“Nath” went on a bit of a rant after the game last night.
I don’t know if it was beer-induced (quite understandable, after a very important win), but he did raise a very good point I thought, in that he thinks some of us fans are practically hoping that Steve Bruce will fail at the Villa.
Personally I don’t see it like that all.
The fact is that Bruce came in with only one mandate, which was to get us promoted.
Okay, it was a massive ask, given the state we were in, but that was the job, pure and simple.
While cutting costs at the same time, it transpires from last night’s interview.
An even bigger task then.
Which at the moment, he’s on course to complete.
While I’d agree it does seem that some fans are only happy when they have something to moan about, so I also think that if you are a fan of the club you can only want us to do well.
And I hasten to add that it’s not only on this site. I’ve read similar types of negative comment about Bruce on every other Villa site you care to mention.
It’s the nature of the beast that you’ll never keep everyone happy, all of the time and I’ve seen this in general life too.
Cest la vie.
But I’ve also noticed that the Villa site’s writers tend to be a bit more reticent in slating the manager.
Yes, there’s negative comment when we’ve played poorly but also praise when we’ve played well. Which is exactly as it should be, in my opinion.
At least that’s what I like to think I do and suspect other writers elsewhere do exactly the same.
I’m not exactly sure what I’m trying to say, but the point is we all call things as we see them at the time and they may go against the more immediate clamour.
I’ve been generally supportive of Bruce, even when times were toughest and many wanted him gone.
Maybe my more advanced years than average give me a more laid back, steadier attitude, as much as I still wear my heart on my sleeve at times?
It doesn’t really matter.
The point is I’ll be looking at things again, whether we get promoted or not, in a couple of weeks time.
And my view will basically boil down to which league we’re in.
And even then, I suspect I’ll be supportive either way.
Let’s see what happens first, eh?
It’s the sneaky ones I’m talking about and this is no way aimed at those of us who are openly against Bruce for whatever reason.
Oohah’s a good example. Not a sniff from him while it’s looked like we might be doing well, regardless of if he can get on the site from a particular tablet or not.
He’s the co-owner of the site, after all!
That said, I know he’s had reasons, but blimey, if you can’t support us now, you never will, imo.
Oohah, where are you?
I was going to ask that same question about Oohah, you in previous post said he was having computer problems but after a while it begun to let me think something had gone on in his life. Nath probably thinks like me , if you read back some poster’s have gone missing since Bruce has made progress, but Sid and me have admitted we had our doubts at some stage but with him now till the end, infact just signed up to go to Wembley should it happen. Still not getting notification on post badger I’ve no idea yet as to why.
You aren’t subscibed Bill, as far as I can see.
Re-subscribe and it should be all good mate.
its true or i wouldnt have mentioned it. just ask yourself how busy this site and others where during the nightmare periods. even this season when we started slow. fans where way too quick to slam bruce and players. given the transfer restraints bruce suffered the last few windows. he has built a squad better than the one that got us relegated in the first place.
its not perfect nothing ever is, but the best team we can field is a match for any team in this league. why they started slow or had the blips its just down to small issues. but some rants on here regarding bruce not cut out for football managing or tactics side was nothing short of b/s. the same fans that were ranting this have gone awfully quiet , half of me wants them to be right and we fall just short say at wembley. then i can sit back and watch the posts roll in saying told you so. bruce out etc its far busier on this site and others alike when the shits hitting the fan than say when we are just 2 games away from our goal of promotion and all the posters are the die hard ones which post win or lose with the same standards.
is it just villa fans i don’t believe it is. before the game with boro i spied on their fan sites to gauge whether they had high hopes. they did and after the game the same fans that where singing how traore would rip us a new arsehole where now slating him for not releasing the ball when being crowded out. or their manager for not going 442 and his poor tactics. seems it a epidemic all clubs suffer. games still on a knife edge should boro grab the first goal then our fans are as likely to get on the players backs. just like boro fans say theirs did soon as jedi scored.
it wasn’t a drunken rant in the first placed, it was just a fishing or phishing post aimed to stir up responses lol i was trying to reel in a endangered villa bashers the lesser seen ones
No one wants Bruce to fail, because that means Villa fails. Fans who are against Bruce expected him and the club to do better. Automatic Promotion for one, maybe even contest Wolves for 1st. (They were after all called the foreign whipping boys by the very one you’re claiming thinks Villa fans want him to fail and yet they won the league with ease). It’s not wanting him to fail, it’s expecting him to do better with what he has and all this talk about being the best ever Championship manager we’ve had to endure for almost 2 seasons. Or the “we’ll contend when he gets his team after the January window” which was constant last season before the January window and we didn’t contend. It’s the boring style, the stifle the either team style that was supposedly going to change once he got his own team by these same people that question Villa fans who apparently don’t want him to succeed. His failures are currently Villa’s failures. NO ONE, not a single Villa fan alive, wants him to fail just so he can get sacked. But if he does fail, he rightfully deserves it.
i personally didn’t want bruce to be manager, but is he qualified to do the job off course he is. the same missing fans have pointed fingers at me accusing me of being bruce biggest supporter. other derogatory names not worth reprinting. but i am supposed to drop that and wait for bruce to fail and they will reappear to post.their told you so posts and bruce dino rants. then iam suppose to eat humble pie and etc even if we go up forgive and forget be the bigger wanker and all
funny how andrews brings wolves into the debate. can we all think back to our season tips. i am a sad case, i can remember nobody mentioning wolves. does now andrew now think predicting them after the end is worth any bonus points.
for instance i said villa would be top 2 ish with boro. and andrew also claimed boro do i make mistakes ??
playing the best football doesn’t win leagues. look at fulham they had fans drooling but are they promoted ??? you will find wolves got promoted because they were consistently good all season, they well deserved their title. but cardiff were also well deserving of second. i have seen many jealous fans bitching cause they are promoted and fulham missed out.
how many fans or experts of the game predicted wolves, not many if any. how many predicted cardiff i would say nobody. which goes to show you winning this league is not a foregone conclusion.
i will admit i expected wolves to fall away but around christmas i know then, they would wouldn’t fall away. but i believed we were still in the hunt for 2nd up to when we fell at bolton and rangers.
Let’s not make it personal.
I think there are good points on both sides of the argument and this has all the signs of a good debate.
Not that it’ll last long, as we’ll soon move onto Tuesday.
Me, I agree that it isn’t the quality of football that wins the season.
But I also agree that some of the footy was dire, albeit for maybe pragmatic reasons.
And it may have been fair to expect better, as in an auto place, given our squad.
Devils’ advocate, if you like 🙂
Pretty sure you can see by now the reasons why some just don’t post much anymore though. Bunch of long winded posts made by the same person who can’t even remember an argument from 8-9 months ago about Wolves. Saying the same thing over and over again. Anyone who’s ever posted against Bruce whether we won or lost got the same rant over and over, 6-8 posts a day. Basically why I’ve even given up acknowledging them anymore. There’s no point.
Anyways, as you said. The footy is for the most part dire, and you are right, the style you play doesn’t win you the league. Other than for City… When leicester won the league. barcelona, Bayern, etc. In fact I think it’s far more common good attacking football wins you the league over a Mourinho-style. One of which United fans want him gone for. Defensive football doesn’t win you the league either. And yes, well done to Cardiff for their long run of wins to getting 2nd playing some mediocre stuff. That however isn’t the usual case. A strong balance is what works, but it’s not something we even have yet.
who cares really what you have to say. other than jv illan who is another dickhead and your biggest fan. you know nothing about football. keep playing your ps games or ybox . you go off crying to badger if your confronted. or cant get your own way.
tell us how you predicted wolves before the season. and i will show you a mentiroso. you predicted middlesbro and don’t cry about it now. you moan about british managers and your a villa fan in disguise. if we blow up you will be happy and the first to moan.
hey badger can you stop this fool from stalking me. i want a restraining order on this know nothing about soccer
poor old nath nobody loves him or cares what he posts,when he takes his head out of bruce ass and sees what is built on sand washes away with incoming tide
i succeeded in bringing you out, you daft dickhead. i banged on your bridge long enough and i knew you would be out from under it.
I’ve had a look badger have to wait and see, Nath me mate, yes you are, we are all on the same side here my hand went up weeks ago on Bruce sticking with him, I did the same looked on other sites and yes some are down right idiots and wouldn’t give them any of my time, the language is vile and should be stopped, Badger ever thought of having monitors on this site ? I’d vote for Nath..
any ways i never said villa fans wanted villa to lose. i beat around the bush, but i was insinuating this site and other villa sites are far more active when villa are in a crisis than when we are just 2 games away from our goal and nobody is posting. so what i said isnt as far fetched as its seems its more accurate, boro chat site was buzzing before and after the games. 100 % positive before and 90% where doomed mongers after the game.
i will stir it up i hope we lose to derby in the final and remain in championship. so then we can blood the youth. many fans say ohare was right for this campaign so next year he will be surely ready. would be fun to watch next year with a more youthful side,
I think some fans think because we are Aston Villa that we should be winning this league comfortably. Truth is we have been in decline from the day O’Neill walked and literally fell off the edge of a cliff the season we got relegated. We were in a worse state than when Sunderland got relegated. So the turnaround achieved by Bruce and his coaching staff deserve major credit. I hope we keep Bruce even if we don’t go up. He would still be one of the best managers to get us promoted, and we are going in the right direction with promising youngsters to back up the first team. What’s the alternative? Unknown foreign coach or failed premier manager? Keep the faith! UTV
It’s not because of who we are. It’s because of who we have. Hogan, a well known Championship striker. McCormack, a well known Championship striker. Should be banging in at least 10+ each with the service we have, no? Obviously it’s hard to blame Kodjia because he was injured the entire season.
Snodgrass and Adomah, two Premier League wingers are playing in the Championship. Adomah went on a great run at the start of the season. 4 goals since the end of December. 10 goals prior to that. Why the huge dip? Hasn’t scored since the Wolves game. Snodgrass has done well though.
Onomah, highly rated Spurs youth player. Literally had 5 good games all season. Hourihane, supposedly one of if not the best Championship midfielders and he had a very hot and cold season. Most don’t even think he’s good enough for us in the Championship. Three quarters of our fans did nothing but harp on about how good Lansbury was gonna be. That was a complete failure, no? Whelan for the first 3/4’s of the season was a wreck and Jedinak was also very hot and cold.
As for our defense… Elmo? Average at best defensively. Constantly needed protection by Chester. Chester was by far the best signing we’ve made bar Kodjia since we got relegated. Terry did what was expected. Hutton actually impressed defensively which before this season was a rarity that he’d even get into position to defend. Samba? Pretty much a waste. Tuanzebe? Hit or miss. Taylor? A premier league fullback became a huge miss. And Johnstone, still a bit flappy on crosses/corners and you can tell some of the defenders don’t trust him on those but an incredible shot stopper absolutely.
Not too mention Davis, Murphy, Grealish (best player in the Championship), Green, O’Hare, Doyle, etc. Why should we have not expected to go up automatically with this side? It’s not who we are. It’s the players we have. People claim City and Chelsea only win the league because of the money they spent, but they win the league. How do we not even compete with the money spent over 2 seasons?
You’re right, Bruce was brought in to get us promoted and we very well might/should still get promoted. But we didn’t compete for the top. That’s not acceptable.
Andrew, well balanced post that, I agree in what you’ve said, Houlahan to me is a failure I’ve questioned his worth in the side many times, Taylor also a failure a risky defender ,Bjarnasson just starting to show his worth, I just dont understand why we don’t slip a young player in now and again. (like your post).
I get why Bruce has his fans, and there is no doubt we have done better than last year, regardless of the play offs outcome.
I’m not convinced but like I’ve said all along I’ll hold my hands up and say well done to Bruce if we get promoted. I still won’t want him as manager in the Prem.
If we don’t go up who knows what will happen. Maybe more youth involvement. I would be OK with that. Under Bruce? Not sure really.
Won’t have a lot of choice if we don’t go up on bringing through youth. Terry recently said he’ll stay only if we go up as that’s what is in his contract. We can’t afford Hutton’s extension without going up. Imagine trying to get new players in?
i think thats the better outcome for all, but the owners. we miss out this season and play another in the championship. but next year, no short cuts or papering over the cracks. we build from the ground up, with our wonderful youth.
bruce cant win and never could, even before he signed for the club. the guy smith at brentford his style of play is equal or better than that of fulham. but its open and in the premiership we would lose many more than winning.
unless we spend vast amounts of dough, we will need a manager who knows how to grind it out to survive in the premiership. we have fallen well behind even the 10th to 15 th would kick our butts
off to get some beauty sleep. the site should be full of wonderful posts, what with jvillan coming out to play. should be a wonderful read in the morning . i love bruces arse its much better than your jvillan as your full of shit
bloody hell, somebody has been busy. trouble is with some posters. its like they spend all day on their posts. then look around at other posters to compare their work. well i don’t have have all day to waste. i type mine out and if i can be bothered i may give it a quick read through to check it all makes sense. as i know i cant type for shit or count the words.
somebody pointed out my posts might be on the tad long then posts a novel. probably about nothing but shit to refute, everything i said somewhere in my life.
look at my post badger definitely better than that horrible naths. A plus andrews welll done little buddy. yours made lots of sense. a pack o your favourite sweets are heading across the pond.
Nath, you know how to stick the knife in and now you twisting it, come off that high horse your better than that, you do write some good post and so does Andrew, if anyone needs to proof read a post its me. We are all Villa fans and stand by each other.let’s agree that one person’s post may not be others posters agreement, but they are Villa fans.Utv.
I’ve been accused of being a Bruce ‘lover’ but like Badger I believe I’ve tried to be balanced over his managership. Yes, I did want him appointed as I felt he was the right guy at the right time and broadly I believe that’s been proved to be true.
Holte makes a good point in that the club was in a terrible state when relegated and could well have preceded Sunderland into League One, Bruce has subsequently admitted this was his greatest fear when he took over.
I am open minded about his future tenure and will wait to see what happens in the play offs but full marks for his game plan on Saturday.
If you get a chance to read it, there is a very good article in today’s Times reporting on Saturday’s game which puts a lot into perspective and confirms what many were saying prior to Bruce’s arrival. Deals with a range of topics from a toxic dressing room to the overdue development of Jack Grealish and I quote “..by the time (Jack) was 21 he’d had seven different managers all telling him different shit”
All Villa fans would agree that Grealish is our star man and probably the best in the championship. This has to be down to the current management who have finally got him fulfilling his potential. Don’t get me wrong, I think Bruce has made a few clangers during his time, but McCormack signing wasn’t his and Hogan has suffered with injuries which can’t have helped, but I still think he has potential to come good. Grabban loan signing was inspired, and as for Kodja we all know his potential. If we don’t get promoted I still fancy us to hold onto these players. If they do go then it will be well above the asking price because they are under contract, except Grabban who I still think could be signed. If we do get promoted then Bruce deserves the opportunity to see if he can make a go of it. The jury will be out on that.
Snodgrass and Adomah, two Premier League wingers are playing in the Championship. Adomah went on a great run at the start of the season. 4 goals since the end of December. 10 goals prior to that. Why the huge dip? Hasn’t scored since the Wolves game. Snodgrass has done well though.
this was taken from a brilliant post earlier. makes me laugh when ppl don’t understand players are humans, FORM is a important factor with a player playing well or to his ability. sometimes players will play with slight knocks. these are hidden factors why players forms dip for weeks or months. also players individual forms can affect otther players in the team.
can anybody print the transfer layouts for this season alone just for championship clubs.
i don’t own a high horse bill. but some ppl around here have a whole stable full of them. if you like a post. you really don’t need to disclose this to me or others. i can review the posts myself. it wasn’t that special that you felt it needed over endorsing. i thought it was drawn out, was started going places and lead nowhere
the lesser spotted jvillan made appearance last night. this was unusual, it only ever happens when villa lose and scum win. goes to show you always bait your lines. you never know what you will catch
Being a well established fisherman Nath I know that, think its all over for Derby, Fulham to Wembley.