Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[curiousorange]

This may be doing him a great disservice, but I feel that Dean Smith needs a step between Brentford and Villa. At the moment it's too big a punt for both parties.

[Lastfootstamper]

When we go up, time will tell if he's good enough to manage us at some time in the future.

If we conspire to grace this division with our presence for another season, then I don't see a massive
step.

If you're thinking of Derby's ilk, if he went and was successful with such a side, he wouldn't need the Villa job. Success in the Championship is easily measured for a lot of clubs; you go up.

[cdward]

If we did bring in Dean Smith, he would know how to get the goals out of Scott Hogan.

[Proposition Joe]

Re: Dean Smith. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Brentford are a club absolutely steeped in data/analytics. It's how they gain their competitive advantage vs bigger spenders. Seeing that is part of the club's stucture and not something the managers there have brought in, a manager's success in that setup might not automatically translate to a more "analog" club.

FWIW I like Bruce, I think he's played a big part in our transition from basket case to a club that actually can get routine wins. Even if the playoffs don't work out, I'd keep him.

[SoccerHQ]

Re: Dean Smith. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Brentford are a club absolutely steeped in data/analytics. It's how they gain their competitive advantage vs bigger spenders. Seeing that is part of the club's stucture and not something the managers there have brought in, a manager's success in that setup might not automatically translate to a more "analog" club.

FWIW I like Bruce, I think he's played a big part in our transition from basket case to a club that actually can get routine wins. Even if the playoffs don't work out, I'd keep him.

They do use that system but he's also signed players from his former club....Rico Henry and Sawyers both developed under him at Walsall.

I presume Round in the background has developed a similar system for the next manager to make use of.

[Hookeysmith]

If the mythical / mesmerising FFP actually comes into force and we are reliant on academy talent then I think we could not let SB loose with them as he has no experience or evidence of being able to work with young players.

Dean Smith would be ideal for the likes of:

Bree
Green
Doyle-  Hayes
Suliman
O'Hare
Lyden
Davis
RHM
Bedeau
Clark

That is not a bad set of youth players to forge a team out of and that is assuming we would not lose all current squad players.

If we go up - we will need better than SB. Give him a huge bonus and say "Thanks" but as he always uses his record in this division as his CV then at the same measure he is shite in the big boys league.
If we stay down - we need to change SB

[cannock villa]

I think the problem Bruce has with most supporters is that he is like a girlfriend that they have got bored with. She is solid and dependable but plain looking, she will never let you down but doesn't excite you anymore. Its only when you dump her for a stunner who is nothing but hard work that you realise what you had.

[AsTallAsLions]

I think the problem Bruce has with most supporters is that he is like a girlfriend that they have got bored with. She is solid and dependable but plain looking, she will never let you down but doesn't excite you anymore. Its only when you dump her for a stunner who is nothing but hard work that you realise what you had.

If he fails to get us promoted then he's let us down, surely - so that's yet to be seen.

[paul_e]

For me personally that's nothing like accurate. Going with Bruce was an attempt at pragmatism, an 'ends justify the means' appointment but that's not what I wanted.

I wanted something like the Villa engine but with a manager who's job was to find a handful of players to help bring the U23s through and build a squad of young-ish(18-28), fit and technically proficient players, with a bit of pace about them. Something very similar to what Wolves have done in fact.  My worry with Bruce from the very beginning was that he'd build a squad for today and not really think about tomorrow very much, everything that's happened since he arrived has reinforced my view that he's not given a thought to next season at all.

Some will say that's his job and the right thing to do but all it actually does is create a cycle of constant churn where you're seeing 6-7 players in and out every summer and you're always talking about the squad needing to gel, etc.  Good sides don't do that.  One of Fergie's best traits was that he very rarely got in players for the sake of it, if there was a kid who could do a job he'd let them try even if there were better options on the market because it meant the team was always slowly adapting rather than major transition every year. 

[cannock villa]

I think the problem Bruce has with most supporters is that he is like a girlfriend that they have got bored with. She is solid and dependable but plain looking, she will never let you down but doesn't excite you anymore. Its only when you dump her for a stunner who is nothing but hard work that you realise what you had.

If he fails to get us promoted then he's let us down, surely - so that's yet to be seen.

Depends on the definition of let down. If its only promotion then yes he has. If its improving the playing squad, performances and results then probably no.

[paul_e]

I think the problem Bruce has with most supporters is that he is like a girlfriend that they have got bored with. She is solid and dependable but plain looking, she will never let you down but doesn't excite you anymore. Its only when you dump her for a stunner who is nothing but hard work that you realise what you had.

If he fails to get us promoted then he's let us down, surely - so that's yet to be seen.

Depends on the definition of let down. If its only promotion then yes he has. If its improving the playing squad, performances and results then probably no.

Again, Bruce, Wyness and Xia all said promotion was the goal this season, that's the definition.

[Clampy]

I can see both sides to be honest. If we don't get up then he'll have failed and they justifiably might want to make a change. They also might want to give him and the majority of the squad another season and I can see why they would do that too given his track record.

[Steve67]

It's a tough one.  Do we risk yet more upheaval and lose/sell off another load of players or do we stick with Bruce one last time?  We have come close this season to automatic promotion but now have to rely on the lottery of the play offs.  If we fail that too, I just don't see another manager out there who will do any better, including Dean Smith.  Probably not a reason for sticking with him, unless they have someone better lined up.

[Mister E]

It's a tough one.  Do we risk yet more upheaval and lose/sell off another load of players or do we stick with Bruce one last time?  We have come close this season to automatic promotion but now have to rely on the lottery of the play offs.  If we fail that too, I just don't see another manager out there who will do any better, including Dean Smith.  Probably not a reason for sticking with him, unless they have someone better lined up.

When the dust has settled on this season, if we haven't been promoted we'll look at that run of QPR, Bolton, Hull, Reading and Naaarwich and wonder how we could only have got 4 points from it. And, we'll probably conclude that the manager did not prepare the team well enough for those winnable games.

[brian green]

Selfishly next season for once will revolve around what I want, not what the Villa want.  I shall buy my season ticket.  If we go up and Bruce stays in charge I shall do my games home and away as normal.  If we don't go up and we have a young, progressive manager I shall do my games home and away as normal.  If we don't go up and Bruce or any other safe old pair of hands off the manager-go-round is in charge I will stay away apart from the occasional social games like Christmas. 

Fundamentally I cannot force myself to suck up any more of the not-as-bad-as-we-used-to-be on offer at Villa Park.