Re: The Steve Bruce thread

by 4BetLite Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:44 pm

Joppe84 wrote:
Trotters wrote:We are the equivalent of Man City in this league. Yet the call is for patience when we're in very serious danger of dropping into the relegation zone.

Would Sheik Mansour put up with Citeh being in the same spot in the premier league? Would anyone really expect them to be doing better with the best players going or is it genuinely a case of "the manager needs time to figure out his players' best positions"? Because that's a stupid argument considering he scouted these players and bought them to perform in a way that he SURELY would have envisaged and so far he hasn't actually figured out where they actually play!!

It's fuckery on a grand scale. If Bruce had them playing in the spots that they made a name for themselves in at their previous clubs but it was just a case of them not being quite used to each other yet, then that's an acceptable point and one that I'd acknowledge needs time.

But he seems to have no idea as to where best to use Hourihane and Lansbury and he dead-set has absolutely no clue who Bjarnason is. He's lost (I won't say gotten rid of because there seems to be circumstances being his control here) an inexperienced young goalkeeper who was just starting to get to grips with the game and replaced him with a much worse goalkeeper that isn't ours anyway and....oh just what the fuck was he thinking there???

He brought Agbonlahor back into the squad and for what?

What formation are we playing? What style of play is he going for?

He's just nowhere, Joppe. It's not that he's got all the pieces to the puzzle and is someway to completing the picture. He can't even work out how to open the fucking box! He is totally, utterly lost and I've honestly no clue where our next point is coming from let alone the 3 that we need to give us some much needed space from the relegation spots.

So if you can identify for me what his favoured formation is, if you can tell me what player combinations and line up her prefers, if you can tell me what his style of play is and if you can show me how we're improving on our mistakes week on week then I'll bow to your better judgment and shut the fuck up.

But my guess is you won't be able to answer any of those points because even Bruce can't answer them.

You have some points and I also think it's wrong to fuck about with formations, but I honestly think it's done cause there's so little balance in out squad. We got a lot of decent players, but they simply don't fit as a team. Case in point Grealish. Great talent, but he simply doesn't work with what we got. Personally I think Bruce has written off play offs after Christmas and is now just trying to figure the squad out.

My thoughts exactly Joppe, he's basically started pre season in January. Like many on here, Bruce was not for me but I like the way he conducts himself and I think he is part of a calculated plan by Xia/Wyness which is in 3 parts. Wyness says we need to construct 3 teams, 1 for promotion, 1 to consolidate premier league status and a 3rd to push on to the top 6 and beyond. It makes sense that Bruce should take charge of part 1. Part 2 will be Wenger and part 3 will probably be ~~Gabby~~ Ancelotti............... everything apart from the current slump has been pre-planned.

by Villa Ranger Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:05 pm

danclare82 wrote:Wyness confirms Bruce will be in charge next season.

https://t.co/BavxtdNbYc

This is the right move, for me.

We've tried swapping managers every five minutes. It doesn't work.

We've tried throwing shitloads of money at the problem. It doesn't work.

It's been a long time since we've tried stability and continuity. Combined with an owner who's actually interested and is prepared to invest, it's the only sensible way forward.

Imagine being a player who signed in January. Steve Bruce, the man who 'sold' the Club to you? The fans are calling for his head on a platter within a week of you arriving. You'd be thinking: "Wtf is going on at this club? Its fucking insane."

The players need to know where they stand. Who the manager is going to be next week, next month, next season.

So Wyness is nipping in the bud any talk of changing manager. Everyone knows where they are and the playing and coaching staff can get to work on improving results.

by deadbuzzardalive Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:19 am

I listened to the interview on the BBC WM website and there wasn't really much else that Wyness could say in answer to questions about Bruce's future. He was hardly going to turn around and say he's on the verge of the sack, unless things change.

Everyone at the club knows, including Bruce himself, that unless results improve, then he (Bruce) will be out the door.

by DelboyVilla Sun Feb 26, 2017 11:39 am

Well he is safe for a bit now IMO. He needs to build some confidence in the side now and slowly bring through the new players.

by 4BetLite Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:39 pm

I'm pretty sure he will turn it around and get us ticking over enough to be just above mid table come the end of it. With another window to fix the existing leaks and time for the current new batch to gel, I think we will do well next year.

What people need to take into account is we needed quiet a few new faces and they have come in and been expected to play all at the same time straight away. New signings normally get time to settle into the squad, find a house, settle into the area etc etc........ Pro's should be able to just get on with it, but, with so many expected to do it at the same time and under the pressure these lot are under, its fair to expect that it will take time.

Anyone else close enough to hear him yesterday, will know that he is probably incapable of talking this morning, he was constantly shouting instructions that don't fit with his negative style and the players were mostly not doing what he asked, he wanted us to press higher up, but the players sat back. It was encouraging to see and hear his passion for it.

Don't get me wrong, I thinks he has made his fair share of bad decisions but I really like him and want him to succeed in getting us up. Then we can get rid of him!

by deadbuzzardalive Sun Feb 26, 2017 2:25 pm

He's safe for now and if we beat Bristol City on Tuesday, that should go a long way to confirming our Championsip status next season, and buy Bruce until the end of this season. If we can hopefully pick up in the remainder of our games he'll get the start of next season as well. But I guess we'll see on that.

by smetro Sun Feb 26, 2017 4:05 pm

Needs to improve on yesterdays showing.
What I really fear if we dump Bruce is another 'ballet dancer' manager like Remi Garde or di matteo

by VTID85 Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:09 pm

He seems to be mentioning more how short a time he has spent at the club, a little defensive perhaps but true nonetheless.

by Guest Mon Feb 27, 2017 6:30 am

DelboyVilla wrote:Well he is safe for a bit now IMO. He needs to build some confidence in the side now and slowly bring through the new players.

This confidence thing is something we've lacked for ages. I know that's obvious considering how shit we've been for ages, but my point is that I feel our team looks and plays different up until the point were we concede or score. We look half decent at 0-0 then we either get shit scared of losing a lead or turn to powder puff shit sugarbags when we concede 1-0. Like Derby this weekend. I thought we looked pretty decent up until Chester scored and we looked nervous as shit for the remaining 65 minutes.

by DelboyVilla Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:08 am

Joppe84 wrote:
DelboyVilla wrote:Well he is safe for a bit now IMO. He needs to build some confidence in the side now and slowly bring through the new players.

This confidence thing is something we've lacked for ages. I know that's obvious considering how shit we've been for ages, but my point is that I feel our team looks and plays different up until the point were we concede or score. We look half decent at 0-0 then we either get shit scared of losing a lead or turn to powder puff shit sugarbags when we concede 1-0. Like Derby this weekend. I thought we looked pretty decent up until Chester scored and we looked nervous as shit for the remaining 65 minutes.

It is a real problem at Villa because of the all the shite that has been surrounding the club. I think the players need to see some consistency and that will come if we stick by a manager through a tough period. There are a lot of 'Bruce' players now and they need to see that the Board and fans have confidence in Bruce and his plans because they will also buy in and not be thinking that everything goes back to square one next week because a new manager is coming in and it's all change again?

We live in times when the lunatics are running the asylum and managers have zero job security whatever their achievements (Raneiri) and we will get an indication tonight if Leicester have dropped a huge clanger or not? A little loyalty and time may well build confidence and stability something we have lacked over the past few years!

by Wookster Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:01 pm

Suprised in his recent interview that he said he liked to play 442 but with the players we have 433 is best suited. Didnt he buy the players? Surely he knew how he wanted to play before he bought them

by **De Kuip** Tue Feb 28, 2017 10:42 pm

Slightly OT I know but just looked at the table and seen where Wolves are and their last half dozen results. Good to see Lambert being such an amazing manager and was only ever held back by Villa as he's fond of quoting again and again and again.....

by deadbuzzardalive Sun Mar 05, 2017 9:45 pm

In a strange way I think these last three results, might actually put a bit more pressure on Bruce to do well until the end of the season. There's a feeling now that he's turned the corner and if we were to go back to being rubbish then that would obviously lead to disappointment and frustration and a feeling that we're back to square-one.

by achilles Mon Mar 06, 2017 9:39 am

Everything is relative, as we are now celebrating winning 3 games in a row and not conceding (which is great) but that was against two teams in the bottom 3 of the championship and the other team struggling for form, that is putting things into perspective and also just illustrates just how far we have fallen!

The next two games will see just how far we have progressed against Huddesfield and Sheff Weds and that in itself is also another reflection of where we actually are in the football world!

by **NARLA24** Tue Mar 07, 2017 9:12 am

Team selection will be key tonight. Young players coming in it seems

by DelboyVilla Tue Mar 07, 2017 9:19 am

NARLA24 wrote:Team selection will be key tonight. Young players coming in it seems

Great stuff?

Is that on the back of a convo with BMH?

by **NARLA24** Tue Mar 07, 2017 3:33 pm

DelboyVilla wrote:
NARLA24 wrote:Team selection will be key tonight. Young players coming in it seems

Great stuff?

Is that on the back of a convo with BMH?

Yes mate

by **Trotters** Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:24 pm

I'd not heard of those two kids on the bench. Did they get a run at all?

by deadbuzzardalive Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:52 pm

Blackett-Taylor who on the few times I've seen him play is a forward/winger came on with about three minutes of normal time remaining.

O'Hare didn't get on, but he's apparently a striker, don't know anything at all about him, surprised it wasn't Sellars as the other youth we used. A shame Hepburn-Murphy's injured still.

by **Trotters** Tue Mar 07, 2017 11:01 pm

Ta.

Good that the lad got a few minutes of game-time to help the nerves.

by AstonThriller Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:19 pm

I'm still concerned about Bruce tbh. He's obsessed with playing "two upfront" even though we've won four out of five playing 433 and every win this season has come in that formation. How the hell is he gonna fit Lansbury and Hourihane in the same team by playing 442? Unless he sacrifices wingers and plays a diamond formation? Doesn't make sense to me. Seems like he hasn't got the bottle to leave Hogan on the bench tbh.

Also he said "most of the top teams play with two up top"..er NO Steve. Only Sheff Wed and Brighton play that way, no-one else in the top six does.

My view it's the damn wingers and midfielders who have messed up this season. Adomah has only scored in TWO games this season, Grealish only has three goals, Ayew only got two goals when he was here etc. That's where the issue is but it seems like Bruce really doesn't have a clue. Oh well we'll see how his 442 gets on tomorrow I guess.

by **De Kuip** Fri Mar 17, 2017 10:14 pm

I missed the presser, did he definitely say he was going 442? Or are you saying that it's obvious as that's what he's settled on?

by AstonThriller Fri Mar 17, 2017 10:29 pm

De Kuip wrote:I missed the presser, did he definitely say he was going 442? Or are you saying that it's obvious as that's what he's settled on?

He said he wants to stick with two up top and in Kodjia and Hogan we could have a major threat. To me he just sounded so naive. You don't fix something that's not currently broken. Especially when we've finally found a way to win games consistently.

by **De Kuip** Fri Mar 17, 2017 10:39 pm

Ah, OK. Yep I wish he would stick rather than alter but maybe he's thinking that of all games Wigan ought to be one where we can try 2 up front.
I was gonna say more about subs but just realised I'm on the SB thread so I'll pop across to the match thread!

by Guest Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:03 am

Doing rather well by the looks of it. We're not having a lot of possession or dominating matches (in the scoreline), but we are winning a lot.

by Sponsored content