Re: The Steve Bruce thread

[VTID85]

A minority of voices from The Holte yesterday were calling for Bruce Out, it can’t be long now, awful performance yesterday, woeful

A majority of online voices seem to be calling for his head, if they're not running some sort of analytics on the types of comments and mentions the club and more specifically Bruce is getting then it beggars belief.

[DelboyVilla]

Well if Purslow wants stability then Potato Head is his man as I am 100% sure that he will serve up shite football each week and maintain our current Championship status! Even his bullshite excuses each week are the same! Well done NSWE it seems you are as shite as every other owner we have had for the past 40 years, just as stupid only with a bit more cash!

[FoxyAV]

Well done NSWE it seems you are as shite as every other owner we have had for the past 40 years, just as stupid only with a bit more cash!

We don't know that. They've steadied the club and we probably won't have any major FFP issues, plus we're brought in McGinn (and in the process sidelined Grealish)! I really like McGinn but we need a better manager than Bruce to work out how to play the two of them on the same pitch.

It's more likely that they want to do things properly, learn to understand it as they go along and not throw money away like Xia did (although Bolasie?). That doesn't mean they're going to invest though, we'll have to wait and see.

[DelboyVilla]

Well done NSWE it seems you are as shite as every other owner we have had for the past 40 years, just as stupid only with a bit more cash!

We don't know that. They've steadied the club and we probably won't have any major FFP issues, plus we're brought in McGinn (and in the process sidelined Grealish)! I really like McGinn but we need a better manager than Bruce to work out how to play the two of them on the same pitch.

It's more likely that they want to do things properly, learn to understand it as they go along and not throw money away like Xia did (although Bolasie?). That doesn't mean they're going to invest though, we'll have to wait and see.

What is the point in signing McGinn and keeping Grealish if Potato Head is in charge of the team? A blind man can see that Potato Head is a classless buffoon who has lost the players and the fans! If the plan is to go up and save this season then they need to act now and remove Potato Head immediately, if I was Grealish I wouldn't consider a new contract until he has gone, unless Grealish wants to spend his whole career with us in the Championship? It sound dramatic but a new manager can change the fortunes of the club now and achieve promotion this year which I think would realistic target for the right guy. However wasting more time with Potato Head and the effect that would have on the squad is dangerous!

The easy part for NSWE was coming in a propping up the side with some cash, the difficult will be getting us up and out this league quickly!

[FoxyAV]

Well done NSWE it seems you are as shite as every other owner we have had for the past 40 years, just as stupid only with a bit more cash!

We don't know that. They've steadied the club and we probably won't have any major FFP issues, plus we're brought in McGinn (and in the process sidelined Grealish)! I really like McGinn but we need a better manager than Bruce to work out how to play the two of them on the same pitch.

It's more likely that they want to do things properly, learn to understand it as they go along and not throw money away like Xia did (although Bolasie?). That doesn't mean they're going to invest though, we'll have to wait and see.

What is the point in signing McGinn and keeping Grealish if Potato Head is in charge of the team? A blind man can see that Potato Head is a classless buffoon who has lost the players and the fans! If the plan is to go up and save this season then they need to act now and remove Potato Head immediately, if I was Grealish I wouldn't consider a new contract until he has gone, unless Grealish wants to spend his whole career with us in the Championship? It sound dramatic but a new manager can change the fortunes of the club now and achieve promotion this year which I think would realistic target for the right guy. However wasting more time with Potato Head and the effect that would have on the squad is dangerous!

The easy part for NSWE was coming in a propping up the side with some cash, the difficult will be getting us up and out this league quickly!

Who knows, I wonder how many players didn't sign for us simply because playing for Bruce would be detrimental for their careers. Every Championship manager under the sun is quick to support Bruce, they all want him to stay because we're easy pickings for a point or three. What's the point in signing Bolasie, El Ghazi and Abraham if we can't score more goals than we concede?

My point was not in support of Bruce, just that it's too soon to blast the new owners, they're the ones successful billionaires running successful companies. It's certain they haven't bought Villa so they can lose money (well, that is unless they need to offset some gains elsewhere and, frankly, with Bruce here we're the perfect way to do it!) so we just have to wait to see how it pans out. Xia only seems to have gone within the last week or so, the new CEO hasn't been in long, there's a good chance the correct manager hasn't agreed to come to us yet or perhaps doesn't want to leave Celtic.

[big ming]

I will be happy to lose to Bristol City (and,if necessary Preston) if it will absolutely guarantee the end of Bruce. We need to lance the boil now.
To anyone who wants to play the "better fan" card, do it. I am positive that I am thinking of the best longer term interests of the club.

[Dions_Bald_Head]

I wonder what convinced young Jack to sign a new contract during a poor start to the season when he so close to leaving....

[VTID85]

I wonder what convinced young Jack to sign a new contract during a poor start to the season when he so close to leaving....

Yes it's a bit puzzling, when talk previously was he would be free to leave if we don't get promoted. Something stirring? No, I've probably just got a bit of indigestion.

[achilles]

A brilliant article that sums Bruce up:

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/john-mcginn-scored-the-goal-of-the-season-and-it-still-wasnt-enough-for-aston-villa-200890

John McGinn scored the goal of the season, it isn't enough for Aston Villa
By
KYLE PICKNELL

John McGinn's sumptuous volley was a rare moment of escapism, a sharp bolt of magic to cut through the heavy Steve Bruce gloom suffocating Villa Park
Legend has it that you know they're in as soon as it leaves your foot. It's true. You do. In fact, sometimes you know even before that, when the stars align with the ball in the air and the faint sense of an idea hits you like rain.

You track it, weighing up flight and velocity, clairvoyance for a moment. You know it is going to fall... there, so that's where you move. You don't think about the processes because it never happens that way, they only work when you're not trying to remember them due to all those years of shooting into the bushes and over the fences, failure hardwired into the muscle memory. Nettle scratches on calves like time written in chalk prison cell walls. You'll get there one day. And then suddenly, you do.

It's like your dad always told you: Keep your eye on it. Keep your head over the ball. Laces. Follow through. Keep your head still. Don't take your eye off it.

The ball falls, and then it is simple. You can peel away now.

Aston Villa FC

@AVFCOfficial
Take a bow, @JMcGinn7.

JMcGinn7.

Unbelievable strike

[big ming]

John McGinn is a very good player and the goal was sumptuous. If he can just stop the thing where he dwells on the ball and gets his pocket picked, he will be excellent.It's happened a few times now and it happened for Scotland v Belgium (first goal). You get less time on the ball in the Championship than you do in Scotland. But,overall, he was a steal, when you think of some of the money we have blown on big time Charlie's.

[DelboyVilla]

Just hope there is stuff going on behind the scenes as Purslow sources a new manager to replace Potato Head!

#Bruceout

[deadbuzzardalive]

They're obviously not in a rush to get rid of him, I see Celtic are struggling and there's rumours of unrest behind the scenes maybe they're waiting for them and Rodgers to part ways of their own accord, to save on compensation.

The next big news to come out of the club will be the appointment of a Technical Director, the identity of which will probably give us a big indication as to the direction we're going in with regards to a managerial appointment.

[FoxyAV]

Funny article here, all the crap Bruce has spouted after matches. He seems to be a smug bastard when we win and blame everyone else, but mostly our players, when we don't.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-steve-bruce-quotes-15113118

[DelboyVilla]

Matt Law has just slated Potato Head on Twitter!

'I try not to write about Villa, but my boss asked me to so I did. Sorry Steve Bruce, but the people you think are too negative are right - it's you and not them who is the problem #avfc'

The press are finally turning! Let's hope that the owners see the light!

[FoxyAV]

Matt Law has just slated Potato Head on Twitter!

'I try not to write about Villa, but my boss asked me to so I did. Sorry Steve Bruce, but the people you think are too negative are right - it's you and not them who is the problem #avfc'

The press are finally turning! Let's hope that the owners see the light!

He's written a full feature in the Telegraph but I can't be arsed registering to read it.

[deadbuzzardalive]

This is apparentl the article copied from elsewhere...

The guy to my right started within the first minute of kick-off. “It’s a joke”, he frequently complained. “We can’t pass. The defending’s s****.” And so it went on.

This was my first visit to Villa Park of the season and I could immediately see what Steve Bruce has been referring to when he has discussed the fact the locals can be a hard bunch to please.

Together with the noisy Sheffield Wednesday supporters, there were 35,572 of those locals packed into Villa Park on Saturday to witness Bruce’s 100th game as manager.

But any sympathy for Bruce during the opening exchanges soon wore off and I could quickly empathise with my neighbour, who had probably witnessed the draw with Reading, the lucky win over Wigan and the Carabao Cup defeat to Burton Albion earlier in the season.

A midweek victory over the mighty Rotherham United had seen Bruce once again take aim at his detractors and even accuse the local press of being too negative. Reporters from the newspaper he had referred to all tipped Villa to beat Wednesday, but their positivity was not rewarded.

Jack Grealish points the way
Jack Grealish was stuck on the left wing against Sheffield Wednesday CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
Villa played like a team of individuals, which maybe should not be surprising given how late they did much of their transfer business following the summer takeover.

But there was no discernible plan or strategy. Bruce started with on-loan Tammy Abraham and Jonathan Kodjia in a front two with Jack Grealish stuck out on the left wing.

Even the kids sporting their Jack haircuts waiting in the long queues for a half-time pie will have been wondering why Villa’s star man had not started in a position from which he can run a game.

All season it has felt like Bruce has been throwing balls, or new players, into the air and hoping something lands. If it clicks, great. But if it doesn’t, as it didn’t against Wednesday, then Villa often look clueless.

And, unfortunately, there has often been no better way to describe the defending than “s****”. John Terry is virtually irreplaceable, but it makes no sense that Villa did not sign another central defender or redouble their efforts to bring in a left back after missing out on Joe Bryan. All the Yannick Bolasies in the world will not solve Villa’s problems at the back.

John McGinn’s wonder goal got Villa back in the game after Wednesday had taken a deserved lead, but this only served to illustrate another problem of Bruce’s tenure. His team are often too reliant on a moment of individual brilliance, rather than winning games or scoring goals through dominating their opposition.

Bruce should have taken McGinn’s volley as a cue to make a change and use the momentum it temporarily gave Villa to take charge of the game.

John McGinn celebrates after scoring a wonder goal for Villa
Villa have been reliant on a moment of brilliance this season
Instead he waited, hoping a second goal would come, but, predictably to the guy on my right, Villa quickly lost the initiative and fell behind again. Only then did Bruce make a substitution. Once again, he was reactive, rather than proactive.

Did the supposed moaning Villa fans turn on their team at going behind or even turn on Bruce? No, not until the game was gone in stoppage time and, even then, the chants for him to go from the Holte End were barely audible.

Bruce and his dwindling band of defenders will trot out his record for taking teams up, but this is no longer of any interest to Villa fans. He did not manage it last season with a squad that was every bit good enough to get out of the division and his team currently sit 13th in the Championship table with three wins from nine games.

Just as Manchester United fans are not particularly bothered how many Premier League titles Jose Mourinho won with Chelsea, Villa supporters, often accused with being obsessed about the past, are only worried about the present.

Like Mourinho, much of Bruce’s problem solving revolves around constantly signing new players so it is not surprising there are now murmurings of discontent within his squad.


The likes of Scott Hogan, Henri Lansbury, Neil Taylor and Birkir Bjarnason have all been signed by Bruce and left out in the cold. Last season’s top scorer Albert Adomah was told he could go, only to see a move blocked at the last minute and Conor Hourihane often finds he is the first midfielder to be dropped despite providing a constant goal threat from midfield.

There are at least encouraging signs for Villa off the pitch, with Grealish signing a new contract and chief executive Christian Purslow taking advice from some of the industry leaders in his bid to find the right sporting director.

But it is becoming a matter of when and not if Purslow has to take a tough decision on Bruce if the murmurings are not to get louder and Villa’s season is not to become a write off.

[FoxyAV]

Thanks for posting that. It's a good start, let's hope more journalists and newspapers join in.

[Dions_Bald_Head]

John McGinn is a very good player and the goal was sumptuous. If he can just stop the thing where he dwells on the ball and gets his pocket picked, he will be excellent.It's happened a few times now and it happened for Scotland v Belgium (first goal). You get less time on the ball in the Championship than you do in Scotland. But,overall, he was a steal, when you think of some of the money we have blown on big time Charlie's.

This is why there must be some managers eager for the chance to get hold of this team and actually coach them.

I just look at that cheery face of Jack signing his new contract - a player that should be spitting with resentment that he was blocked from joining Spurs for a team now dropping like a stone thru the Championship - & I feel like he knows something we don't.

I'm sure it won't be long now - the problem has been getting in the man to take responsability for picking the right manager at the wrong time of the year.

[DelboyVilla]

We have the best squad in the Championship (if we added another CB) so a lot of managers would jump at the chance of managing this side! Matt Law has it right in that Potato Head is just chopping and changing the team in the hope of a decent side appearing on the pitch! He did it last year when he was forced to bring in the likes of Adomah due to injuries and happened on a winning team otherwise we would have been mid table again.

He has to go sooner rather than later otherwise FFP is really going to bite us on the bum!

[Fpuppys]

I found it very strange that when Grealish signed his contract extension only Purslow commented on how happy the club was, usually you would have Bruce alongside Grealish and a comment from the manager.

If Chester signs an extension tomorrow and Bruce is not in the picture, it can only mean one thing in my eyes.

[big ming]

Derby go through against Manure at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup.
So that's what a well organised team looks like. Lucky for them that they didn't get Burton Albion.
What's that you say about young up and coming managers against stuck in their way's dinosaurs?

[DelboyVilla]

I bet Lampard has a plan? I don't think Lampard uses a bingo machine to pick his sides like Potato Head!

OK I am not 100% convinced by Frank Lampard as a manager as he took this job without even serving as an assistant anywhere and I am sure he will make mistakes. They have made more changes to the playing side than us I imagine and their side will take time to gel and understand what the manager wants. I have not heard Lampard attacking his clubs fans though even when they have had some poor results like losing to Rotherham!

At the end of the day some people are professional and conduct their business with a certain amount of pride and class. Potato Head is NOT one of these people which usually indicates that they know they are crap at their job and the only way they know how to defend that fact and their position is to behave in this classless manner!

We need a manager with a plan and class! This year may be a right of with them but sticking with Potato Head guarantees a season write off so the risk is worth taking?

[FoxyAV]

I bet Lampard has a plan? I don't think Lampard uses a bingo machine to pick his sides like Potato Head!

OK I am not 100% convinced by Frank Lampard as a manager as he took this job without even serving as an assistant anywhere and I am sure he will make mistakes. They have made more changes to the playing side than us I imagine and their side will take time to gel and understand what the manager wants. I have not heard Lampard attacking his clubs fans though even when they have had some poor results like losing to Rotherham!

At the end of the day some people are professional and conduct their business with a certain amount of pride and class. Potato Head is NOT one of these people which usually indicates that they know they are crap at their job and the only way they know how to defend that fact and their position is to behave in this classless manner!

We need a manager with a plan and class! This year may be a right of with them but sticking with Potato Head guarantees a season write off so the risk is worth taking?

Bruce doesn't appear to play to the strengths of his players. It's easy to tell players to pull up their socks, get stuck in and look angry (see Whelan) but we have some players like Jack and Taylor who are entirely in the wrong place. Taylor bugs me. He's a defender who isn't good at attacking. Reliance on full backs to help out the wingers isn't necessary with the attacking players we have, especially if we remove our old and slow DM so we can play two strikers. Our main issue right now is a leaky defence, so why not bring the players back, stick Taylor at LB, Chester and Tuanzebe at CB (sure, Chester will probably have to play on the left) and Hutton at RB. Adomah was great as a winger when he didn't have to defend, although Jack was there last match because we have to play him, McGinn and Hourihane. El Ghazi looks great on the right wing, except we have to play Adomah there because Elmo is in defence because we lent out De Laet and Hutton is at LB. Just play the players in their fucking positions! Start Adomah or Bolasie on left wing, Grealish and McGinn in the middle, El Ghazi on the right and Abraham and Kodjia up front. Then fine tune it so sometimes it's Abraham up front on his own so we can bring in Jedi at DM or Hourihane or Thor or whatever, or play Hogan next to Abraham and watch the goals fly in, or whatever. But let the defence play as a defence, let the players settle, let them do their jobs, let the attack worry about attacking.

[DelboyVilla]

I bet Lampard has a plan? I don't think Lampard uses a bingo machine to pick his sides like Potato Head!

OK I am not 100% convinced by Frank Lampard as a manager as he took this job without even serving as an assistant anywhere and I am sure he will make mistakes. They have made more changes to the playing side than us I imagine and their side will take time to gel and understand what the manager wants. I have not heard Lampard attacking his clubs fans though even when they have had some poor results like losing to Rotherham!

At the end of the day some people are professional and conduct their business with a certain amount of pride and class. Potato Head is NOT one of these people which usually indicates that they know they are crap at their job and the only way they know how to defend that fact and their position is to behave in this classless manner!

We need a manager with a plan and class! This year may be a right of with them but sticking with Potato Head guarantees a season write off so the risk is worth taking?

Bruce doesn't appear to play to the strengths of his players. It's easy to tell players to pull up their socks, get stuck in and look angry (see Whelan) but we have some players like Jack and Taylor who are entirely in the wrong place. Taylor bugs me. He's a defender who isn't good at attacking. Reliance on full backs to help out the wingers isn't necessary with the attacking players we have, especially if we remove our old and slow DM so we can play two strikers. Our main issue right now is a leaky defence, so why not bring the players back, stick Taylor at LB, Chester and Tuanzebe at CB (sure, Chester will probably have to play on the left) and Hutton at RB. Adomah was great as a winger when he didn't have to defend, although Jack was there last match because we have to play him, McGinn and Hourihane. El Ghazi looks great on the right wing, except we have to play Adomah there because Elmo is in defence because we lent out De Laet and Hutton is at LB. Just play the players in their fucking positions! Start Adomah or Bolasie on left wing, Grealish and McGinn in the middle, El Ghazi on the right and Abraham and Kodjia up front. Then fine tune it so sometimes it's Abraham up front on his own so we can bring in Jedi at DM or Hourihane or Thor or whatever, or play Hogan next to Abraham and watch the goals fly in, or whatever. But let the defence play as a defence, let the players settle, let them do their jobs, let the attack worry about attacking.

That your problem? If you were one of the more 'intelligent' fans you would see that Potato Head has been promoted 4 times and not worry about these results and performances as the team will get 'better'!

[FoxyAV]

I bet Lampard has a plan? I don't think Lampard uses a bingo machine to pick his sides like Potato Head!

OK I am not 100% convinced by Frank Lampard as a manager as he took this job without even serving as an assistant anywhere and I am sure he will make mistakes. They have made more changes to the playing side than us I imagine and their side will take time to gel and understand what the manager wants. I have not heard Lampard attacking his clubs fans though even when they have had some poor results like losing to Rotherham!

At the end of the day some people are professional and conduct their business with a certain amount of pride and class. Potato Head is NOT one of these people which usually indicates that they know they are crap at their job and the only way they know how to defend that fact and their position is to behave in this classless manner!

We need a manager with a plan and class! This year may be a right of with them but sticking with Potato Head guarantees a season write off so the risk is worth taking?

Bruce doesn't appear to play to the strengths of his players. It's easy to tell players to pull up their socks, get stuck in and look angry (see Whelan) but we have some players like Jack and Taylor who are entirely in the wrong place. Taylor bugs me. He's a defender who isn't good at attacking. Reliance on full backs to help out the wingers isn't necessary with the attacking players we have, especially if we remove our old and slow DM so we can play two strikers. Our main issue right now is a leaky defence, so why not bring the players back, stick Taylor at LB, Chester and Tuanzebe at CB (sure, Chester will probably have to play on the left) and Hutton at RB. Adomah was great as a winger when he didn't have to defend, although Jack was there last match because we have to play him, McGinn and Hourihane. El Ghazi looks great on the right wing, except we have to play Adomah there because Elmo is in defence because we lent out De Laet and Hutton is at LB. Just play the players in their fucking positions! Start Adomah or Bolasie on left wing, Grealish and McGinn in the middle, El Ghazi on the right and Abraham and Kodjia up front. Then fine tune it so sometimes it's Abraham up front on his own so we can bring in Jedi at DM or Hourihane or Thor or whatever, or play Hogan next to Abraham and watch the goals fly in, or whatever. But let the defence play as a defence, let the players settle, let them do their jobs, let the attack worry about attacking.

That your problem? If you were one of the more 'intelligent' fans you would see that Potato Head has been promoted 4 times and not worry about these results and performances as the team will get 'better'!

I genuinely believe it will get better, just in time for us to miss out on promotion and have the team ripped apart (by losing two or three players again, players we can replace or already have) and so we start again.

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