Let me get this straight from the off.
I’m utterly disgusted at the result today.
The fact that an ex Walsall player put two goals against us, says it all.
But I firmly believe that sacking Steve Bruce is not the solution to our problems.
I know. That’s going to go totally against the grain.
But there’s something badly wrong. There has to be.
Consider Nigel Spink believes there’s an over-hanging cancer at the club.
And now Tony Morley, after saying at half time that we could easily beat Barnsley, now seems to also accept that there’s something seriously wrong down the Villa.
I respect Morley and believe he can read a game.
I also believe Steve Bruce can read a game and is not a manager who has to rely on other so-called tactitians to tell him what to do.
So why are we starting out with the set-ups that we are and not making the subs when it seems they’re required?
Is Bruce really that poor a manager?
I’m not having that as an excuse, personally and think there’s something we’re not seeing from the outside.
That said, on the face of it, it’s simply appalling.
Morley says he can’t understand why we don’t make the changes when it’s blindingly obvious they’re needed.
I’m the same.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bruce wants the sack.
Which if you seriously think about it, is a frightening thought.
Because if someone of Bruce’s experience in handling players can’t cut it, what chance has any younger manager got?
Am I talking rubbish?
Think about it again.
Look at the managers we’ve had. The players we’ve changed. The hierarchy we’ve changed. The coaches etc we’ve changed. And even the owner.
Whatever has been changed, it simply hasn’t worked.
So is changing the manager again going to work?
I’m afraid I just don’t see it.
That said, I know my arguments aren’t going to cut much ice.
Morley said we could beat Barnsley easy, at half time, but basically described us as a load of jellyfish ten minutes after.
The facts are that if we carry this on, we’re going down; no ifs and buts.
And I know it’s what you’re thinking too.
And it’s why I’m reluctantly putting a poll up.
Sad days.
[polldaddy poll=9665168]
Hitch, wasn’t his saying you lucky people? Might be wrong Hitch.
Yes, that was Tommy Trinder, Bill.
Well, the poll is actually going better than I expected, tbh.
Pretty much 50-50.
But if we keep losing that’ll surely change.
I’d love to know Xia’s true thoughts, but he must be as amazed as the rest of us.
Going back to the game, I can’t stop thinking about the subs.
Why were they delayed so long when it was apparently obvious that things weren’t turning for the better?
And why were two of the better players in Lansbury and Hutton taken off?
I’ve read elsewhere that Hutton was asking those on the bench “why me?”
Looking around, it seems his question was justified, given the ratings for the likes of Grealish.
I’m just mystified as to how it’s come down to this. Again.
Most worrying of all, even though there are people calling for Bruce’s head, no-one seems to have a serious answer to how we can turn it around.
And I reckon that includes the hierarchy too.
The most telling comments imo were posted by the Barnsley fans with reference to Conor Hourihane’s performance and who have no axe to grind with Bruce…
“Looked a very unhappy Footballer playing in a team with NO REAL PATTERN or PLAN. Looked over wistfully to fans as he trudged off”
“Didn’t see him interact. He didn’t really do much at all to be honest. Too many cooks in their midfield.”
“Wonder how Hourihane and Bree felt at full time they’ve joined a team of strangers in complete free fall I can actually see them going down.”
“If Barnsley had hourihane, bree, lansbury and Hogan we would be 20 points clear at the top now.”
And these lot are a little more familiar with this division than us.
Bruce Out!!
Problem is BWS, we are club who has had new managers, new investment, new players, new owners and it still isnt stopping the freefall…. A new manager will want cash in the summer, which could cause us even more problems if the Dr gets bored and leaves….
I think players have come purely for the extra cash, so we have a team of merceneries who dotn care if we win, lose or draw as they still get paid.
Sad times, and I cant see it getting any better !
You’re spot on mate but who’s advising the Doc?
RDM and Bruce are the best they can come up with?
Ashley for all his faults went for it with Raffa at Newcastle no pissing about with journey men – has been – never was managers.
Your right there, maybe the one common thing is both our owners, present and previous have absolutely no experience of running a football club and maybe thats where our problem lies..
But Wyness does and successfully
Obviously not.
Not at Villa so far – true but he was undeniably successful at Everton during some particularly difficult times for the club and stuck by Moyes even when they were in real sh*t.
I have no idea what the answer is but neither does anyone else!
“Bruce out!!”
See that’s the thing BWS.
If someone came out with a plausible answer as to what we should do, I might actually agree with you.
Looking around, I’ve seen comments where the club is too big for Bruce.
If it’s too big for someone of Bruce’s experience, what the hell chance has a less experienced manager got?!
Ridiculous type comment, imo.
Don’t get me wrong.
I find it impossible to understand some of the things Bruce has done.
Playing Amavi as a defender and not as a WB left me stunned, for instance.
I’m not even convinced Bruce can turn this around quickly enough.
But at the same time, I don’t see getting yet another manager as the solution.
To sum up, younger, less experienced manager = absolutely not.
Better manager, been there, won lots = Not a chance
So what’s the option?
I don’t see any and we have to stick, imo.
Of course, there may come a time where it might appear I could do a better job 🙂
And that’s where my opinion might change.
I’d take Rowett all day mate, it might not be pretty but at least we’d be organised and difficult to beat and in all honesty I’d would have rather had Lambert back that Potato head.
I detest these journeymen, had their day, pension plan mangers.
Bruce Out!!
*than*
I’m sure it’s been mentioned before, but I think we (Villa) need psychological help. Yes, I hear you all saying wtf, but I honestly do. On paper it looks a good side, we have new players and whether you like him or not an experienced manager and his backroom staff. And one thing is certain; it isn’t working. Prof. Steve Peters has helped Ronnie O’Sullivan and many others in sport (yes I know the England football team too). His book ‘The Chimp Paradox’ is brill. A really easy read and makes so much sense about what makes people tick.
We can talk about managers, systems, formations and players until the cows come home, but at the end of the day if you don’t have the mental toughness to persevere when things are getting difficult, then you will bend and eventually break. For me, that is what is happening now. We all have a fight, flight and freeze instinct that kicks in when we are scared or put under immense pressure. We are freezing just like a rabbit in the headlights, and sometimes even flight (hiding) kicks in. That’s what I see in us; you can see it in our captain when he lines up in the tunnel. He and the others look petrified to me. Until this is sorted we are bang in trouble.
Anyway, just my thoughts.
UTV
Great post Dan and you could be onto something.
All the teams assembled at VP over the past seasons appear to suffer from type of paralysis and with everything else failing perhaps a shrink (or an exorcism!) are the only options left.
i don’t think bruce will be sacked yet. maybe after the toon game. i look around i can’t see many replacements. Rowett he did a wonderful job with a shit club. but i really cant see us hiring another x b nose. Pardew i always respected, but he probably won’t be on most villa fans wish list. we have to be careful. not many managers will want this poison chalice.
i would like to know why we are so bad. i respect teams are not forged overnight, but players like amavi are much better than they show in villa colors. i saw ayew come on for swansea, i know it was his debut and he had to show effort. but he did more in 20 minutes than all this season for villa.
why are we so bad, why are players opening taking the piss out of the club and fans. take RM he has done nothing for the club. why do we sign these mercenaries.
we should forget our differences in tactics/ formations/ styles. we need to look at the efforts of players. they are definitely not giving anything close to full efforts. i seen ppl claiming we dont press. this is a good example. pressing can only work with the whole team buying into closing down. if you have 9 players closing and just 1 saying fook that for a game of soldiers. sooner or ltrs the whole team dont bother to close down. if you watch villa closely you see them start to press and then one or two stop and then whole team then start backing off.
i am not buying that bruces is instructing them to back off like this. pressing is the first signs the efforts of players are not there. but WHY
If Bruce wants them to do it and they don’t then they have no confidence in Bruce.
Also, as a manager, if a player doesn’t do as he is told you take him off and leave him out of the team until he plays as you tell him.
not taking the piss but we havent pressed for years. even under mon we sat back. iam not up bruces arse like somebody said. lol i just dont believe bruces the reason we are dog shit. we were and have been dog shite for years. i just wanted to ask you guys, why you think we havent pressed as a team. i blame the players we buy. we have been buying player who have all ready made their names, they are not hungry to continue. we are a retirement home a last payment.
as i said before to get the whole team to press like pool or Huddersfield try too, is not easy.you cant do this solo all the outfield players need to work and if one stops they all will. watch villa you can see at the start they do this and when they see others not doing this they all stop and back off.
we done it under rdm lambert sherword mon i think houllier team tried to press if i recall, but was a short rein. and he used younger players like i recall a game against united were he threw a few youngsters and we got a respected draw
Slight difference. We had the tools to properly hurt teams on the break. And Barry and Milner in midfield. And a strong defence. Our current midfield can all tackle, pass and move. They are not suited to counter attack, and should play possession, progressive football taking the game to the opposition. They have relative youth and energy on their side as well.
Who said pressing is easy? Our defence is not good enough to soak up pressure and break out. They tend to hoof the ball forward and miss out the midfield. Just because something needs hard work doesn’t rule it out.
The comment about us being a retirement home is crap. Maybe in the past but that isn’t true of most of the present squad. A good manager would make a proper side of the players we have.
So you blame the players? Did Bruce have a say in those? I bet he did. Not his fault that he can’t coach or motivate them properly is it?
goals we are conceding are individual errors. harder to eradicate those mistakes. unless you start chopping um from the team. them maybe he will have no players. with your answers for all no point me wasting my time.
except when have we bought young hungry DECENT players never. mon team used to get as much abuse as currently. why do we have 30% possession lmao if i recall lamberts team was shit defense but he used counter attack with 30 % possession. all excuses pure guessing. we are not pressing because this team havent had time to work on this, it not easy to do. you have to press in packs this current team havent been together long enough, to be able to press successfully. .
I could go along with Rowett, if we’re going to go down the “total strip back and start again” road.
Would the support generally go along with that sort of strategy though?
One that might involve young players and the risk it brings?
I’m not convinced.
And I doubt Xia will be ready for that quite yet.
Hitch,
Wyness might not be quite as good as we think.
There was an article in the Brum Mail, I think, that talked about how he rode rough-shod over the fans’ views re the Kirkby stadium move and out-sourced everything.
It would seem it’s no co-incidence that there have been complaints over corporate over the last couple of months.
It certainly opened my eyes.
Stop the negative whinging and just SUPPORT……we have, and WILL come back from far worse than this!
Bruce is the man to bring us back next season!
JV….Stop you constant moaning especially about Hutton….sent over a wonderful cross for Kodjia (again), defended excellently and me (and all the fans around me in the Holte) couldnt believe it when we was hooked! Dont you have anything to say about his ‘Man of the Match’ performance?….no, thought not!
And I’ll say this again!
We never lost at home this season when the following ‘much maligned’ players were in the starting 11!
Bunn
Gollini
Richards
Gabby
McCormack
Westwood
Bacuna
Just saying!!!
Cut out the negative shite…..its what puts me off this site!
langford
are you blind adoamh crossed for codja
and while youse happy clappers salute king spud i will point out the crap hutton included
mom when we lose 3 1 at home to barnsley and what the fuck was he doing for 3rd goal yes hutton give another 4 year contract
“We won’t go down!”
Yea, ok whatever Langford.
In fairness Langford, some of the comments on other sites are way more negative and they’re certainly not isolated to here.
Me, I’m doing my best to keep a balanced perspective, but it’s difficult when you consider most fans can’t see where the next point is coming from, let alone us winning games.
We need to bear in mind the facts, which are that we have the worst form in all four divisions, I believe and a “goals for” nearly as bad.
I’m all for optimism but I don’t see that any of those players won us a game either, except maybe RM on one occasion, fwiw.
Opinions work both ways and I’m sure you’d agree a site full of happy clappers isn’t what we want.
I honestly can’t fathom how anyone could back Bruce. Stability for stabilities sake is not a reason nor is this experience BS. What experience did David Wagner, Jaap Stam, Carlos Carvahal have with vastly inferior squads and money spent.
I wouldn’t even give Bruce a 1 out of 10 for his job at Villa. The Mccormack farce and his gleeing to his press pals, bringing that tosser Gabby back, the goalkeeping farce, the negative tactics and awful lineups and subs. Its been a complete nightmare and aside from 45 minutes against Brighton there hasn’t been a good performance. Di Matteo was sacked for less. I think Tony will bottle it this time though and the consequence could be league one or long term championship strugglers at best.
dont write the truth here villian1 its spud love in, i didnt post for couple weeks yet 3/4 keep using my name when they post
7 defeats out of 8 to cardif wolves brentford ipswich barnsley forest spurs in cup and a draw after been 2 up at home to preston
Didn’t see you when we were winning did we?????????
play school let you out giddy
So you can’t answer that part timer
With all due respect just when was that Giddy?
bws
dont bother with giddy he just of the bottle and mammy wont give him his dummy
spouts rubbish week after week
You want to get fucking personal Junior Villan bring it on at least I’m on here win lose or draw, not just to fucking gloat about your hatred of bruce so whind that tiny fucking neck of yours in
giddy
mammy take your dummy again
you are one of the ones keep using my name because your that far up bruce has you cannot see the crap he is producing hull swansea new managers player not needing time to gel funny its just bruce
but maybe mammy give you your dummy if ask nicely
My mum passed away in 1981 so go on keep pushing me you fucking piece of undesirable shite & I couldn’t give one fuck if I’m banned
Ok…keep your negative shit to youself. It beggars belief that people are calling for Bruce’s head after less than half a season in charge! Have you forge the previous 5/6 years of total neglect? How quick do you think ANYONE could turn that around with a completely new set up and a completely new squad (almost).
Running a poll for ‘click bait’ purposes to make money (dont deny it) is shameful and pathetic!
FFS……stop moaning and SUPPORT….I’m out of here. I hope the few positive posters on here will not be crushed by the negatives.
Never forget….we did not choose, we were CHOSEN……dont use this privileged position to be negative at every opportunity!
hope you continue to post your positives views, some ppl do appreciate them. we are all angry and mystified why we are not improving. we should be experts now with all we have been through.
i think iam gonna be silent for a long while, or until the mood and forms improves.
Click bait to earn money?
That’s a bloody step too far Langford!
I can assure you we don’t make a single bloody penny out of this.
Have you not noticed the major lack of advertising?
And fwiw, I fund every penny of it out of MY pocket, because I’m interested in hearing what other fans think regardless of view, as long as it’s kept reasonably respectable.
The exact same reason I put the poll up.
Frankly, if that’s your attitude, you can piss off!
But hopefully it’s through beer or stress or something and no doubt we’ll have both cooled down later.
Badger, what I’m going to say is I was close to going in with you both, I’m Villa born under the stands, lights wasn’t in then, Robo jumped ship thank you both for taking this site on, Now we are all Villa lads, it hurts and we all feel it, let’s stay that way.
You’d be few hundred quid down mate! 🙂
It just annoys me when people suggest we do it for the money.
That’s never been important.
But you’re right, we’re all on the same side.
Just we have different views, which should be respected.
Well at least some of us appreciate it Badger 😀
If we won Monday guaranteed some fuckers going to find something negative to say.
No Giddy ,it would be a relieve mate, i get where Landfords coming from but let’s face it, we are going backwards, I’m Villa , I’ll kick any arse for them, but its gone tits up. We need to find out now how to stop this effing slide, falling out won’t help finding why will.
well said 🙂
nobody knows why,,, but we all want to know.
I find it fascinating.
Some think it’s a “Spud love in”, while others think we are too negative.
Just like the Villa, it seems we can’t do right for doing wrong.
Most importantly, it tells me the site is reasonably balanced and probably quite realistic, as is seen in the divide re Bruce and the way things are going.
If we continue our current losing streak past 10 games then I think any owner would consider sacking the manager.
Personally, at this stage it doesn’t matter where the manager has been or what he has done at other clubs, it is now about what he has achieved at Aston Villa.
21 matches: 7-5-9, 33% ratio (which for Bruce is pretty much on par with his past clubs)
For me, I don’t see things getting much better. I don’t think we’ll go down, but Bruce is fighting a losing battle. If he hasn’t lost the dressing room it is only a matter of time with the supporters getting upset. For the past two weeks he has been blaming the players for not stepping up, but sooner or later he need to stop taking responsibility for things and just sort his house out. Both Johnstone and Bruce’s poor subs, tactics have cost us more points this season than any other person at the club. Like it or not, he now has a negative dressing room and for the past 2 months he has gone into every half time speech giving the squad a hair drier treatment. It should be no surprise that the players have begun to turn off.
We are all pissed off at the moment , I am shocked with what is happening at the Villa. Bruce said he can turn this around let’s see if can. Sack him now then who comes in. Villa might shock us again and beat Newcastle .
we have had too many managers that have lasted under 28 games since sherwood. they all have inputted their philosophies in there short times, its ok saying sack sack sack. all this bad football, mistakes,zero pressing all balls down to lack of stability. so whats the answer sack bruce and hire another guy for 28 games and then he implements his tactics and we sack him.
soon we will win a game in division 1 just like coventry and wolves dropped too. the well run clubs ones that have stability are in the premiership great clubs like burnley bournmouth
All this talk about sacking Bruce is farcical. Over the last however many years no manager, with the exception of Paul Lambert, has been given enough time to turn things around and given the restraints that Lambert was put under he done a bloody decent job!
We went through massive massive change during the summer as well as signing 7 new players in January so it’s no real surprise that we ain’t clicked yet.
Yes Bruce is responsible for results but given his record at this level I believe we have the best man to achieve what we all want, a return to The Premier League.
Constantly sacking manager after manager hasn’t and isn’t going to work. If proof is needed look at how many managers we’ve had in the last 3 years and where it’s got us.
New owner who’s put his money where is mouth is. New players who have proved to be successful at this level. A new manager who’s record in this division is 2nd to none and a new board with football people on it. That’s everything that this time last season we were all crying out for. Well now we’ve been given it how about they get given a chance to put this club back where it belongs.
Given that so much has happened in a short space of time and a few predicted (rightly) it was going to get worse before it gets better then why are the same people calling for even more change? This was never going to be a quick fix.
Lerner spent years ruining and bleeding this club dry it’s going to take just as long to get it back to where it was.
We’ve been given everything we asked for last year. Is it not a resonable request to give them a decent amount of time to put it right? Afterall the club weren’t exactly smelling of roses 6 months ago when Xia and his team came in was it?
exactly …… top post B6
just like to add we changed loads in summer also / so we are trying to gel a new squad not easy….also the good dr has invested time and money but changing again as B6 says new manager new ideas will want surely his players / were will this end ?? likely with the good dr saying enough is enough
Hmm, the poll seems to have taken a turn in Bruce’s favour.
60/40, which suggests the “stayers” are winning the debate.
But the site’s too negative???
I’m not seeing it, looking at that.
Ah, sorry.
I’ve still got the hump at the suggestion that we only do this for the money 🙁
Badger we know you do the site for love and most of us really appreciate it keep up the good work.
Cheers
You really don’t know how much I appreciate that comment Bri.
Ta mate 🙂
I think I’m beginning to get an inkling into how Bruce feels.
i think lang was angry, when we are angry we hit out, we are only human and sad. their are some ppl with agendas, out to just wind others up. just cause certain ppl have their views. doesn’t give you the right to ram them down others throats. we can all have our say. with also allowing others their,even if thats not in agreement with your own. that’s our rights. would also be a boring site with us all agreeing all the time
we are all grateful we have a blog or site (not cpu savy) like this and i am appreciated theirs somewhere i can get shit of my chest, read other views. so the ppl running this blog page, we thank you.