Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[SheffieldVillain]

I'm sure he will want to beat blues and finish above them. However the close association he had with them won't be replicated at villa,  Saunders was the same but he was always villa not blues. I have te right to associate with who I want and I don't associate Bruce with Villa he just a person managing the team.

Right, so if he wants Villa to beat Blues, how the hell does that mean he will always be 'Blues at heart in terms of the Villa-Blues rivalry'? It doesn't, does it?

The fact that he managed Blues is of absolutely no importance whatsoever.

[A contributor]

He looked v tanned & relaxed flirting with Jacqui Oatley last night.  Seems to have lost a load of weight, and looked well chilled.  He doesn't need to do much to transform RdM's men into winners: just remind them that the game doesn't end at 85 minutes would do, for a start

[Toronto Villa]

It's literally amazing how much better offer would be if we played a full 90 minutes. We'd be sitting in the top 6, maybe higher sign RDM still in a job.

[cdbearsfan]

Support the team/club not the manager is what I will do and many others I'm sure. He will always be blues at heart just like Saunders was villa at heart dispite going to blues.

So the man who played over 300 times and won medals galore with Man United and was born in the North East will always be Blues at heart?

in terms of the villa blues rivalry yes he will be.

So what are you suggesting? That he'd rather Blues finish above his employers? That when we play them, he'd rather his team lost?

If not, what do you mean that he is 'blues at heart' 'in terms of the villa blues rivalry'?

he build a lot of rapport with their fans,  he was close with the club, he won't be able to do that with us now. You cant be villa and blues.

Could you answer my question? Since he can't be Villa and blues, you're suggesting that he would rather lose against them and finish lower than them? Yes or no?

I'm sure he will want to beat blues and finish above them. However the close association he had with them won't be replicated at villa,  Saunders was the same but he was always villa not blues. I have te right to associate with who I want and I don't associate Bruce with Villa he just a person managing the team.

If he just manages the team to promotion then the 99.999% most sane Villa fans won't give a toss that he was once at Small Heath.

Matt Busby spent longer at Man City than Bruce did at Small Heath. It didn't seem to make him do badly when he managed Man U.

[West Derby Villan]

Win some games and he will be a massive improvement on the past few managers. The Bloos thing is bollocks, it was a job. He will soon realised we are a stratosphere above Small Heath and the biggest opportunity he will ever have of dining at the top table of English football.
There is nothing to dislike about him. Well spoken, successful playing career and the best manager we can get where we are. Good luck Steve and UTV!

I agree with WV totally, what's not to like about the man?

[olaftab]

Support the team/club not the manager is what I will do and many others I'm sure. He will always be blues at heart just like Saunders was villa at heart dispite going to blues.

I don't think Saunders were Villa at heart. He was just our manager and very very good at his job.

[London Villan]

How about Withe, two spells at small heath or des bremner, played almost as many games for us as them?

[PeterWithesShin]

A lot of the 80-82 team ended up at sha or the bitters. Brian Little was a medical away from signing for sha and managed the bitters. Apart from the odd case, a manger or player loyalty is to whoever is paying them.

[Toronto Villa]

Support the team/club not the manager is what I will do and many others I'm sure. He will always be blues at heart just like Saunders was villa at heart dispite going to blues.

I don't think Saunders were Villa at heart. He was just our manager and very very good at his job.

Agreed. If he was (and whatever "at heart" actually even means) he wouldn't have managed Blues and Albion. He did. So what. His greatest achievement will always be with us.

[Nunkin1965]

Win some games and he will be a massive improvement on the past few managers. The Bloos thing is bollocks, it was a job. He will soon realised we are a stratosphere above Small Heath and the biggest opportunity he will ever have of dining at the top table of English football.
There is nothing to dislike about him. Well spoken, successful playing career and the best manager we can get where we are. Good luck Steve and UTV!

I agree with WV totally, what's not to like about the man?

In agreement.
Seems a thoroughly decent guy. Onwards and upwards.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm guessing but I see the signing of Bruce as the man to keep us up rather than take us us.

Like probably 10,000 other managers, he'll get the job done.

If only we had Xia with MON.

I'm really struggling to see where this goes. Is Wyness happy with a five year plan to get us back up to PL midtable? So much money has been spent in the summer, I very much doubt Xia has instructed Wyness to keep us in the Championship for one more year. My guess is the play-offs, we all love Wembley, some more than others, and with Bruce we might just do it. But if that were to happen, we would need a massive rebuild as we've bought a team for the Championship.

I look forward to our annual or is it bi-annual Next Manager Thread. Hopefully Bruce will surprise us all. Me, most of all.

[olaftab]

I think one myth we should quash is that players and managers are 'fans' of a particular club. I don't think they feel in any way the way we do. Steve Bruce will not lose one seconds sleep on the night we massacre the noses 6-0 at their place. Neither will our 8-0 victory at Villa Park put him off his celebratory steak supper.
He's ours now and he wants us to win whoever we play.

I think you are wrong. It will only be 5-0 to us at the Sty and return match we will be a bit nervous and scrape home by 4 to 0.

[A contributor]

He's here now. I'm sure he knows who pays his wages.  We need to stop fretting about ancient historical connections with another team.  Uncle Tony obviously didn't see any divided loyalties or he wouldn't have appointed him

[VancouverLion]

Win some games and he will be a massive improvement on the past few managers. The Bloos thing is bollocks, it was a job. He will soon realised we are a stratosphere above Small Heath and the biggest opportunity he will ever have of dining at the top table of English football.
There is nothing to dislike about him. Well spoken, successful playing career and the best manager we can get where we are. Good luck Steve and UTV!

This, all day long!
UTV
Welcome Steve!

[The Left Side]

Welcome to the best club in the World Stephen, now don't cock it up!