I really wanted to think about things before I posted anything, but I’m afraid I can’t resist anymore.
It seems most Villa sites are just as reticent as me to actually call for Bruce’s head, probably because they realise, just the same as me, that a lot of what he says makes sense.
I’m trying to be absolutely fair here, so just bare with me.
We had massive upheaval in the summer and Bruce was looking to get rid of anyone who was worth anything, purely to keep the club alive.
That’s a poor situation to be in.
We’re all great managers on paper, but consider what Bruce must have been thinking at the time.
And then it changed on a sixpence, where the new owners came in, which must have been equally as shocking.
So now, Bruce, who was probably part way through negotiations about some players leaving, then has to say it might not happen.
And then maybe, it does after all, as even minted owners have to comply with FFP.
I wouldn’t wish that situation on anyone, as it must be the world’s worst nightmare for a manager in any field, let alone footy.
But that’s where the excuses end.
We’ve signed some great players on loan.
El Ghazi, Bolasie and Abraham seem inspired signings.
And I salute Bruce for getting them in.
But after today, I’m just not seeing how he will make them work for us.
Even if he does to a certain extent, I am pretty sure that it won’t be to their best.
So what actually happened today?
Well, quite simply, we huffed and puffed at a reasonable rate, just the same as we always do under Bruce.
We showed great effort and intent for about 10 minutes, where we massively worried Wednesday, but the rest of it was all far too pedestrian; just the same as we’ve complained about for a long time.
It comes down to simple facts again and Wednesday looked the better team and created more chances.
All while we’re at home.
This is now quite simply unnaceptable.
We’re being bettered by lesser teams.
And as much as I really wanted Bruce to come good for us, now I believe he’s not capable.
If the Elphick rumour is remotely true (and I suspect it probably is), it makes sense.
The manager has too many favourites and is too quick to abandon anyone else, regardless of if they’ve performed well for him.
How must Adohmah feel, for example?
Whatever, it now seems to me that Bruce has shaken the squad up by some very brutal means.
A last roll of the dice, I reckon.
That still made us perform like that today.
A performance that was to my mind, bloody poor.
I really don’t think Bruce has anything left to contribute anymore.
I’d salute the bloke, for what he’s done for us, this far.
He’s stabilised us, without a doubt.
But now is the right time for him to go, as to my mind, there is no way he’s going to progress us as a team.
Go Steve, while some of us can still see your plus points.
Strangely enough i’m wondering if Jack signing a new contract is evidence that Bruce will be out of the door before long.
Can’t imagine him signing knowing that Bruce will be around for the rest of the season.
Makes you think if he took the foot off the peddle to get a better contract. I thought I’d seen what he’s going to get in them 5 years.
Jack’s going to leave anyway next summer (or maybe even Jan) but at least we’ve safeguarded getting a decent fee now.
Nice way to distract attention though from the Bruce debacle…I don’t want to see any further club statements other than us parting company with the dinosaur.
Just wondering if anyone knows when Bruce’s contract ends, maybe something won’t happen til then. Simply sacking may be expensive. BRUCE OUT!
He’s on a rolling contract, with a believed buy-out clause of £2 million.
So whenever he gets sacked, that’s probably what it’s going to cost us.
I’d be very surprised if FFP puts his dismissal at risk, as surely we’d never have signed Bolasie, who’s apparently costing us double that.
Talking of which, £80k a week for a championship player.
He’s a good player, but that’s some gamble.
Thanks, I was noticing a pattern in his behaviour and the end of his Hull days. He left that job in a disruptive way and was comparing it to that of his current demeanor.
Not Villa, I see that Diddier Ngone been saked from Sunderland , the lads been naughty like not turning up for training, he had 3 years to run on contract.
Villain1 I agree , he’s definitely not a manager for us no tactical know how he has to go.
Grealish signing a new contract is a way of ensuring Spurs or whoever pay above the odds in January or next summer. Also it keeps Jack on side by being amongst the top earners at the club. He needs to pick his form up to last season though if he wants promotion or a move to the premier league. Still no news from owners about Bruce! Can’t we at least have the vote of confidence comment?
Blimey, Matt Law of the Telegraph sums things up very well, imo;
https://uk.yahoo.com/sports/news/aston-villa-look-clueless-directionless-091711167.html
not one person has said chester was at fault for both goals against wednesday. not saying its all his fault but we are quick to blame jedi.
i personally think wednesday would have beaten us what ever we tried. they were better team end off. also i don’t understand why everybody wanks over the 442 that system played into the owls game. our 2 centre mids were over run and our two up front were starved of decent supply.
reading that what badger just posted, saying grealish was put on the wing and not his favourable position. i don’t know how you can play him in his position he hasn’t got one. he isnt a centre mid he has played his best stuff, just behind the front man. but in a 442 how can he play that role?
back to owls game, why we didnt play 433 is beyond me. we should drop kodjia play grealish and bolasie on each side of tammy. three mids thou i hate having a holding mid i think we need one to protect a shaky back line. so play hourihane and mcginn and jedi / whelen as hold. just play the kid from united along side chester.
we have got to stop chopping and changing from now. we are never gonna achieve a settle side swapping like this. kodjia and tammy didn’t work against owls what it did playing them was make us weak to the counter and made us weak in midfield.
Nath, my opinion says whether you play one or two up front, Grealish has to be close to them.
Where he is definitely not suited, is in our third, as a covering defender.
If that’s where he is going to spend much of his game, we might as well just drop him, full stop, as any advantage he offers is lost.
I’ve previously said that he needs to do more.
But that never included covering the Left back position; at least not as deep has he has done.
Fair point Nath – Chester was at fault for both goals – but does that say more about Chester or the team performance (what team performance) overall?
Having been a supporter of Bruce, sadly I feel we need to look elsewhere – how long can the owners allow this to continue?
I look at it like this, Ok yes Chester was the reason for both goals but you have to think he’s not a CB and covering that position , the second goal he was not tall enough in the challenge, as a sweeper he’s perfect. It’s all about positions, Bruce is at fault not Chester.
Anyone watching Derby v United? …What Lampard has done to this Derby team is fantastic. Absolute joy to watch. Deserve to win this match..Dare i say it but maybe Henry would have had us playing a similar way??
I think it’s 50% Derby playing some nice stuff, 50% Man Ure playing rubbish.
If they keep this up I can see ‘special one’ getting his cards before Bruce does.
I’d personally say its the way Derby are playing that have made United look poor. Pressing so well and breaking at pace whislt getting loads of players in the box at any given opportunity. Imagine Bruce preparing for this game. Right lads they are better than you so im going to play 9 defensive players to keep it tight. Hit the long ball to Kodjia as soon as you win the ball back but dont ever go past the half way line in case you get caught on the counter. Lets hope we nick it 1-0.
Well done Derby. Well deserved win!
Badger, I’ve still got a delay on posting.
And me Bill
Hitch I’m wondering if its the like button. There was a caption kismit something like that at the bottom of the post , its gone. Still carry on as they say.
I disabled the cache on the site, a while back, because it was madly slow.
Which worked, fine.
I’ve been advised that I shouldn’t do that, so have re-enabled it.
And it’s now gone slow again, for some.
I’ve disabled it again, so it should now be ok.
That’s a different problem from sometimes not being able to post on Android though.
chester did have a big hand in both goals conceded yet i don’t want to hang him, i just want fairness for them all. its understandable that chester is also making blunders the whole defence is at sea on choppy waters. but he is the captain and he has to be marshalling the defensive line. better than for the second. he was slow coming out from the corner. he played three onside. but saying that he wasn’t helped by grealish giving the ball away
we cant just pin the whole defensive problems at the defence and goalkeeper. we had no cover what so from midfield against owls. the ball was given away so many times in positions where the owls where right in on our defence. owls pressed us well in areas they know we would give up possession. both cm were given a torrid time.
i agree with badger on grealish. i know he can get up and down and with all fairness thats great. but hes a liability in our half. he should be in the front line in a 433 either side of tammy. or the player behind the striker. we have to protect this weak defence with three solid midfielder, until the defence getrs organised. which could take months.
Nath the whole team is misaligned, Bruce has panicked in upsetting players, putting players in wrong positions, falling out with our sent on loan players. He’s became a joke to the club, I’m reading post in papers all around the footballing country, he’s gone as far he can take us.he has to go.
Test
Works fine now Badger.
I look at the site every day hoping to read that Bruce has gone and a replacement named.
The owners are between a rock and a hard place. We are bound to breach FFP this year, and sanctions will follow. The likelihood would be that the sanction would hit us next season, and make promotion almost impossible (assuming maybe 12 points deduction). That means we need to get to the Premiership this season. Will we do it with Bruce? Highly unlikely. Could we do it with another manager? Maybe, but it is a big risk. It needs to be done asap if it is to happen at all.
Stick or twist?
DS Villa, so do I, I’m thinking this match tomorrow is his death warrent he has to win or he’s gone. He’s brought all this on himself by playing silly buggers with out of position playeres. He has to go.