Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[Rudy Can't Fail]

If you read my original post, I'm not blaming Calderwood, I think he's a good appointment. It's the players I'm blaming.

[Richard E]

We've won 5 of his 10 games, which is more than we won in the League in the whole of last season. That will more than do me for now.

[260475]

Think more allowance should be made for the fact that none of the players available are SB buys. He will be working flat out to try and get the best out of a clutch of bods almost all who were bought over recent times by average, fake or novice managers with no (previous) board oversight - from an agents catalogue if there was such a thing. This is a big task, and when I read that "everyone should know...", or "anyone could choose a over b" it can't be so simple. There is a limited pool to choose from, injuries and attitude (lack of talent?) can be roadblocks, what we want is to see effort, and I can't imagine the Manager suggesting that effort isn't required, doesn't matter, or that this weeks opposition will be a soft touch, not requiring any.

[Clampy]

If you read my original post, I'm not blaming Calderwood, I think he's a good appointment. It's the players I'm blaming.

Then why mention his name and list all the games since he's been in followed by 'see the pattern' if it's the players fault?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

If you read my original post, I'm not blaming Calderwood, I think he's a good appointment. It's the players I'm blaming.

Then why mention his name and list all the games since he's been in followed by 'see the pattern' if it's the players fault?

Did you manage to read my post beyond the mention of Calderwood? The answer's there.

[Toronto Villa]

I have no doubt Bruce will get us promoted. He will need some significant help in January and a tremendous second half run to make it happen this season. I am sure if it isn't this season it will be next.

[Rudy65]

We've won 5 of his 10 games, which is more than we won in the League in the whole of last season. That will more than do me for now.

The

Lack of effort
Poor tactics
Poor team selection
Leaving better players as subs
Playing Hoof ball
Giving the captaincy back to Tommy
Playing Gabby

Is more worrying for me

[Pat McMahon]

Tactically I really feel that playing Grealish, Kodjia and Ayew together in the same team is bound to cause problems. All three of them, in their different ways, love to have the ball and love to keep the ball, which usually means attempting to beat half a dozen players from the opposition and ending up where they started, often having lost the ball. In that kind of setup there is no penetration, no urgency, no drive, no defence splitting pass and so no service to anyone who may be in a position to score a goal. The number of times last night where any one of them would receive the ball, slow the game down in attempting to beat any number of players before even thinking about a quick incisive out ball was staggering. There may be those who disagree but there was little effective service to anyone last night.

My very thoughts after watching us struggle to overwhelm Wigan. No quick passing or tempo to our play.

[myf]

We've won 5 of his 10 games, which is more than we won in the League in the whole of last season. That will more than do me for now.

The

Lack of effort
Poor tactics
Poor team selection
Leaving better players as subs
Playing Hoof ball
Giving the captaincy back to Tommy
Playing Gabby

Is more worrying for me

Everything about aston villa worries me but I'm positive we have a manager who has a proven track record in getting teams promoted. A 50% win record with someone else's unbalanced squad shouldn't be sniffed at

[Sexual Ealing]

Tactically I really feel that playing Grealish, Kodjia and Ayew together in the same team is bound to cause problems. All three of them, in their different ways, love to have the ball and love to keep the ball, which usually means attempting to beat half a dozen players from the opposition and ending up where they started, often having lost the ball. In that kind of setup there is no penetration, no urgency, no drive, no defence splitting pass and so no service to anyone who may be in a position to score a goal. The number of times last night where any one of them would receive the ball, slow the game down in attempting to beat any number of players before even thinking about a quick incisive out ball was staggering. There may be those who disagree but there was little effective service to anyone last night.

It's not that simple, I don't think any of them are inherently greedy, I just think they don#t know how to play together so they're all trying to do it by themselves.

I agree with the problem I just don't think blaming the players or suggesting we can't play 3 of our best players together is the right approach.  Look at how Grealish oinked with Benteke, that invovledlots of quick interchanges and was exactly what Grealish did at lower levels, it's only this year where he's held onto the ball more when there were passes on.  Watch Kodjia for Bristol City and in his better games for us, he played a lot of 1-2s and kept the ball moving, right now we're incoherent so he's not sure what to do, so he keeps it and tries to make things for himself.

That was back in his 'hippy crack' days though. Rumour has it that he thought he was an entire farmyard, tractor and all, at one party.

[supertom]

Bruce will get us up, but it won't be this season. He's got a mid-table side here. We've got a plethora of the most mercurially talented players in the division, but what we don't have is players like Dorrans and Brady who are industrious and have a little quality. Shelvey for the Toon is a good example too. They're not players who get you off your seat much, but you absolutely have to have 7/10 players in this league. Consistency. Ayew might produce something utterly wondrous but if he's AWOL during the other 90% of the games, he's fucking useless. Grealish is inconsistent and so is Kodjia, but they're both still delivering just about enough from the mercurial side of things. But we've got no balance. You can't play a 4-2-3-1 in this divison with 4 attacking players who will "occasionally" do something spectacular. You especially cannot do that if you're only good CM is Jedinak who needs legs around him, and looks better playing in a 3 man mid.

It's no exaggeration to say we're 2-3 midfielders short, at a minimum. They've got to be industrious, athletic and have a little quality. Most importantly they need consistency. Brady would be a great signing.

MIDFIELD! MIDFIELD! MIDFIELD!!!!!!!!
We've been saying it for bloody years and it has to be rectified in January. If we have any hope of a late top 6 push, we need to sort the midfield. We also need one of an experienced Keeper or CH. Either we get someone who keeps Elphick on his game from behind, or we get someone to replace Elphick. But if we have time and money...both.

[Villafirst]

SB will sort the wasters out. He must stop playing Gabby, Westwood, Elphick and Gestede. Simply not good enough. The team has regressed into that couldn't care less attitude again after a few decent results. That underlying malaise still lingers and will resurface at any given time.

[pbavfckuwait]

He needs to find a formation and stick to it as best he can, home and away and between now and January find a way of processing the ball a lot quicker, this will not happen with either or both in the side Ayew, young Jack, they hold onto the ball to long and offer no protection to the defence.
Midfield and a CH in January is now a must, we moan about the strikers but how many chances are we actually creating especially since Bruce has taken the reins, a solid midfield is something that has been missing at Villa Park for a lot longer than Bruce has been here, we are not going anywhere unless this is addressed.

[peter w]

The midfield is STILL the root cause of all of our problems.

Westwood is just crap, always has been, always will be.
Gardner isn't much better.
Jedinak is solid, but limited, and his passing is poor
Tshibola isn't fancied by Bruce
Bacuna is at best, a limited utility player.
Grealish is exciting, but young and very inconsistent

Any combination of the above has massive problems and has ramifications for the forward line, which on paper at least has far more quality to it.

I can't see us seriously improving until we sort the midfield out.

That's exactly as I see it.  The only little bit of guile in there is Grealish  but, as is being alluded to is his inconsistency.  The midfield needs major heart surgery.  Until we get that, it's mid-table mediocrity I'm afraid.

Agree with both you and Risso.

What's more annoying is that without an effective midfield we are stunting Grealish's development. he needs a running midfield and forward line that link together and work with each other allowing him to roam freely and cause as much damage as possible without fear of making a mistake. At the moment we are putting too much pressure on him to deliver every time he touches the ball - its just pure frustration and desperation. When we had that spell of Delph/Cleverley/Beneteke (and even Westwood...) all dovetailing off each other Grealish had the freedom to make mistakes. And what he did was show us what a special player he could be if played and used properly.

[Jon Crofts]

Here you go Steve Bruce, someones done the homework for you.

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/loris-karius-and-five-other-keepers-have-better-passing-stats-than-the-most-pointless-midfielder/102723