Re: The Steve Bruce thread

[mefromhere]

Am I right in thinking we've not won since Calderwood came in? Before then Bruce had us playing in promotion form!

I'm not saying that he's blame free because anybody who says "I want to play two up front" and then spends moths with only one up front is completely stupid but something is wrong at BMH and it coincides with CC

[AstonThriller]

Am I right in thinking we've not won since Calderwood came in? Before then Bruce had us playing in promotion form!

I'm not saying that he's blame free because anybody who says "I want to play two up front" and then spends moths with only one up front is completely stupid but something is wrong at BMH and it coincides with CC

We've won four games with Calderwood here.

Cardiff
Wigan
Qpr
Burton

Which is actually MORE than what we won with Bruce/Clemence as they only won three together.

[Wriggle]

We just don't look like a team, and sadly that doesn't look like changing. If there was glimmers of it then there would be hope, but there isn't even that, all we do is hoof the ball and that's depressing...

[Trotters]

I've been wondering if Xia's stance on stability is part of the problem. In fact I'm utterly convinced by it now.

There should be very little stability at the club and by that I mean it should be treated like a high-performance centre; perform or get the fuck out! Sticking with a formula that isn't working, sticking with coaches who clearly can't get the players doing the basics (like scoring after 44 shot on goal), sticking with a manager that cannot even figure out what formation to play having all week to work on it at BMH...none of this is the answer.

If we're seeing week on week improvement, then fine. That's some kind of performance. But to be so disorganised that a game can be dominated (and from everything I've read we dominated this game even more than we dominated the previous game), yet we get sucker punched over and over and over, well that's not performance. It's not bad luck. It's bad planning.

Scour the world for a young up and coming manage who has taken some lowly team from promotion to promotion. A manager who has new ideas and new methods. A manager who will instill some faith in the side.

I don't care if Bruce has been promoted from this division multiple times - that's just one box checked. He doesn't tick the others. Plus he's had a few relegations too so maybe they cancel out the promotions?

Stability be damned. Perform or die. Simple. It's not a low-paying job. So if you can't do it, fuck off!

[De Kuip]

The carrot has mystery. ....

[Trotters]

I've applied for the job of webmaster at the Villa. Told them I'm going to use the "honesty approach" to bring fans the news...

[Guest]

We just don't look like a team, and sadly that doesn't look like changing. If there was glimmers of it then there would be hope, but there isn't even that, all we do is hoof the ball and that's depressing...

This is obviously down to buying a ton of players each window. I don't know how many players we've bought the last 3 years, but it feels like a stupid amount.

We need continuity. And this is why the cries for sacking Bruce is utter fucking stupid. We need to rally behind him and let him fight it out. We can't expect to suddenly become a team without putting down the time to get it right.

It's easy to fix this club. I'd get it right in no time and it's not rocket science.

1) Stick with 442. Utilize wingers and get back to basics.
2) Give the team time.
3) Buy ONE player in the summer and that should be a young English defensive midfielder.
4) Repeat with 1.

People are acting like football is some kinda voodoo shit. Like settling a winning team is the equivalent of solving the enigma code. Football is piss easy. You use the same players over time. You buy and field a balanced squad, and this means you can't play Grealish, Adomah etc. at the same time. You keep tactics simple as footballers are stupid as fuck. Then you get a team. If you want to improve that team you can consider buying a player each window and let him gel with an already established squad. Buying 5-8-13 or whatever we do is recipe for disaster.

[DelboyVilla]

We just don't look like a team, and sadly that doesn't look like changing. If there was glimmers of it then there would be hope, but there isn't even that, all we do is hoof the ball and that's depressing...

This is obviously down to buying a ton of players each window. I don't know how many players we've bought the last 3 years, but it feels like a stupid amount.

We need continuity. And this is why the cries for sacking Bruce is utter fucking stupid. We need to rally behind him and let him fight it out. We can't expect to suddenly become a team without putting down the time to get it right.

You are right to a certain extent Joppe, we have had masses of new players each window. The problem has also been exaggerated by the managers dropping new players into the team en-mass and then when that doesn't work changing the personnel next game or the system next game. I think DK didn't some good research and reporting on this? This has lead to all players feeling uncomfortable as to what they are actually doing each game?

Also we obviously have a young keeper whose confidence is shot? Yet Bruce doesn't drop him? Is the deal for having him loan that we play him every game? If so then send him back to Jose!

[deadbuzzardalive]

We just don't look like a team, and sadly that doesn't look like changing. If there was glimmers of it then there would be hope, but there isn't even that, all we do is hoof the ball and that's depressing...

This is obviously down to buying a ton of players each window. I don't know how many players we've bought the last 3 years, but it feels like a stupid amount.

We need continuity. And this is why the cries for sacking Bruce is utter fucking stupid. We need to rally behind him and let him fight it out. We can't expect to suddenly become a team without putting down the time to get it right.

It's easy to fix this club. I'd get it right in no time and it's not rocket science.

1) Stick with 442. Utilize wingers and get back to basics.
2) Give the team time.
3) Buy ONE player in the summer and that should be a young English defensive midfielder.
4) Repeat with 1.

People are acting like football is some kinda voodoo shit. Like settling a winning team is the equivalent of solving the enigma code. Football is piss easy. You use the same players over time. You buy and field a balanced squad, and this means you can't play Grealish, Adomah etc. at the same time. You keep tactics simple as footballers are stupid as fuck. Then you get a team. If you want to improve that team you can consider buying a player each window and let him gel with an already established squad. Buying 5-8-13 or whatever we do is recipe for disaster.

Wait a minute you're saying that it's easy to fix this club and you'd get it right in no time. Well if that's the case why hasn't Bruce (the man who you say should have another twelves months) done it.

With the above post your're kind of making the point for sacking Bruce rather than keeping him. All the things you're saying should be done are exactly what Bruce isn't doing.

I think a lot of people are too hung up on this stability mantra, and are repeating it without actually thinking.

[DelboyVilla]

@deadbuzzardalive I don't think anyone is saying it is easy to fix as with last season you can see just how fooked up the whole club is? We have this mentality that we are Villa and automatically deserve to go up yet it is tied in with a losing mentality which seems engrained in the fabric of the buildings.

@Joppe84 makes some good points especially with the amount of changes to the coaching and playing staff we have had. We are unique in this league for ins and outs in the past 18 months? The trouble is with every manager we have recently had is that they seem to think changing the team every match works? Clearly it doesn't!

My opinion is:-

1. Replace Johnstone with Bunn.
2. Settle on a system/formation and stick with it whatever the results.
3. My system would be 4-3-3 with Jedinak in the centre of Hourihane and Lansbury. Up front I would play Adomah, Kodjia and Hogan with all three being mobile and making it difficult for the opposition to mark. We have missed JEDI massively in this recent run?
4. Teach Kodjia to pass sometimes? Maybe they should fine him in training for over playing?

It is not simple or easy and may incur some pain to implement but bringing in manager after manager will only upset players even more? Please remember 8 players signed last month for Bruce, if we get rid now what does that say to these players?

[Guest]

We just don't look like a team, and sadly that doesn't look like changing. If there was glimmers of it then there would be hope, but there isn't even that, all we do is hoof the ball and that's depressing...

This is obviously down to buying a ton of players each window. I don't know how many players we've bought the last 3 years, but it feels like a stupid amount.

We need continuity. And this is why the cries for sacking Bruce is utter fucking stupid. We need to rally behind him and let him fight it out. We can't expect to suddenly become a team without putting down the time to get it right.

It's easy to fix this club. I'd get it right in no time and it's not rocket science.

1) Stick with 442. Utilize wingers and get back to basics.
2) Give the team time.
3) Buy ONE player in the summer and that should be a young English defensive midfielder.
4) Repeat with 1.

People are acting like football is some kinda voodoo shit. Like settling a winning team is the equivalent of solving the enigma code. Football is piss easy. You use the same players over time. You buy and field a balanced squad, and this means you can't play Grealish, Adomah etc. at the same time. You keep tactics simple as footballers are stupid as fuck. Then you get a team. If you want to improve that team you can consider buying a player each window and let him gel with an already established squad. Buying 5-8-13 or whatever we do is recipe for disaster.

Wait a minute you're saying that it's easy to fix this club and you'd get it right in no time. Well if that's the case why hasn't Bruce (the man who you say should have another twelves months) done it.

I agree that Bruce has made mistakes. The biggest one is not getting it right in the transfer window. His midfield signings gives us no balance. The Lansbury signing smacks of McCormack to me, a signing made upon reputation and statistics instead of looking at how good of a fit he is. Football is about squad balance and fundamentals, and this is why shit teams like Iceland and Leicester can shock the established top clubs. What Bruce should have done was getting in either Lansbury or Hourihane and gotten in a young DM with legs. The only way I can understand both Hourihane and Lansbury was if Bruce wanted a 451/433 with Jedinak as a DM. The other mistake was signing a shit keeper on loan, while not getting in an experienced one instead.

Unfortunately everyone that's been in an employer position or had those sorts of responsibilities knows that new employees makes mistakes. They learn and do better next time. Overreacting when we face a struggle will never be smart, as every manager we will hire will have a rough patch sooner or later. Right now Bruce is trying to sort out everything rotten left from more managers than I can count.

[big ming]

I wonder if Bruce should swallow his pride and ask the players where they think their best position individually/best formation collectively is. I would also like to know from each of the new players how the coaching and fitness training compares with the club they recently left. Also, it is clear to me that Kodija, leading and only serious goalscorer is hampering the team effort by playing as a loner and failing to work with Hogan properly.
Bruce should organise a full scale practice match against a team of geriatric no hopers or Aston Villa Ladies in the hope that running up a cricket score might instill at least a modicum of confidence.

[deadbuzzardalive]

I guess we've all got our opinions and we can talk about them until we're blue in the face, but at the end of the day it's up to Xia. I think he might come out in support of Bruce today. Although Neil Moxley has just tweeted this...

‏@Neil_Moxley
Pretty sobering evening that at Villa Park. Barnsley everything Villa should be, but aren't. I sense change is afoot ahead of SJP trip.

Whether that's just his opinion or based on something he's heard I don't know. But I think he's normally pretty reliableish.

[Army villain]

We need to steady the ship before it sinks, not just throw the captain overboard, it's strange that before Bruce we were attacking well, but not scoring goals, Bruce won a few and we moved up the table, then the wheels started to come off. We blamed the midfield and the defence, some of the things Bruce decided to do was a bit strange, trying to get a a old froward who had not scored a goal in months play again, for me this was bad for the club, one it turned the strikers we had against the manager and coaching staff, also the younger players, the tactics and subs is also playing players out of their normal position is strange. And the goal keeper well why would you not go out in the transfer time and buy a decent goal keeper. We're is the upper management in all this buying new players . Do we have a director of football? Coaching staff ? We have a lot of corners in our games but no goals come from them, why. I would go after a better coach, there must be a better one then we have at the moment. Bruce needs to get out of that office and do more training and team building because he could be on the sinking ship. I was around when we went into the lower leagues, and I would not like to do it again. Rant over, it's up to Bruce its your team .

[The Utterer]

I'd reposition Lansbury to AM & Hourihane to LM. We were surely better or at least more stable with & Gardner, Jedinak (When fit)? Johnson needs a rest too although i don't rate any of our keepers.

It would be something like this

.....................Bunn
Bree.....Chester.......Baker......Taylor
..............Jedinak or Gardner
Admomah.....................Hourihane
.................Lansbury
..................Hogan .......Kodija

[DelboyVilla]

I'd reposition Lansbury to AM & Hourihane to LM. We were surely better or at least more stable with & Gardner, Jedinak (When fit)? Johnson needs a rest too although i don't rate any of our keepers.

It would be something like this

.....................Bunn
Bree.....Chester.......Baker......Taylor
..............Jedinak or Gardner
Admomah.....................Hourihane
.................Lansbury
..................Hogan .......Kodija

Not a bad side that so long as we don't have to opt for the Gardner option?

[4BetLite]

Tshibola would be great cover wen jedi is out, just saying. Definitely Bunn but I think Bree might be missing again. The rest is cool.

[Jae1411]

Our best goalkeeper is in the treatment room unfortunately. I thought this would turn out to be Jeds season for us and i think maybe Bruce does too, hence the loan option instead of a buy. He said not long ago he was nearing training again so hopefully thats the plan and he will establish himself when hes back. I like steer and he had a cracking season last season on loan and is almost certainly ready to step up from what i saw.

[achilles]

@Joppe84 I agree with some of what you say but this gel business gets on my nerves.
Wigan signed 6 players in the transfer window, they were in a worse state by far than us and they won last night 0 - 1 away. Brighton and Derby both signed 6 players, Ipswich signed 7 players and I think they won last Saturday against some shit team! It is not ideal but it does work with the right coaching and tactics which unfortunately seems to be missing down Villa Park. Lansbury is a class player but is playing far too deep, why? Hourihane I accept is hiding, I am not certain even he knows what his role is on the pitch.
Basically you can put out the same players out on the pitch week after week but don't expect different results unless they are coached/trained/told what to do, which is evidently missing down VP.

[achilles]

I'd reposition Lansbury to AM & Hourihane to LM. We were surely better or at least more stable with & Gardner, Jedinak (When fit)? Johnson needs a rest too although i don't rate any of our keepers.

It would be something like this

.....................Bunn
Bree.....Chester.......Baker......Taylor
..............Jedinak or Gardner
Admomah.....................Hourihane
.................Lansbury
..................Hogan .......Kodija

As a matter of interest what was the problem with Taylor last night as he wasn't even on the bench?

[1Elliot]

I'd reposition Lansbury to AM & Hourihane to LM. We were surely better or at least more stable with & Gardner, Jedinak (When fit)? Johnson needs a rest too although i don't rate any of our keepers.

It would be something like this

.....................Bunn
Bree.....Chester.......Baker......Taylor
..............Jedinak or Gardner
Admomah.....................Hourihane
.................Lansbury
..................Hogan .......Kodija

As a matter of interest what was the problem with Taylor last night as he wasn't even on the bench?

Has a cut to his ankle...

[deadbuzzardalive]

Interesting that Xia's silent, normally he tweets after a game, if a loss usually something about sticking together and patience. I guess whatever happens happens.

[Wookster]

Is this really a shock?

Last season there were a lot who looked at the shower that was turning out every week and said they were shit and looked like a team that wouldnt survive in the Championship. They proved us right.

Granted Xia has gone out and assembled a set of Championship Galacticos, unfortunately theyve now chosen to adopt the Villa way of 1 keeper and 10 individuals.

[De Kuip]

Is this really a shock?

Last season there were a lot who looked at the shower that was turning out every week and said they were shit and looked like a team that wouldnt survive in the Championship. They proved us right.

Granted Xia has gone out and assembled a set of Championship Galacticos, unfortunately theyve now chosen to adopt the Villa way of 1 keeper and 10 individuals.

Minus the 1 keeper......

[De Kuip]

Interesting that Xia's silent, normally he tweets after a game, if a loss usually something about sticking together and patience. I guess whatever happens happens.

Well he's tweeted now and the irony is lost on him as he's tweeted a pic of The Expendables  (as he's just bought the company that made the film) I'll give it about an hour before someone with photoshop replaces the cast with the Villa team.

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