Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[Clampy]

Is Bruce now being criticised for something he might not have actually said to somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody?

I know, it's unbelievable what people fall for sometimes.

what isn't unbelievable is that a Bruce would throw the players in the bus to protect himself given the run we're on.  He's pretty much following the script for managers in a rut in every other way.

Maybe that's true, but idiotic quotes like 'he deserves the sack if he doesn't rate Kodjia' is what I was referring to on the back of someone posting that he heard something that someone had said who heard someone else say it etc.

[paul_e]

Is Bruce now being criticised for something he might not have actually said to somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody?

I know, it's unbelievable what people fall for sometimes.

what isn't unbelievable is that a Bruce would throw the players in the bus to protect himself given the run we're on.  He's pretty much following the script for managers in a rut in every other way.

Maybe that's true, but idiotic quotes like 'he deserves the sack if he doesn't rate Kodjia' is what I was referring to on the back of someone posting that he heard something that someone had said who heard someone else say it etc.

I agree that one in particular is silly but in general the idea that he's privately blaming the players doesn't surprise me at all.  However if this one is true:

Calderwood made the comment Xmas before the new players were signed. I daresay Bruces comment was made even earlier.

That changes things.  To me that fits with what we've seen.  I suspect Bruce made this decision in about mid November because there was a point about then when we stopped looking like we knew what we were doing and the poor performances became the default.  If Bruce had decided that there was nothing he could do with this squad that would've become apparent to the players fairly quickly because his body language, etc would've changed.  The obvious follow on from that is that everyone's performance levels drop a touch and we go on a run from the start of December of 2 wins and 2 draws in 11.

We don't see training so knowing the level this squad is at is tough outside of games but, on that basis, if there really was an absence of natural talent I find it strange that he decided to get rid of Ayew and laud the qualities of Gabby, the latter being one of the most technically limited players I've ever seen.

[LeeB]

Is Bruce now being criticised for something he might not have actually said to somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody?

I know, it's unbelievable what people fall for sometimes.

what isn't unbelievable is that a Bruce would throw the players in the bus to protect himself given the run we're on.  He's pretty much following the script for managers in a rut in every other way.

So not only is he being slagged for something he hasn't said, he's also getting it for something he hasn't done.

Makes you sick, probably not saying something to somebody who knows somebody who might know somebody and then to make things even worse if that is possible, not doing something that somebody has made up in their own imagination. Sickening behaviour. Amazed he's not been sacked.

The club need to make a statement, NOW.

[Ads]

December wasn't too bad. Wins against Wigan, Burton and QPR. Poor one at Leeds, although we should have put our chances away as we were the better side until they scored and a very poor one at Norwich. Again at home to Leeds we should have won in the last minute with Green making a wonder save.

I think there's a red herring here. The real change came in January when Kodjia went and our momentum slumped. I thought on balance of the 2nd half at Cardiff we were worthy of a point, but without Kodjia it was a struggle. That loss of momentum has hit us and we've perhaps tried to change too much too quickly at the wrong time, although its a poison pill, I think it was necessary.

Wolves was dire, although an open goal again missed and equally Jedinak's absence has seen us leak goals from then.

That said, I thought against Barnsley we were actually the better side for the first hour and were well on top until they scored from a gift and a second equally as against the run of play as you can get. We should have beat Forrest and Ipswich.

For me Brentford and Norwich stand out as the really desperate performances and results, which can happen I suppose.

[Clampy]

December wasn't too bad. Wins against Wigan, Burton and QPR. Poor one at Leeds, although we should have put our chances away as we were the better side until they scored and a very poor one at Norwich. Again at home to Leeds we should have won in the last minute with Green making a wonder save.

I think there's a red herring here. The real change came in January when Kodjia went and our momentum slumped. I thought on balance of the 2nd half at Cardiff we were worthy of a point, but without Kodjia it was a struggle. That loss of momentum has hit us and we've perhaps tried to change too much too quickly at the wrong time, although its a poison pill, I think it was necessary.

Wolves was dire, although an open goal again missed and equally Jedinak's absence has seen us leak goals from then.

That said, I thought against Barnsley we were actually the better side for the first hour and were well on top until they scored from a gift and a second equally as against the run of play as you can get. We should have beat Forrest and Ipswich.

For me Brentford and Norwich stand out as the really desperate performances and results, which can happen I suppose.

I think that's a fair summary. If I had to give us a mark out of 10, I'd say 5. There's been some good performances (not enough of them though), there's been games we've been ok but should have won and there's been some absolute shockers. The fragility of last season has crept back in lately which is frustrating. Some of Bruce's subs have been baffling and maybe he did doo too much in the January window. I still hope we persevere with it though.

[paul_e]

December wasn't too bad. Wins against Wigan, Burton and QPR. Poor one at Leeds, although we should have put our chances away as we were the better side until they scored and a very poor one at Norwich. Again at home to Leeds we should have won in the last minute with Green making a wonder save.

I think there's a red herring here. The real change came in January when Kodjia went and our momentum slumped. I thought on balance of the 2nd half at Cardiff we were worthy of a point, but without Kodjia it was a struggle. That loss of momentum has hit us and we've perhaps tried to change too much too quickly at the wrong time, although its a poison pill, I think it was necessary.

Wolves was dire, although an open goal again missed and equally Jedinak's absence has seen us leak goals from then.

That said, I thought against Barnsley we were actually the better side for the first hour and were well on top until they scored from a gift and a second equally as against the run of play as you can get. We should have beat Forrest and Ipswich.

For me Brentford and Norwich stand out as the really desperate performances and results, which can happen I suppose.

December was the start of the decline for me, yes we got 3 wins but they were nervy performances with late goals saving us and were all against teams that were in the mix for relegation at the time.  I think Leeds battered us in both games and we were lucky to get nil against Norwich.

I agree that Kodjia going had an effect but it was the straw that broke the camels back rather than a single hammer blow that ruined our momentum.

What I can't agree with you on is accepting the wins against Burton for example and then moan that we 'deserved' to win in other games.  When Bruce came in I expressed concerns about the performances because we were far from good value for the wins we were getting and you, amongst others, were adamant that it was all about results but now the results aren't there you've switched to 'we deserved something'.  I agree that there's elements of our recent performances that are better but I don't believe we were the better team in any of the last 3.  I think all 3 have been fairly even games and we've made mistakes at bad times to give away the points.  I think when you really want to see the positives (which I normally do) and back the manager it's easy to pick 2-3 moments in most games and say 'if we'd scored that one it'd all be different' and in 1 off games I can accept that. However if it becomes a pattern that we miss chances, let them in to score and then fail to change things up until it's too late that becomes a pattern and stops being down to individual moments.

For example we've missed a few decent chances in the last few weeks, have the coaches seen that and spent time working on it?  We've fallen into the old habit of dropping too deep, have the coaches done anything to address that?  We're making individual errors (particularly in goal) is anything being done about those, are they working on the mental strength of our players, are they working on concentration levels?

This is the point, if it's true that Bruce decided months ago that the squad are shit and that he'd need 3-4 windows to fix things then is he putting in hours to make the most of the squad and see if he can get something more out of them or is he hiding behind excuses?  I don't know the answer but I do know that right now our coaching team aren't doing a good enough job in making us look like a team that knows what they're doing and I do know that when stories like this start circulating it's usually because a manager realises he's in the shit and he's trying to protect his reputation. We all saw through it with Sherwood I hope the fact that Bruce comes across as a better person doesn't stop us seeing the same pattern.

[mr underhill]

before branding posts idiotic Clampy, to reiterate I was responding to someone who inferred that Bruce didn't rate any of the players he inherited. That includes Kodjia  and if true, was a ridiculous stance to take for obvious reasons. Less of the personal criticism please.

[Clampy]

before branding posts idiotic Clampy, to reiterate I was responding to someone who inferred that Bruce didn't rate any of the players he inherited. That includes Kodjia  and if true, was a ridiculous stance to take for obvious reasons. Less of the personal criticism please.

I'm sure when a manager joins a club, there will be players who he does not rate and bearing in mind he's got rid of a few in January, we know who a few of those were. You brought up the fact that one of them may be Kodjia with absolutely no proof of that whatsoever, so yes it was an idiotic post.

[aj2k77]

5 out of 10 when we are 17th having spent a fortune? Very Generous. I'd put us closer to 3/10 seeing as the results have been shit, the performances just as bad and there still doesn't look any idea as to where we are heading and continuity of selection and formation.

Very, very poor season so far.

[Chris Jameson]

before branding posts idiotic Clampy, to reiterate I was responding to someone who inferred that Bruce didn't rate any of the players he inherited. That includes Kodjia  and if true, was a ridiculous stance to take for obvious reasons. Less of the personal criticism please.

It was pure speculation though, he might as well have said Bruce doesn't like the Villa colours or the fact they have to play their home matches at Villa Park.

[AV82EC]

before branding posts idiotic Clampy, to reiterate I was responding to someone who inferred that Bruce didn't rate any of the players he inherited. That includes Kodjia  and if true, was a ridiculous stance to take for obvious reasons. Less of the personal criticism please.

It was pure speculation though, he might as well have said Bruce doesn't like the Villa colours or the fact they have to play their home matches at Villa Park.

Speculation would suggest there was some element of logic to it. Let's call it out for what it was internet bullshit and bollocks.

[cdbearsfan]

Said it previously when people in dreamland brought him up but why on earth would Eddie Howe leave Bournemouth for a basket case like Aston Villa?

Because they're Bournemouth and we are Aston Villa.

Why did Graham Taylor leave Watford?

Exactly the same reason.

[aj2k77]

Why leave 10,000 capacity, tiny, provincial minnows, who's almost definite peak is staying in the Premier League for a few more years before and let's be realistic they sink again and with the possibility without much finance back to where they came from, leaving a few memories of when they came 15th but most likely forgotten about by all except the few, very few, Bournemouth fans that are on the ride with them.

Or come to without a doubt one of the 10 biggest clubs in the country, who are down on their knees, waiting to be rebuilt, who attract national attention.

Claret and Blue spectacles off and I'm a miserable bastard about the Villa most of the time lately(lately being most of this decade) but if you have any kind of real ambition to test yourself and leave a lasting impression of your skills you are not going to do it at Bournemouth, whereas here there is a possibility. If you can look beyond the immediate predicament of us being below them.

Anyway, if Howe is likely to leave at any time soon then there would be big fish in for him too.

[mr underhill]

And much as I hate to think it, the allure of the other big, less chaotic fish, would see him cast his lines in calmer waters

[Chris Jameson]

Said it previously when people in dreamland brought him up but why on earth would Eddie Howe leave Bournemouth for a basket case like Aston Villa?

Because they're Bournemouth and we are Aston Villa.

17th in the Championship and on to their 8th manager in the last 6 years. He didn't stay long at Burnley and i'm sure if he were to leave Bournemouth he wouldn't be heading to the Championship. Or League One.

Football has changed an awful lot since Graham Taylor managed Watford.