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Author Topic: Bruce Sacked at last (now official)  (Read 2113882 times)

Offline KevinGage

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15735 on: July 22, 2018, 02:37:38 PM »
In my lifetime I can't ever recall us sacking a manager for finishing 4th and I don't believe we are about to start now.

We were well in contention for second until March, despite an average> poor start. Which wasn't helped by losing our most prolific forward from the previous year for the guts of the campaign and Jack for half of it.  Grabban instead of Gabby during those early months and Cardiff wouldn't have got a look in.

Bruce's first season ended the spectre of opposition fans coming to Villa Park and taking the piss (which was still occurring under RDM) and ended the barrage of late goals conceded. But the actual football was mostly grim and functional, and we were heavily reliant on Kodjia to pinch a result.

Last season we still looked far too disjointed for my liking at times. But with any two from Albert, Grealish, Snodgrass, Hogan or Grabban firing, we could be hard to contain. We also handed out a few beatings, which was long overdue.

We need to take that on again now, and it is actually no harm if Bruce has the Sword of Damocles hanging over him from the new owners. He can't afford a slow start and he'll know that.


Online john e

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15736 on: July 22, 2018, 02:42:34 PM »
I wonder if he will charm them with his 'there or thereabouts' speech to try and win them over

Offline mr underhill

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15737 on: July 22, 2018, 02:59:48 PM »
something tells me these 2 won't be as easy to manipulate

Offline mcgrath_85

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15738 on: July 22, 2018, 03:11:39 PM »
In my lifetime I can't ever recall us sacking a manager for finishing 4th and I don't believe we are about to start now.

We were well in contention for second until March, despite an average> poor start. Which wasn't helped by losing our most prolific forward from the previous year for the guts of the campaign and Jack for half of it.  Grabban instead of Gabby during those early months and Cardiff wouldn't have got a look in.

Bruce's first season ended the spectre of opposition fans coming to Villa Park and taking the piss (which was still occurring under RDM) and ended the barrage of late goals conceded. But the actual football was mostly grim and functional, and we were heavily reliant on Kodjia to pinch a result.

Last season we still looked far too disjointed for my liking at times. But with any two from Albert, Grealish, Snodgrass, Hogan or Grabban firing, we could be hard to contain. We also handed out a few beatings, which was long overdue.

We need to take that on again now, and it is actually no harm if Bruce has the Sword of Damocles hanging over him from the new owners. He can't afford a slow start and he'll know that.





The only time we were realisticly in contention for automatic promotion was after the Wolves game and we know what followed.
I’m sorry but finishing 4th in the second tier with the resources he had available was not acceptable. His recruitment, tactics and attitude was questionable all season.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2018, 03:14:03 PM by mcgrath_85 »

Offline KevinGage

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15739 on: July 22, 2018, 03:11:55 PM »
October/November isn't a great time to be looking for replacements, we know that.  But with the attrition rate in the top flight being what it is, sacking season will be well underway there too should we need to do the necessary.

 Do we want another club's cast offs?  Yes -if they are an upgrade on Bruce. Which, Warnock apart, most from the lower half of that table will be. Whether they'd be interested is a different matter.

 I'm looking at the Jokanovic situation at Fulham too. They have lost that thug who tried to cut Grealish in half, haven't signed Mitrovic and all their other loan stars or indeed anyone of note during the summer.  As it stands, they have about 16 professionals in total on the books. It's far too early to call it, but I wouldn't be completely stunned if he bailed citing lack of backing.

Thinking out loud, Brendan Rodgers might be tempted if Celtic don't make the CL. They face Rosenborg in the next qualifiers, which will be a bit tougher than TNS or whoever they had last time out.

He's spoken positively about Villa before, and beating Partick Thistle and all the other heavy hitters four times a year must be losing its lustre now.

Online john e

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15740 on: July 22, 2018, 03:24:33 PM »
I know it's only a rumour

but imagine Thierry Henry who's just come straight from coaching the Belgium World Cup squad working with the likes of de Bruyne and Harzard etc

turns up at bodymoor for his first glimpse of his new players and clasps eyes on Glen Whelan, Lansbury and Hogan running around like he's been chased by a wasp

as Brucie drives of in his Merc shouting 'good luck with that pal' out of the window

Offline mcgrath_85

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15741 on: July 22, 2018, 03:27:22 PM »
I know it's only a rumour

but imagine Thierry Henry who's just come straight from coaching the Belgium World Cup squad working with the likes of de Bruyne and Harzard etc

turns up at bodymoor for his first glimpse of his new players and clasps eyes on Glen Whelan, Lansbury and Hogan running around like he's been chased by a wasp

as Brucie drives of in his Merc shouting 'good luck with that pal' out of the window

He bloody signed them as well. £100000 a week in wages for that trio I’d say. Nice one Steve.

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15742 on: July 22, 2018, 03:31:21 PM »
I know it's only a rumour

but imagine Thierry Henry who's just come straight from coaching the Belgium World Cup squad working with the likes of de Bruyne and Harzard etc

turns up at bodymoor for his first glimpse of his new players and clasps eyes on Glen Whelan, Lansbury and Hogan running around like he's been chased by a wasp

as Brucie drives of in his Merc shouting 'good luck with that pal' out of the window

He bloody signed them as well. £100000 a week in wages for that trio I’d say. Nice one Steve.

In defence of Bruce, he'll no doubt be back to buy them for his next club.

Online ChicagoLion

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15743 on: July 22, 2018, 03:33:32 PM »
I know it's only a rumour

but imagine Thierry Henry who's just come straight from coaching the Belgium World Cup squad working with the likes of de Bruyne and Harzard etc

turns up at bodymoor for his first glimpse of his new players and clasps eyes on Glen Whelan, Lansbury and Hogan running around like he's been chased by a wasp

as Brucie drives of in his Merc shouting 'good luck with that pal' out of the window
Chased by a wasp, :)

Offline Ads

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15744 on: July 22, 2018, 03:35:49 PM »
I know it's only a rumour

but imagine Thierry Henry who's just come straight from coaching the Belgium World Cup squad working with the likes of de Bruyne and Harzard etc

turns up at bodymoor for his first glimpse of his new players and clasps eyes on Glen Whelan, Lansbury and Hogan running around like he's been chased by a wasp

as Brucie drives of in his Merc shouting 'good luck with that pal' out of the window

He coached that disgrace Witsel, so I don't see why Whelan would be an issue.

Not that there's anything in the rumour.

Offline VinnieChase84

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15745 on: July 22, 2018, 03:51:09 PM »
I'm the most chilled about the Bruce situation than I've been since he's been here. Reason being, now the new owners will not tolerate what we've had from him so far. No more slow starts, now more bottling first halves of games, no more going on long winless runs.
He either gets off to a flyer and sustains it, or we will be having a new manager in time for 2019. Win win. My only wish was this takeover to have happened back in May/June, in which case he would have been 100% gone imo. It is now too soon before the big kick off to be changing management teams, especially with the window shutting earlier this year.

Offline mr underhill

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15746 on: July 22, 2018, 04:04:31 PM »
Only once they are on the field its the players mainly that control those things. We're back to the QPR debacle. The only people responsible for that clusterfuck were the players.

Online andrew08

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15747 on: July 22, 2018, 04:16:11 PM »
Only once they are on the field its the players mainly that control those things. We're back to the QPR debacle. The only people responsible for that clusterfuck were the players.

QPR was a strange one. We’d have all picked the same side after dicking Wolves, but we don’t have access to what Bruce should have access to with all the coaches and fitness guys around the place. That team was knackered and should have been changed a bit. That’s what he gets that £100,000 a week for and why we pay to watch.

Smashing balls one foot above Hogans head to lanky Norwich centre backs was another classic Bruce tactical error. I’m not allowing myself to think about Wembley.

He should be fired

Offline Toronto Villa

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15748 on: July 22, 2018, 04:20:08 PM »
I’ll take Wembley. We ALL knew that if he put the team out to soak up pressure and counter that we’d struggle. They had very decent weapons and we all know how Jokanovic like to play and Bruce took the conservative approach. We barely got a shot on goal and once they scored it was over.

Yes he should be fired

Offline brentastonb6

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Re: Bruce out
« Reply #15749 on: July 22, 2018, 05:14:13 PM »
In my lifetime I can't ever recall us sacking a manager for finishing 4th and I don't believe we are about to start now.

We were well in contention for second until March, despite an average> poor start. Which wasn't helped by losing our most prolific forward from the previous year for the guts of the campaign and Jack for half of it.  Grabban instead of Gabby during those early months and Cardiff wouldn't have got a look in.

Bruce's first season ended the spectre of opposition fans coming to Villa Park and taking the piss (which was still occurring under RDM) and ended the barrage of late goals conceded. But the actual football was mostly grim and functional, and we were heavily reliant on Kodjia to pinch a result.

Last season we still looked far too disjointed for my liking at times. But with any two from Albert, Grealish, Snodgrass, Hogan or Grabban firing, we could be hard to contain. We also handed out a few beatings, which was long overdue.

We need to take that on again now, and it is actually no harm if Bruce has the Sword of Damocles hanging over him from the new owners. He can't afford a slow start and he'll know that.


Problem is unfortunately he can afford it as he’ll get paid either way.It’s  us mugs who pay with another year in the wilderness and falling further behind teams who aren’t our equal.

 


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