Re: The Steve Bruce thread

[Dazzle]

@TheUtterer

Mccormack and Hourihane were also captains of their respective sides. Also, Huddersfield brought in a lot of new players themselves in the summer so why haven't they struggled too? The players and the two managers we've had have badly underperformed. That is just the fact of the matter.

Wagner was my preferred choice to replace RDM. He clearly has a "style", he was young and had gotten very good results relatively quickly. He seemed to tick all the boxes that Villa had claimed they were looking for except experience..............and that depends on how you want to define experience in this instance. He's still keeping Huddersfield churning out wins now, so we can't really pop him in the category of early season flash in the pan.
However we have Bruce now and I'd think we have to give him until at least around November time to see how we might have progressed. The only thing likely to hasten that date would be either relegation this season or a catastrophically bad start to next season similar to RDMs this campaign. I'm just going to sit back now and see how it unfolds for the rest of the season. Hopefully we stay up.

[De Kuip]

I think it's a bit of one and a lot of another - possibly there's a lot of strong characters and when things aren't going right everyone of them will have an opinion on how to fix it, and those may differ. But for me far and away is the turnover of players - and this in itself would be difficult, but for even those that are more regular starters, there's now a wholesale shift in formation and tactics, so no-one is settled.
Add to that the expectation of a club our size, add to that how broken we've been and without being paranoid, add to that both how incentivised other teams are in getting our scalp, plus I believe we've had some rotten luck with some goals conceded/some we might have scored.
I don't want us to become a laughing stock because we keep changing managers, but I REALLY don't want to be a laughing stock because we're getting relegated. It's that balance of when to stick or twist that is the challenge. Let's hope we start winning Tuesday and keep winning, then we can move on from this bewilderingly low point.

[big ming]

I think we are missing Jedinak in the defensive midfield position. He never caught the eye much but he broke up a lot of opposition attacks and set us on the counter.
A comparison would be Leicester City without Kante, even though he was more box to box. Wonder if Gardiner could play the Jedinak role.

[achilles]

I think too much emphasis is put on this gelling business, if you have a settled system of playing then I don't think it is an issue. Unfortunately we haven't as Bruce has changed it all around to accommodate the new signings which I think is the problem and has caused us to look even worse if that is possible than before. As an example Plymouth had four debutants on Saturday against their local rivals Exeter and won comfortable 3 - 0, other teams make it work as well.
Also I am certain everyone would agree that on paper most managers in the championship would give their high teeth for our squad, it is the best we have had for ages but they cannot keep on meeting up just on match days!

[Trotters]

Superb thread. And nice research there,@De Kuip. BLIMEY!

The Utterer has asked if its a case of too many cooks. But that's ON the pitch. Given DK's stats, I'm not sure the cooks even know where their station is let alone what they're supposed to be cooking.

I'd ask the same question but aim it a what's going on AWAY from the pitch. We have a chairman who is all things to all people, a CEO that's still a bit of a mystery, a DoF that from what I can see is a bullshit artist (I've seen nothing to indicate that we have a style or a way of playing and (again)@De Kuip's stats would tend to back that up.

Clearly there's a coaching issue as w have a whole heap of players that were in form a few weeks ago but now cannot do the basics.

I apologise as I forget who it was that brought it up (maybe @4BetLite) but it was suggested that maybe the players we've brought in weren't Bruce's choices. If that is the case then I'm sure he'd have been made aware of it before he signed (unlike the siuation with Remi Garde). And the players we have should win this league by a record margin.

Throwing them on in ether right playing positions should certainly be enough to win games even if it's not overly pretty until they get to know each other so the only reason we're failing is down to what Bruce and his coaching team are instructing.

I also read on Twitter that Bruce now has a lower win ratio than Sherwood after playing a similar amount of games. Sherwood, as we know, had a shit team in the top flight without £££'s to spend whereas Bruce has is managing a team based on record spends. So I'm not sure where any sympathy comes from, if I'm honest. Ok, he inherited players that he maybe wouldn't have bought himself but RDM got some very decent players in. It was an unbalanced team, for sure, but the players were quality.

The only real excuse Bruce has is if he's being undermined by the chairman or CEO and I don't think that's happening. If he's being told to play 5-3-2 hoof all by the DoF then I think he'd walk. The coaching is pretty obviously shit and that's certainly within Bruce's control.

So it has to be the pressure of expectation. He said all the right things at the start, had us grinding out results but then instead of starting to develop a style like Houllier was, it's all just fallen to shit.

For me it's the perfect time to be interviewing for a manager that will be able to take us forward. Let's face it, even if Bruce manages to get us up (oo-er) next season, is he going to have a major effect in the premier league? Nah.

[achilles]

Looking at it objectively we are actually worse this season than last season, as we are now languishing in the championship fighting for survival, that is not progress however you might want to dress it up!
The end of the season is the absolute maximum amount of time I would give Bruce to turn this around and get us playing as a team with results to match!

[DelboyVilla]

I was happy with Bruce's appointment mainly due to his record of getting out of this league and the fact he had done it last year. What I forgot to look at was that he had actually taken the teams down each time. Hey ho though I thought his reputation for shite boring football is there but as long as we got to the Premier League who cares was my attitude?

I think what has happened is he has come in done OK then realized what a big club we are especially after the January window? I don't think he has ever had a pretty unlimited budget because of the shitty little sides he has managed before and I think it is now showing?

Look at Liverpool? Henderson their captain called a players meeting after a run of bad results t clear the air all without Klopp and then they play well and beat Spurs? Maybe we need a senior player to do the same with us?

[Dions_Bald_Head]

Interesting that Tony is calling for patience (for the fair reason to stop the culture of constant change) but was so quick to get rid of RDM - I wonder if he's changed his stance, been advised differently or whether he sees something different in Bruce?

[Trotters]

But he gave RDM a vote of confidence not long before he gave him the arse. I do think he'll stick with Bruce though. Unless the next 4 or 5 games are total failures.

[4BetLite]

This has nothing to do with our managerial issues but I really like Kirsty Gallagher.

[deadbuzzardalive]

Xia has also said that with each loss we lose vitality, and he hasn't actually directly spoken on Bruce's position. I think they'd like to leave it until the end of the season before making a decision, especially as there will probably be more choices to replace him then. But if we were to go another three or four games without a win then I wouldn't be surprised if he was gone sooner.

[4BetLite]

Bruce normally looks away and covers his eyes when his team is taking a penalty and it almost always works (nice little job for astonthriller stat man), I wonder if we could persuade him to try doing this for the whole of the Barnsley game, worth a try imo!

[jeffvilla]

I too like Kirsty Gallagher,  

Change the manager is the cry, its about time the well heeled player took  a bit of responsibility, some of the mistake are shocking, I am not talking about the Ipswich game but generally.  Kodja  great player but ffs stop trying to beat the whole team and pass the fricking ball. Also just a suggestion instead of trying to do an overhead kick demonstrating how a good a player you are just head the fricking ball into the net.
I was talking to a steward before the match and he said that Ipswich were having a bad run of form, I jokily replied that coming to villa park will sort that out for them. I will keep my mouth well and truly shut on Tuesday.

[achilles]

I too like Kirsty Gallagher,  

Change the manager is the cry, its about time the well heeled player took  a bit of responsibility, some of the mistake are shocking, I am not talking about the Ipswich game but generally.  Kodja  great player but ffs stop trying to beat the whole team and pass the fricking ball. Also just a suggestion instead of trying to do an overhead kick demonstrating how a good a player you are just head the fricking ball into the net.
I was talking to a steward before the match and he said that Ipswich were having a bad run of form, I jokily replied that coming to villa park will sort that out for them. I will keep my mouth well and truly shut on Tuesday.

Ah I had forgotten that, they didn't show it on the lowlights, I laughed when Kodjia did that as it was so ridiculous it was farcical, two yards out and instead of just heading it into the goal he tried an outrageous scissors kick!

[Cha Ching]

I thought 2016 when we got relegated was our annus horribilus but at least we won a few games last year.

[Boldfinger]

am i right in saying that Swansea are on their 3rd manager this season? and have now actually got it right.
while im not saying get rid of Bruce i am also not saying we should stick with him because we have changed one manager already.
football is a results driven industry and if results dont change for the better then Bruce should be worried.

[Guest]

Xia has also said that with each loss we lose vitality, and he hasn't actually directly spoken on Bruce's position. I think they'd like to leave it until the end of the season before making a decision, especially as there will probably be more choices to replace him then. But if we were to go another three or four games without a win then I wouldn't be surprised if he was gone sooner.

Bringing in another manager is exactly the sort of thinking that's why we are close to being a league one team. I just can't see anything improving with another manager. What we need is time.

[deadbuzzardalive]

We're in danger of slipping into a relegation battle but I would not call that close to being a league one side. That's like saying Bournemouth are close to being a championship side.

As I've said many times already the reason we're doing so poorly is not because, we've sacked managers, it's because we've hired the wrong ones in the first place. Just giving someone more time doesn't mean they'll magically turn into the right person for the job one day. If it was that easy everyone would be doing it, and no one would ever get sacked.

The club needs to ignore what's been done with previous managers, and make a decision on Bruce based soley on his performances with the team.

I really hope he can turn things around starting tonight, but we'll see.

[deadbuzzardalive]

Please replace him, but not with yet another dinosaur manager. It's a cliche but this club really needs a progressive forward thinking manager. I hope Round has been doing his research.

[4BetLite]

I was anti bruce before he came but have stuck by him till recently. He was never the longterm solution but I can see the reasoning behind getting him in and straight away he steadied the ship and was putting points on the board all be it in a ugly fashion.

Times up though now sunshine, I honestly think he will not fancy the Newcastle game that much that he will walk, he will not wait for the inevitable.

[Dions_Bald_Head]

This downward spiral will certainly test Tony''s definition of the "stability" in his tweet.

[De Kuip]

I'm going to say this in the most measured and sensible way I can.
SACK THE C.U. N.T.

SACK HIM NOOOOWWWW

SACK SACK SACKITY FUCKING SACK

JUST FUCK OFF.

THE NOSES MUST BE PISSING THEMSELVES AT AGENT BRUCE''S SUCCESS.

FUCK. OFF. NOW. YOU. USELESS. FUCKING.  C.U.N.T

I know that was childish but i swear I feel slightly less suicidal than I did an hour ago.

[Cha Ching]

We're between a rock and hard place. If we sack him there's no guarantee that a new manager will knock a tune out of this lot and there's even less stability. On the other hand, 7 defeats in 8 says it's probably worth it.

[Thinman]

We're in freefall. There is little possibility of winning a match in the near future with the current coaching set up.

Make no change and relegation will move from being a possibility to a probability to an inevitability to a done deal.

I don't see we have an option and it pains me to say that. I really thought Bruce could do it. Now I know he can't.

[Boldfinger]

we are a club on the edge of imploding.

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