I remind people of the club that beat us in the playoffs when they stuck together after playoff pain last season. A bit of loyalty and continuity can go a long way.

[DelboyVilla]

I hope Villa do the decent and right thing by allowing Steve Bruce to remain as manager until at least until October, and if sitting in the front runners then remain in post. Now is not the time for further upheaval if the club have any aspirations of promotion for this season, which the new owners surely have. We ended last season with the players fully behind the manager and the squad galvanised. We need a continuation and improvement of that, if we don’t see it in the first 6-8 games then change things, fair enough. It would be near lunacy to rip things up now with the season start upon us. A fast start can be pivotal in this league, and I remind people of the club that beat us in the playoffs when they stuck together after playoff pain last season. A bit of loyalty and continuity can go a long way.

Trouble is half those players are gone or going?

Plus Bruce failed because with the squad he had he 100% should have got automatic promotion but each time we got in position for a push we fluffed it and that is Bruce's responsibility!

IMO take the risk, sack him appoint Henry (if that is their choice) and let's move forward without Bruce's negative attitude! Replacing him 10 games in is a major problem at least now we can get in some loans that the new manager wants!

[Dazzle]

I hope Villa do the decent and right thing by allowing Steve Bruce to remain as manager until at least until October, and if sitting in the front runners then remain in post. Now is not the time for further upheaval if the club have any aspirations of promotion for this season, which the new owners surely have. We ended last season with the players fully behind the manager and the squad galvanised. We need a continuation and improvement of that, if we don’t see it in the first 6-8 games then change things, fair enough. It would be near lunacy to rip things up now with the season start upon us. A fast start can be pivotal in this league, and I remind people of the club that beat us in the playoffs when they stuck together after playoff pain last season. A bit of loyalty and continuity can go a long way.

Trouble is half those players are gone or going?

Plus Bruce failed because with the squad he had he 100% should have got automatic promotion but each time we got in position for a push we fluffed it and that is Bruce's responsibility!

IMO take the risk, sack him appoint Henry (if that is their choice) and let's move forward without Bruce's negative attitude! Replacing him 10 games in is a major problem at least now we can get in some loans that the new manager wants!

Who’s to say Bruce doesn’t have further loans lined up? He was the man who got Snodgrass, Tuanzebe, Grabban through the door. He was the man who stated he wanted to build a side around Grealish, and I think we nearly all agree that had we have had Grealish from the start of the season we would have achieved promotion. Yes he made his mistakes, as all managers do, and I have wanted him gone at various times and, in fact, didn’t want him at all when the job was vacant. But now is not the time to get rid. If the owners have the savvy they will see how he gets on after a few games, give him enough rope to hang himself or to prove people wrong. Whichever they choose they come out looking the better for it doing it that way. Let’s get some players in (it might even be a Snodgrass on loan again, tuanzebe etc) and hit the ground running with a settled squad.

[smetro]

I don't know how true it is but Henry is currently in Ibiza at Cesc Fabragas very extravagant wedding. Doesn't mean he can still be named as our manager in the next couple of days. But its starting to look like the whole story was a load of bollox.

[smetro]

If this meeting happens today then I think we will get a statement one way or another.

My guess at the moment is that he will stay for the start of the season but if we aren't in the top three after 10 games or even if we start the season badly, he will go, not ideal but that is my view.

Thats my view as well - Think Henry will become our manager - but in weeks not days

[FoxyAV]

I hope Villa do the decent and right thing by allowing Steve Bruce to remain as manager until at least until October, and if sitting in the front runners then remain in post. Now is not the time for further upheaval if the club have any aspirations of promotion for this season, which the new owners surely have. We ended last season with the players fully behind the manager and the squad galvanised. We need a continuation and improvement of that, if we don’t see it in the first 6-8 games then change things, fair enough. It would be near lunacy to rip things up now with the season start upon us. A fast start can be pivotal in this league, and I remind people of the club that beat us in the playoffs when they stuck together after playoff pain last season. A bit of loyalty and continuity can go a long way.

Trouble is half those players are gone or going?

Plus Bruce failed because with the squad he had he 100% should have got automatic promotion but each time we got in position for a push we fluffed it and that is Bruce's responsibility!

IMO take the risk, sack him appoint Henry (if that is their choice) and let's move forward without Bruce's negative attitude! Replacing him 10 games in is a major problem at least now we can get in some loans that the new manager wants!

Who’s to say Bruce doesn’t have further loans lined up? He was the man who got Snodgrass, Tuanzebe, Grabban through the door. He was the man who stated he wanted to build a side around Grealish, and I think we nearly all agree that had we have had Grealish from the start of the season we would have achieved promotion. Yes he made his mistakes, as all managers do, and I have wanted him gone at various times and, in fact, didn’t want him at all when the job was vacant. But now is not the time to get rid. If the owners have the savvy they will see how he gets on after a few games, give him enough rope to hang himself or to prove people wrong. Whichever they choose they come out looking the better for it doing it that way. Let’s get some players in (it might even be a Snodgrass on loan again, tuanzebe etc) and hit the ground running with a settled squad.

And he also brought in a bunch of players he failed to assimilate into the squad or play correctly (or even play at all) - Hogan, Hourihane and Lansbury, then brought in Whelan when we really didn't need him, played Onomah out of position (and failed to get him playing properly at all apart from two or three matches), broke up our solid defence by bringing in Terry and pushing out Baker and bringing in Elmo when we already had De Laet, Hutton and Bree. Overall Bruce's quality of loanee and purchases has looked good but he's failed to make most of them work, Snodgrass, Johnstone and Grabban being exceptions (and Tuanzebe looked like he had huge potential when we did play him). How many goals did our strikers score in the first half of last season? Something like five between them.

Bruce might be the nicest man in the world and he has the press on his side but he's failed to get us promoted twice with a superb set of players. Grealish and Kodjia were a huge loss but we had a lot of very good players to choose from last season including two attacking midfielders and a striker Bruce had personally approved and bought in. The basic errors persisted. Players found their positions through chance and injury (see Hourihane and Adomah). Hogan and Grabban can't deal with receiving hoofed balls up front on their own, isolated. Kodjia can, and can hold up the ball for the midfield to arrive from their defensive positions, which seems to be Bruce's favoured way of attack. We had a nice season of hoofball and when we made it to the final I knew we had a chance if Thor was at DM and Kodjia up front, but not if we immobilised our midfield and went defensive with Jedi or Whelan and had Grabban up front. And thus it was so, we went defensive, played to Grabban's weakness rather than (one of) Kodjia's strengths, conceded a goal (from a youth player Bruce had previously failed to play at Hull, I think - a very sweet ending) and failed in attack despite Grealish's best efforts. That Fulham goal went right past Terry - have a look at a replay, he stands there and watches the player go past him. Another sweet ending. Bruce lost us that match (and for that matter automatic promotion) and should not be given another chance.

[Dazzle]

I hope Villa do the decent and right thing by allowing Steve Bruce to remain as manager until at least until October, and if sitting in the front runners then remain in post. Now is not the time for further upheaval if the club have any aspirations of promotion for this season, which the new owners surely have. We ended last season with the players fully behind the manager and the squad galvanised. We need a continuation and improvement of that, if we don’t see it in the first 6-8 games then change things, fair enough. It would be near lunacy to rip things up now with the season start upon us. A fast start can be pivotal in this league, and I remind people of the club that beat us in the playoffs when they stuck together after playoff pain last season. A bit of loyalty and continuity can go a long way.

Trouble is half those players are gone or going?

Plus Bruce failed because with the squad he had he 100% should have got automatic promotion but each time we got in position for a push we fluffed it and that is Bruce's responsibility!

IMO take the risk, sack him appoint Henry (if that is their choice) and let's move forward without Bruce's negative attitude! Replacing him 10 games in is a major problem at least now we can get in some loans that the new manager wants!

Who’s to say Bruce doesn’t have further loans lined up? He was the man who got Snodgrass, Tuanzebe, Grabban through the door. He was the man who stated he wanted to build a side around Grealish, and I think we nearly all agree that had we have had Grealish from the start of the season we would have achieved promotion. Yes he made his mistakes, as all managers do, and I have wanted him gone at various times and, in fact, didn’t want him at all when the job was vacant. But now is not the time to get rid. If the owners have the savvy they will see how he gets on after a few games, give him enough rope to hang himself or to prove people wrong. Whichever they choose they come out looking the better for it doing it that way. Let’s get some players in (it might even be a Snodgrass on loan again, tuanzebe etc) and hit the ground running with a settled squad.

And he also brought in a bunch of players he failed to assimilate into the squad or play correctly (or even play at all) - Hogan, Hourihane and Lansbury, then brought in Whelan when we really didn't need him, played Onomah out of position (and failed to get him playing properly at all apart from two or three matches), broke up our solid defence by bringing in Terry and pushing out Baker and bringing in Elmo when we already had De Laet, Hutton and Bree. Overall Bruce's quality of loanee and purchases has looked good but he's failed to make most of them work, Snodgrass, Johnstone and Grabban being exceptions (and Tuanzebe looked like he had huge potential when we did play him). How many goals did our strikers score in the first half of last season? Something like five between them.

Bruce might be the nicest man in the world and he has the press on his side but he's failed to get us promoted twice with a superb set of players. Grealish and Kodjia were a huge loss but we had a lot of very good players to choose from last season including two attacking midfielders and a striker Bruce had personally approved and bought in. The basic errors persisted. Players found their positions through chance and injury (see Hourihane and Adomah). Hogan and Grabban can't deal with receiving hoofed balls up front on their own, isolated. Kodjia can, and can hold up the ball for the midfield to arrive from their defensive positions, which seems to be Bruce's favoured way of attack. We had a nice season of hoofball and when we made it to the final I knew we had a chance if Thor was at DM and Kodjia up front, but not if we immobilised our midfield and went defensive with Jedi or Whelan and had Grabban up front. And thus it was so, we went defensive, played to Grabban's weakness rather than (one of) Kodjia's strengths, conceded a goal (from a youth player Bruce had previously failed to play at Hull, I think - a very sweet ending) and failed in attack despite Grealish's best efforts. That Fulham goal went right past Terry - have a look at a replay, he stands there and watches the player go past him. Another sweet ending. Bruce lost us that match (and for that matter automatic promotion) and should not be given another chance.

Take Neves and Calvaleiro out of the Wolves 11 last season, or Sessegnon and Cairney out of the Fulham 11, or Hoillet and Zohore out of the Cardiff 11. What does that do their prospects last season? Throw into that anyone of the managers losing both parents in close proximity and does that further enhance on hinder their promotion prospects? You need to get real and admit there were contributory factors in play that hindered our progress, aside from Bruce and his admitted mistakes

[deadbuzzardalive]

The Henry rumors actually started about a week ago, after some initial speculation, the consensus seemed to be that they had come from an article about John Terry taking over Henry's job at sky, that had been badly mistranslated... Then the takeover happened, and the likes of Nursey and Moxley repeated Henry story, and it all seems to have spiraled from there.

[FoxyAV]

I hope Villa do the decent and right thing by allowing Steve Bruce to remain as manager until at least until October, and if sitting in the front runners then remain in post. Now is not the time for further upheaval if the club have any aspirations of promotion for this season, which the new owners surely have. We ended last season with the players fully behind the manager and the squad galvanised. We need a continuation and improvement of that, if we don’t see it in the first 6-8 games then change things, fair enough. It would be near lunacy to rip things up now with the season start upon us. A fast start can be pivotal in this league, and I remind people of the club that beat us in the playoffs when they stuck together after playoff pain last season. A bit of loyalty and continuity can go a long way.

Trouble is half those players are gone or going?

Plus Bruce failed because with the squad he had he 100% should have got automatic promotion but each time we got in position for a push we fluffed it and that is Bruce's responsibility!

IMO take the risk, sack him appoint Henry (if that is their choice) and let's move forward without Bruce's negative attitude! Replacing him 10 games in is a major problem at least now we can get in some loans that the new manager wants!

Who’s to say Bruce doesn’t have further loans lined up? He was the man who got Snodgrass, Tuanzebe, Grabban through the door. He was the man who stated he wanted to build a side around Grealish, and I think we nearly all agree that had we have had Grealish from the start of the season we would have achieved promotion. Yes he made his mistakes, as all managers do, and I have wanted him gone at various times and, in fact, didn’t want him at all when the job was vacant. But now is not the time to get rid. If the owners have the savvy they will see how he gets on after a few games, give him enough rope to hang himself or to prove people wrong. Whichever they choose they come out looking the better for it doing it that way. Let’s get some players in (it might even be a Snodgrass on loan again, tuanzebe etc) and hit the ground running with a settled squad.

And he also brought in a bunch of players he failed to assimilate into the squad or play correctly (or even play at all) - Hogan, Hourihane and Lansbury, then brought in Whelan when we really didn't need him, played Onomah out of position (and failed to get him playing properly at all apart from two or three matches), broke up our solid defence by bringing in Terry and pushing out Baker and bringing in Elmo when we already had De Laet, Hutton and Bree. Overall Bruce's quality of loanee and purchases has looked good but he's failed to make most of them work, Snodgrass, Johnstone and Grabban being exceptions (and Tuanzebe looked like he had huge potential when we did play him). How many goals did our strikers score in the first half of last season? Something like five between them.

Bruce might be the nicest man in the world and he has the press on his side but he's failed to get us promoted twice with a superb set of players. Grealish and Kodjia were a huge loss but we had a lot of very good players to choose from last season including two attacking midfielders and a striker Bruce had personally approved and bought in. The basic errors persisted. Players found their positions through chance and injury (see Hourihane and Adomah). Hogan and Grabban can't deal with receiving hoofed balls up front on their own, isolated. Kodjia can, and can hold up the ball for the midfield to arrive from their defensive positions, which seems to be Bruce's favoured way of attack. We had a nice season of hoofball and when we made it to the final I knew we had a chance if Thor was at DM and Kodjia up front, but not if we immobilised our midfield and went defensive with Jedi or Whelan and had Grabban up front. And thus it was so, we went defensive, played to Grabban's weakness rather than (one of) Kodjia's strengths, conceded a goal (from a youth player Bruce had previously failed to play at Hull, I think - a very sweet ending) and failed in attack despite Grealish's best efforts. That Fulham goal went right past Terry - have a look at a replay, he stands there and watches the player go past him. Another sweet ending. Bruce lost us that match (and for that matter automatic promotion) and should not be given another chance.

Take Neves and Calvaleiro out of the Wolves 11 last season, or Sessegnon and Cairney out of the Fulham 11, or Hoillet and Zohore out of the Cardiff 11. What does that do their prospects last season? Throw into that anyone of the managers losing both parents in close proximity and does that further enhance on hinder their promotion prospects? You need to get real and admit there were contributory factors in play that hindered our progress, aside from Bruce and his admitted mistakes

I mentioned his parents dying in a previous post. I don't have to get real and admit anything. We lost our best striker and best midfielder and yet we had a load of other players to take their places, Bruce simply did not adapt (like he didn't adapt to a game playing out differently to how he planned). Bruce failed to get strikers firing last season and he weakened our defence by bringing in Terry. In particular he failed to get the striker he bought working or make peace with the striker he exiled. Grabban was a very good loan and not played to his strengths either. The squad wasn't rotated (see post-Wolves). Bruce blamed the players for not doing what he told them to do. Bruce was the difference between automatic promotion and fourth.

[Jae1411]

Let's not kid ourselves that Bruce got all the players in though his magnetism. He's a nice guy yes but hogan was last minute when it became clear west ham weren't having him and Brentford needed to sell. Grabban was offered to us last minute same reasons, we didn't chase him. Tuanzebe was orchestrated by mourinho not villa. And hourihane lansbury bree we just picked the best performing players in the championship at the time and chucked money at them

[deadbuzzardalive]

Sawiris and Edens have been and gone. People are saying that if Bruce is in charge tonight then it means he's staying next season, but he could have agreed to manage one last game I suppose, a chance to say goodbye, before leaving tomorrow, or maybe that's wishful thinking.

[achilles]

Sawiris and Edens have been and gone. People are saying that if Bruce is in charge tonight then it means he's staying next season, but he could have agreed to manage one last game I suppose, a chance to say goodbye, before leaving tomorrow, or maybe that's wishful thinking.

Think without a statement and them flying back out the country it is business as usual, although we definitely need a CEO (and not the useless Dr)!

[deadbuzzardalive]

He's staying as confirmed by the club's official website.

[Fpuppys]

Sawiris and Edens have been and gone. People are saying that if Bruce is in charge tonight then it means he's staying next season, but he could have agreed to manage one last game I suppose, a chance to say goodbye, before leaving tomorrow, or maybe that's wishful thinking.

Think without a statement and them flying back out the country it is business as usual, although we definitely need a CEO (and not the useless Dr)!

I believe they will be at the game tonight, Bruce has travelled to the game separate to the team.

[deadbuzzardalive]

Official statement

'Aston Villa can confirm manager Steve Bruce has met majority owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens and will continue as manager with their full support.'

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