Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[thick_mike]

And avoided the curse of the MotM award

[PeterWithesShin]

I've given him plenty of stick at times, fair play Brucey, you're rightly now getting plenty of praise.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Doing really well ATM, hats off to him.

[Toronto Villa]

I've given him plenty of stick at times, fair play Brucey, you're rightly now getting plenty of praise.

That's just it. I agree and like you have given him plenty of grief. And well deserved too. But he's turned it around and all of the credit should go to him for doing so. Furthermore, not since 2008 or so have I felt that players care so much about each and the club. That's down to Bruce too as well as his staff and some very strong characters at the club. Not just Terry who has been immense but the likes of Snoddy, Chester, Hutton and Jedinak. They are all leaders. And even the fringe players like Whelan has been a positive influence.

[tomd2103]

Deserves huge credit for just being there on the sidelines after the week he has had.  Also deserves credit for the decision to play Jedinak. It was tough on Bjarnason, but professional sport is tough and I thought it was the right call.  Jedinak hardly lost a header in front of the back four today and seeing as most of the challenges were with Gallagher, it gave Chester and Terry the chance to drop off and sweep up. 

[Three Spires Villa]

I've given him plenty of stick at times, fair play Brucey, you're rightly now getting plenty of praise.

Are my thoughts completely

[paul_e]

I've given him plenty of stick at times, fair play Brucey, you're rightly now getting plenty of praise.

That's just it. I agree and like you have given him plenty of grief. And well deserved too. But he's turned it around and all of the credit should go to him for doing so. Furthermore, not since 2008 or so have I felt that players care so much about each and the club. That's down to Bruce too as well as his staff and some very strong characters at the club. Not just Terry who has been immense but the likes of Snoddy, Chester, Hutton and Jedinak. They are all leaders. And even the fringe players like Whelan has been a positive influence.

Yep, I agree, this is the way to stop people calling for you to be sacked, which only happened because we knew these performances were in the squad.

[villan from luton]

I really hope the managers Mum is improving and so sorry for his sad loss. Emotion took over after the first goal and totally understandable. I have given Steve Bruce stick, but he is proving me wrong and what I like about him more is what a nice human being he seems to be. Long my he continue to make us a better team

[kieron]

It is unquestionably long overdue that the 'Out' thread is consigned to the internet topic forum archive in the sky. After two thirds of the 2017/18 season, and with us now sitting in the automatic promotion spots, how that thread can currently still gain more traction than this one, even after an occasion like today, is absolute beggars belief.

We've just won our 7th league fixture in a row.

Please allow me to put that into a little bit of perspective from a personal angle:

The last time we embarked on a run of 7 straight league wins was when I went to my very first Villa game as a 14 year old lad, sat in the old Witton Lane at home to Arsenal on a boxing day in 1989 whereby we won 2-1. A few days later I went to my second Villa game, whereby we beat Manchester United 3-0. Who'd have known that such a run would take a further 29 years, one failed marriage and two kids to achieve.

Steve has had his critics, but blimey, the run of form we're in, the feel good factor, the group of players he's assembled, the passion they give and the drive and determination we're witnessing lately makes me feel that he's been the best manager we've had for many a year. For the first time in a long time, and I'm sure I can speak for many, it's actually enjoyable to head down to Villa Park knowing there is palpable optimism within the B6 postcode. You just can't put that level of hope and expectation into a few sentences, but that's what we have now, and who can argue?

Steve's had well documented personal tragedy this week and he didn't need to be anywhere near Villa Park today, let alone the dug out, whatsoever. The fact that he was there, feeling every emotion that we did today should hold him in even higher esteem among us. Not only for that, but we all saw how emotional he was when Albert scored. If anyone can go up several virtual 'opinion notches' in a one day, I hope that for those who may like to keep the kindling alive on the 'Out' thread will put that to one side for a change and see that he cares about Aston Villa's performance out there just as much as we do.


Bruce, unequivocally IN.

[Clampy]

I'm glad he's doing what I thought he would do and that is have us challenging. Who knows what's going to happen but it's looking good. Fair play Brucey.

[exiled on the wirral!]

Fair play to Brucey today..i welled up when I saw his reaction. Top man doing a great job.

[KevinGage]

It's a measure of the man that he has been on the edge of the tin tack twice this season and toughed it out. 

Not only that, but we actually hammered Barnsley and got one of our best results of the season away to Boro (even if we didn't look to clever in that game) when it mattered.

Whatever other concerns I may have had (or still have) about the style of play, it's difficult to argue after those scenarios and today that the players aren't playing for him.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Steve's had well documented personal tragedy this week and he didn't need to be anywhere near Villa Park today, let alone the dug out, whatsoever. The fact that he was there, feeling every emotion that we did today should hold him in even higher esteem among us. Not only for that, but we all saw how emotional he was when Albert scored. If anyone can go up several virtual 'opinion notches' in a one day, I hope that for those who may like to keep the kindling alive on the 'Out' thread will put that to one side for a change and see that he cares about Aston Villa's performance out there just as much as we do.

I'll save the last sentence for another day but you've nailed it with the rest. As Calderwood mentioned post match, the players wanted to give him a performance he'd be proud of and boy did they give it. As I mentioned on the Match Thread, it was for me the best performance of the season. There have been those on here that try and defend our good half - crap half. Today we were bloody brilliant for 94 minutes. Bruce has manages these last few week to do something that's been missing for far too long and despite us having arguably the best squad in the division - a collective mentality. It will be that more than anything that will see us stay strong for the rest of the season. It's also a bloody great place to build for the next step up.

[SoccerHQ]

Keep this run of form and I will change my mind about wanting him out at the end of the season. We romp to second in convincing fashion and he'll get the start of next season as little chance we'd make a change.

[Toronto Villa]

If we get promoted he'll be manager next season. There is no chance on earth he'll be fired. And as much as I am concerned about his ability to invest in players and compete at that level he'll get the opportunity to do both. And given our turnaround of late it's hard to deny him that if he ultimately delivers on his objective.