Re: The Steve Bruce thread

[De Kuip]

That's a very poignant piece and very sympathetically written. No doubt SB is going through a tough time personally and I hope all the Villa players read that and that it makes them give their all over the last few games. As we all know, football isn't all about who has the best team or the least injuries, it's also about heart, attitude and belief.
Ask Man City, ask Wigan.

[FoxyAV]

Bruce reckons we should all get behind Onomah and says this:

“He has come from Tottenham and we are forgetting he is the same age as Callum (O’Hare) and Keinan (Davis)."

Doesn't he listen to us? We don't care about a Spurs loanee who goes back in May, we want O'Hare to play because he's Villa, he wants to play for us and it's his bloody position Onomah is taking and failing in. Sure, O'Hare might not work out either but - and this is a crazy idea I know - how about we play him in that position he does so well in when he plays in the U23s and we leave Onomah on the bench? If it gets to the point when Grealish is back and O'Hare hasn't set the world alight then so what? Onomah isn't already so what do we have to lose.

To put it another way, who gives a toss if we go up or not, Onomah or O'Hare? I know who I want playing for us.

[De Kuip]

I've given up trying to fathom Bruce out tbh.

[achilles]

I think Onomah was hoping that Spurs would recall him in the January window and when that didn't happen he has totally lost all interest. No doubt he has ability as he showed earlier in the season but he certainly doesn't deserve a place on his current showing, even more so over some of our U23 players.

[deadbuzzardalive]

It might seem a strange step to take with the play-offs looking likely, but I think we need to sack him, if we're to have any chance of actually winning them.

[De Kuip]

I'd agree but for 1 thing - I genuinely think he has a good relationship with the players and it would be too seismic a shock at this stage.
As soon as we know we either have or have not got promotion then I'd pull the trigger (the trigger of a gun I wouldn't have loaded with Bruce in the first place)

[deadbuzzardalive]

I say play-offs looking likely, but looking again, I'm not even sure about that, our cushion has been cut to eight points, and the team in seventh is Millwall who we play on the last day of the season. We need a win asap.

Bruce of course won't be sacked now, but he really should be at the end of the season, whatever happens.

[deadbuzzardalive]

If we're still in this division next season, then I think there's a strong chance that John Terry will be our manager. Just hope he has new ideas, you'd think so with all the top managers he's played under.

[deadbuzzardalive]

A lot of people seem to be taking it for granted now that Bruce will leave whatever happens. But no doubt if he takes us up via the play-offs from this position, there will be a completely different mood, and most fans will be wanting him to stay and saying that he deserves a chance in the Premier league, just as was the case before the last few results.

Doubt Wyness or Round would have the shrewd or spirited initiative to make a change in that scenario either, and we'll be stuck with Bruce trying to sign the likes of Jake LIvermore.

[AstonThriller]

A lot of people seem to be taking it for granted now that Bruce will leave whatever happens. But no doubt if he takes us up via the play-offs from this position, there will be a completely different mood, and most fans will be wanting him to stay and saying that he deserves a chance in the Premier league, just as was the case before the last few results.

Doubt Wyness or Round would have the shrewd or spirited initiative to make a change in that scenario either, and we'll be stuck with Bruce trying to sign the likes of Jake LIvermore.

I'm already drawing up potential replacements for him If we stay the championship tbh. Thinking about Jaap Stam and how he could change the whole identity of the club with his passing philosophy, and the fact that he already has championship experience. Also thinking about Marco Silva If we manage to go up. Either way we'd be mad to keep him imo.

[Dazzle]

Should we happen to win the playoffs we would be would be almost certain to come back down with Steve Bruce in charge. What’s become clear (very early to me) is that we have no style of play that will help us gain any sort of advantage over anyone else, in fact you could argue the opposite. We are reliant, mostly, on individual performances to win us games. As we’ve seen it costs an awful lot of money to buy those individuals in the championship, let alone premier league standard match winners. There is still very, very little hope for any of our U23 players to break through into the first team (potentially saving many millions of pounds) because it is again quite obvious that Bruce will favour a failing “name” over a young prospect already at the club, he has zero track record of bringing young talent through. We also can’t ignore the fact that any striker we have has arrived with goals to his name and within a month or so under Bruce looks completely bereft of confidence and goals. It’s happening with Grabban now, following in the footsteps of Hogan and Davis. Kodjia will likely follow.
The owner would need to be utterly professional in having a target that they have researched, that they know would want the job, and that they could go out and get within a week or two of seasons end. I said at the time of Bruce’s appointment that we should have gone all out for Wagner, I think what he’s done with Huddersfield is as good as they could realistically wish for.

[FoxyAV]

I've banged on about this before but Bruce sets up the team to play in a very clear way and doesn't deviate, which makes it easy for the opposition to set up and if necessary at half time make changes. From what I can tell it relies mostly on luck, which sometimes works out for us (Bristol City was I think one where they just couldn't get the ball in our goal but we managed to score a few times). It's essentially full backs provide the crosses, wingers cut in to try to score, ball is hoofed long from goalie or defence to lone striker (who is usually outnumbered and can't retain it) and midfield and striker are there to collect rebounds and loose balls to try to score. Jack breaks the mould somewhat by collecting the ball from the defence and running at the opposition. If he scored more goals we'd lose him to a PL club immediately. Our 'style' of play doesn't work with the kind of strikers that expect the ball on the ground (see: Hogan) or play in a traditional 4-4-2 (McCormack). Gestede was a perfect example of taking a successful striker and playing him up front on his own with no crossed balls to head in (see the Blues derby when he scored right at the end).

We win matches when the players are on form and allowed to do their thing. We don't when the opposition manager is clever and throws a spanner in the works. When we played at Reading in the winter we were utterly dreadful and taken apart by a team that probably cost less than £30million to put together.

We've bought all the best players and watched Bruce fail to stitch them together. I honestly don't know what he does. The post-match comments about the players letting everyone down were outrageous. If we go up we won't have any momentum, Bruce will spend too much money on a few PL players no other teams want and we'll wave goodbye to the likes of O'Hare and Green and anyone else who we could have seen turn into another Grealish.

Actually, I think Grealish could leave if we don't get promotion purely because he's being played so badly here it's harming his career. I don't think Hourihane is a bad player but he seems to go missing half the time. Maybe Grealish is so good he puts him in the shade but I get the feeling there are failings in the way the players are played.

[deadbuzzardalive]

A lot of people seem to be taking it for granted now that Bruce will leave whatever happens. But no doubt if he takes us up via the play-offs from this position, there will be a completely different mood, and most fans will be wanting him to stay and saying that he deserves a chance in the Premier league, just as was the case before the last few results.

Doubt Wyness or Round would have the shrewd or spirited initiative to make a change in that scenario either, and we'll be stuck with Bruce trying to sign the likes of Jake LIvermore.

I'm already drawing up potential replacements for him If we stay the championship tbh. Thinking about Jaap Stam and how he could change the whole identity of the club with his passing philosophy, and the fact that he already has championship experience. Also thinking about Marco Silva If we manage to go up. Either way we'd be mad to keep him imo.

Xia apparently started following Patrick Vieira on twitter recently. I get the feeling he wants a young manager with new ideas, but Wyness and Round appear veer more towards the old school way of doing things. Hopefully we go up, and have a bigger pool to choose from.

[deadbuzzardalive]

A lot of people seem to be taking it for granted now that Bruce will leave whatever happens. But no doubt if he takes us up via the play-offs from this position, there will be a completely different mood, and most fans will be wanting him to stay and saying that he deserves a chance in the Premier league, just as was the case before the last few results.

Doubt Wyness or Round would have the shrewd or spirited initiative to make a change in that scenario either, and we'll be stuck with Bruce trying to sign the likes of Jake LIvermore.

He hasn't even taken us up, but because we've just won two games - one which our goalkeeper kept us in it, and the other against a team who have a injury crisis and had only won two in eighteen - and already people are out in force stating what a fantastic job he's done, citing our points tally and goals scored, it only looks impressive compared to our previous season because we're in an easier division, and we have a massive advantage over the other teams, compared to when we were in the Premier league, a fairer comparison would be to other teams who've been promoted from the championship automatically, I bet most of them will have gone up with more points than we end up with this season, even if we win all three of our remaining games.

[De Kuip]

There's Lies, damn lies and statistics as they say.
People can point to any metrics they like to reinforce a point. I read a quote once that statistics are like a lamppost to a drunk man - more for support than illumination.
We've all witnessed Bruce's managerial prowess throughout the season, and we've all shared the same bafflement at his team selections, angst at his lack of plan B or in-game responses to situations, and we've all been frustrated when the team we've been screaming for only gets to play due to a combination of accident or injury to his go-to players.
Nope, I don't need some Twitter twatter to start rolling out figures to try and convince me Bruce is a top manager. The only thing Bruce seems to manage with any consistency is a kebab.

[FoxyAV]

A ManU fan on the radio just said Mourinho should be replaced by Steve Bruce. If only...

[De Kuip]

A ManU fan on the radio just said Mourinho should be replaced by Steve Bruce. If only...

I'd be happy with a swap.....

[big ming]

Whatever happens in the play-off's I think Bruce is done. If so, anyone like to watch Villa next year under Wenger? I would give anything to see them playing the progressive style that the Arse have been associated with, over the Wenger years.
Don't think he is retiring - just stepping down at Arse.
Perhaps Tony could persuade him to take on a last big challenge.

[VTID85]

Whatever happens in the play-off's I think Bruce is done. If so, anyone like to watch Villa next year under Wenger? I would give anything to see them playing the progressive style that the Arse have been associated with, over the Wenger years.
Don't think he is retiring - just stepping down at Arse.
Perhaps Tony could persuade him to take on a last big challenge.

Not a chance, I expect he is done. In reality - and not to discredit his legacy - I'd be more interested in some of the names that have been flying around to replace him.

[The Utterer]

From Xia's comments re "Wenger the Winger (The moaning kind i assume ) i somehow doubt he'll be on our shopping list.

[deadbuzzardalive]

That was just a typo, and it was meant to read 'Arsenal Wenger' basically saying he's been there that long that he could be known as Arsenal rather than similar sounding Arsene. Despite a lot people of twitter jumping on his back, he wasn't criticizing him, just saying that it's the end of an era.

[deadbuzzardalive]

Has to go, not only Bruce but serious questions have to be asked about Wyness as well, his decision to stick with Bruce last summer is probably what's cost us promotion, and our transfer dealings under him and Round is a big reason why we're now going to screwed by FFP.

Because of the financial constraints there will be no obvious choices to replace him, I just hope the club do the right thing.

[Dazzle]

This, for me, was the biggest mistake made in the final weeks by the manager.
https://tbrfootball.com/birkir-bjarnason-highlights-steve-bruce-error-shackling-messi-co/

[DelboyVilla]

So we are now waiting to see what kind of squad Bruce has to work with next season? The fact he failed to get the most expensive squad in Championship history promoted doesn't bode well for our cheap low paid journeyman or kids form the U23's make up? We desperately need a change of owner, DOF and manager to survive next season!

[achilles]

https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2018/07/09/steve-bruce-sit-down-interview

Can't find that this has posted anywhere, more doom and gloom from Brucie!

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