Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[Chico Hamilton III]

If we win our next game it will be 4 league wins in 6 games under Bruce. We won 4 of 51 league before Bruce.

What's the best start a Villa manager has had?

[PeterWithesShin]

Winning the European Cup!

[Jon Crofts]

If we win our next game it will be 4 league wins in 6 games under Bruce. We won 4 of 51 league before Bruce.

What's the best start a Villa manager has had?

It was Gregory but without Googling I couldn't tell you the numbers.

[LeeB]

If we win our next game it will be 4 league wins in 6 games under Bruce. We won 4 of 51 league before Bruce.

What's the best start a Villa manager has had?

It was Gregory but without Googling I couldn't tell you the numbers.

Think it was 11 wins in 13 to the end of his first season

[jcsutv]

Winning the European Cup!

Can't argue with that PWS!

[Toronto Villa]

These next two weeks will be critical now. Brighton will be a very tough game and massive test of for us and Bruce. We'll have a good idea exactly where we are under him.

[Bad English]

These next two weeks will be critical now. Brighton will be a very tough game and massive test of for us and Bruce. We'll have a good idea exactly where we are under him.

Brighton are currently 0-2 up at Bristol City. That said we are going to FTF!

[ciggiesnbeer]

Nice going into the break with a win!

[supertom]

Brighton is a big test. If we remain unbeaten after that, we'll be looking good. Given what he walked into, Bruce has made a cracking start. He's getting the best out of Kodija, and he's also had a positive impact on Baker, Gardner and Jedinak. Consequently we're looking a lot more resolute.

[dcdavecollett]

Gregory won nine of his first eleven league games as boss, at the end of the 97/98 season. The following season, we were unbeaten for the first dozen league games, leaving us top of the Prem in November.

No pressure, then, Steve...

[Jimbo]

No wee ate im cuz ee wuz a bloo nose so we still ate im.

[villan from luton]

I think we will continue to improve and if we can continue t pick up points until January, hopefully another midfielder or two would be perfect

[paul_e]

To roll things back around the criticism from last week today is what I think we should've expected last week.  A poor first half is fine if the 2nd sees an increase in intensity and puts pressure on the opposition.  Today is much more what I expected from Bruce, poor at times and not all that pretty to watch but battle for everything and never give up.

[Old Kodjia]

I think we will continue to improve and if we can continue t pick up points until January, hopefully another midfielder or two would be perfect

This is where I'm at.  It's not pretty and it is a fine line between winning and drawing but the results speak for themselves.  I'm still not convinced that this set up will beat the better sides.

An interesting comment from Bruce tonight was that many French teams play with a striker out wide and the obvious example is/was Thierry Henry.  I'm not happy with the way Ross McCormack is being played and certainly think he was wasted today as an out and out striker.  From what I've seen of him in a Villa shirt, I think he's far better suited to being a number 10, which doesn't seem likely to happen under Bruce.

Given our personnel, I think Rudy is the best option as striker. Adomah would have to start for me, which leaves one out of Grealish and Aywe.  As a potential unpopular choice, I would start Tishibola ahead of Gardner.

The one thing that I found frustrating today was the constant lack of bodies in the box when we had chances to cross it.  Rudy will always give us that option.

[richtheholtender]

I think we will continue to improve and if we can continue t pick up points until January, hopefully another midfielder or two would be perfect

This is where I'm at.  It's not pretty and it is a fine line between winning and drawing but the results speak for themselves.  I'm still not convinced that this set up will beat the better sides.

An interesting comment from Bruce tonight was that many French teams play with a striker out wide and the obvious example is/was Thierry Henry.  I'm not happy with the way Ross McCormack is being played and certainly think he was wasted today as an out and out striker.  From what I've seen of him in a Villa shirt, I think he's far better suited to being a number 10, which doesn't seem likely to happen under Bruce.

Given our personnel, I think Rudy is the best option as striker. Adomah would have to start for me, which leaves one out of Grealish and Aywe.  As a potential unpopular choice, I would start Tishibola ahead of Gardner.

The one thing that I found frustrating today was the constant lack of bodies in the box when we had chances to cross it.  Rudy will always give us that option.

The only Villa side I ever saw get players in the box regularly was the Atkinson side. They have always got to the oppositions box and pass round it because we only have one or two players in the box. I think a lot of our problems for s long time have been as a result of what they do on the training ground or lack there of.