Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[aj2k77]

If we're going to pick and choose an away game to dish one out, I'd love it to be the Horse Punchers.

I'd look forward to walking out and having the polyester tracksuit clad hordes babbling incoherently, shouting abuse and offering us out while they film it on their phones.

I think we can put to  bed the ''someones gonna get it'' that we've been hanging on to since pretty much the start of the season.

[The Edge]

If we're going to pick and choose an away game to dish one out, I'd love it to be the Horse Punchers.

I'd look forward to walking out and having the polyester tracksuit clad hordes babbling incoherently, shouting abuse and offering us out while they film it on their phones.

Who's the horse punchers?

Don't matter I scrolled down and saw the answer now!
For the record I think we have the players now to form a really good team and someone is going to get proper stuffed by us in the near future. And I can't think of a better club to dish it out to 😉

[Jimbo]

I can.

[The Edge]

If we're going to pick and choose an away game to dish one out, I'd love it to be the Horse Punchers.

I'd look forward to walking out and having the polyester tracksuit clad hordes babbling incoherently, shouting abuse and offering us out while they film it on their phones.

I think we can put to  bed the ''someones gonna get it'' that we've been hanging on to since pretty much the start of the season.

I actually think it is going to happen. Things have changed. I really believe we have the players who can finally deliver for us. Just keep the faith.

[The Edge]

I can.

I forgot Small Heath lol

[Dave]

Taylor can play as a third centre half too. He did with the Welsh didn't he?

Don't think so.

Seem to remember Davies, Chester and Williams in the middle, Taylor and Gunter out wide.

In the Euros, anyway.

[Ads]

If we're going to pick and choose an away game to dish one out, I'd love it to be the Horse Punchers.

I'd look forward to walking out and having the polyester tracksuit clad hordes babbling incoherently, shouting abuse and offering us out while they film it on their phones.

I think we can put to  bed the ''someones gonna get it'' that we've been hanging on to since pretty much the start of the season.

Why? Last season aside somebody invariably does.

Even under Taylor second time round, we were shocking on the road yet still managed to put 5 past Boro one cold mid week evening.

[Jimbo]

I can.

I forgot Small Heath lol

If we're honest with ourselves, that's what the rest of the season boils down to.

[Ads]

Already missed our chance away from home which is what I was referring to.

Never quite sure if I want us to bladder the Noses (bear with me) as I think it would be funnier to fluke it in the 95th minute with an offside and a handball. The sense of injustice would be comedy gold.

[aj2k77]

If we're going to pick and choose an away game to dish one out, I'd love it to be the Horse Punchers.

I'd look forward to walking out and having the polyester tracksuit clad hordes babbling incoherently, shouting abuse and offering us out while they film it on their phones.

I think we can put to  bed the ''someones gonna get it'' that we've been hanging on to since pretty much the start of the season.

Why? Last season aside somebody invariably does.

Even under Taylor second time round, we were shocking on the road yet still managed to put 5 past Boro one cold mid week evening.

Only Wigan and Rotherham have scored less. We aren't creating and missing chances, Bruce has shit himself and gone 5 at the back, lots of reasons really. We just don't look capable of tearing anyone a new arsehole but ourselves.

I hope it changes obviously but the Brentford hammering and the Forest set up has given me an almighty kick in the bollocks.

[paul_e]

Judging by SB's comments as reported in the Brum Mail, he is going to persist with the 3-5-2 formation.

**SNIP**

He has lost the plot, time to start thinking of a replacement.

Is this a joke?

I don't think he's lost the plot but I do think he's at the stage where he's getting a bit desperate.  I hate wing backs because it turns far too quickly into 532 and from there turns far too quickly into 5212 where 2 of your midfield are dropping ever deeper to help out the fullback who is constantly faced with a 2 on 1 and doesn't get forward because they're marking the opposition winger.  20 years ago it worked because fullbacks were defenders first and they struggled with the idea of pushing your wingback deeper by overlapping their winger time after time.  It's because of this formation that incredibly attacking fullbacks started to be common because they had no defensive responsibilities that couldn't be covered by a very disciplined defensive midfielder.


As I've said, it can still be effective but only if you have the right players for it: a big nasty bastard up front (Costa), 2 quick players behind him who can push onto the fullbacks and force them deep but also have the ability to come in field and be an extra centre-mid (pedro, hazard, willian) and 2 wing backs who are able to beat a man or 2 easily and have the pace to get away once they get in behind their fullback (Alonso, Moses).  A couple of dominating midfielders who can sit and dictate play and break things up for you as well helps a loo as well.

[old man villa fan]

The things that worry me about Bruce is possible being obstinate and not willing to learn from mistakes.

I hope that all of the players brought in during this transfer window were his choices.

[SoccerHQ]

Steve Bruce used the 3-5-2 to very good effect at Hull.

Hull players were very effective in it and indeed have continued using it this season.

We need to shape a system the players are comfortable in and drill them into it.

I've long thought the 3-5-2 would suit us but the problem always seems to be we suddenly starting playing it without any prior warning.

Think back to the Newcastle home game this season when RDM seemingly woke on the morning of the game and decided to play it and the players were clueless.

[adrenachrome]

Brum Mail

Steve Bruce on the new system his Aston Villa side are adapting to

Villa are a club in transition, but Bruce says they have the makings of a good side

ByGregg Evans
22:30, 5 FEB 2017

 Only a huge run will save us now, said Steve Bruce as Aston Villa’s season took another low blow over the weekend.

The Villa boss has done it before, most notably at Birmingham City, when he inspired the Blues to a second-half-of-the-season turnaround and then play-off joy.

But time is running out for him to get Villa where they desperately want to be.

“We will never ever give up, we can’t,” he said.

“But we’ve got to be realistic, we’ve got to put something of a huge run together. A huge run.

“It’s up to me now to try and get a bit of stability in the team.”

Bruce made drastic changes to the set-up at Nottingham Forest on Saturday but it made no difference to the result as Villa were beaten 2-1.

It was harsh on the claret and blues, who reverted to a three-man backline and two-pronged attack that caused Forest no end of problems.

“It was cruel but we know we need to be better in some areas,” Bruce added.

“We’ve now got the makings of a very decent team I think.

“We’ve got two at the top who are a threat to anybody in this division.

“We’ve got to be defensively better.

“If you look at 29 games, we’ve only had six clean sheets.

“We need to be defensively better and give them the platform and at Forest we nearly got there.”

Tommy Elphick returned to the team and was particularly impressive.

He played alongside Nathan Baker and James Chester in a change of shape that suited Villa.

Their only downfall was two individual errors - one from Sam Johnstone who gifted Forest an equaliser on the stroke of half-time, and a double-mistake from Jack Grealish who was sent off for two bookings, leaving Villa at a disadvantage in the closing stages.

“It’s difficult for us at the moment and so now it is my time to work with the players week in and week out and throw a new system to them which they’ve only took part in for two days.

“We keep working on that and hopefully get better.

“Certainly with what we’ve got in terms of the squad I think we are suited to it.

[pbavfckuwait]

3-5- 2 is fine if you have the defenders to play it and have cover if anything happens to them, our problem, Elphick, Glass jaw Baker, one is not good enough and one can be out for weeks, if so who do we replace them with, how he can say Elphick was particularly impressive, beggars belief and also on that, are we going to be fitting square pegs in round holes like he did on Saturday as for the midfield placements.

Up to Saturday he has had the excuse of having another managers players to make the most of, hope he gets it right, as that means the Villa are getting it right, but I have serious doubts that he will.