Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[kippaxvilla2]

He makes sense when it comes to Keane though in terms of a comparison.  Apparently hoddle used to be the same.

[Monty]

Henry might be like Keane, Hoddle, Cruyff, who knows. The main problem is that we have no idea.

[The Edge]

you don't really need an update then?

Why don't I?

[clash city rocker]

He makes sense when it comes to Keane though in terms of a comparison.  Apparently hoddle used to be the same.

Remember talking to someone on Wolves books when Hoddle was manager and he did say Hoddle used to get frustrated in training as players just didn't have the skill level he expected .

[Zouch Villa]

Hmmmm, coaches frustrated with the ineptitude of our players?  Maybe they weren’t too far out of touch with us fans after all.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

That Guardian article is bang on the money in its assessment of Bruce, and especially the "underdog" mentality which is his forte but  was a poor fit for a big club with an expensive squad.   He's also probably right that the underdog approach might work better with a more workmanlike squad.  I'd still like to see Bruce replaced though as the football is and will be dreadful to watch.  Not sure about Henry though, huge gamble unless it's in tandem with a more experienced right hand man.

And the rumours are that it's Steve Bould and the rest of the old Arsenal back room team. Which would provide the experience, tactical nous and ability you'd think.

If we were bringing Henry in with no team and to work with our existing lot, then I'd say bad call.

IF Henry is appointed as Manager or Head Coach, from what I've read, I'd be very surprised if Bould joins him. Emery seems to be very happy with him at Arsenal. He's currently in Singapore with the Arse, so unlikely to be seen around Bodymoor in the coming days.

[Deano's Mullet]

Oooh Michelle Owen promoted, she's  one of the presenters on SSN. Mmm

[Diablo]

He makes sense when it comes to Keane though in terms of a comparison.  Apparently hoddle used to be the same.

Remember talking to someone on Wolves books when Hoddle was manager and he did say Hoddle used to get frustrated in training as players just didn't have the skill level he expected .

I'm not surprised to hear that, Hoddle was a great player - arguably well ahead of his time - no wonder he ended up playing abroad where they put more emphasis on skill and ball technique.

[hilts_coolerking]

So presumably the outcome will be one of:

1) Thanks Steve but we're going in a new direction - France!

2) Thanks Steve but we're going in a new direction - not necessarily France but definitely somewhere you're not.

3) *through gritted teeth* You're the manager for the foreseeable future.

4) You're the man to take us up Steve!

[cdbearsfan]

I think getting loads of money, tax-free, was probably more of a consideration than the style of football.

ETA: reply to Diablo.

[ChicagoLion]

much of that is true but he lucked out massively with Kodjia not being fit all season. If he'd taken the previous year's form into the 2017/18 campaign I think we'd have got automatic promotion

If only he had of been able to buy a striker for say £ 10+ million.

[Diablo]

I think getting loads of money, tax-free, was probably more of a consideration than the style of football.

ETA: reply to Diablo.

Ahhh! Light bulb moment! God I'm naive! Cheers Cdbullyweefan - that had honestly never even crossed my mind. I'd just assumed he got pissed off with not getting more caps and being constantly asked to do more tackling lol

[pauliewalnuts]

4) You're the man to take us up Steve!

*You're The One For Me, Fatty lands on my internal jukebox*

[Damo70]

I think getting loads of money, tax-free, was probably more of a consideration than the style of football.

ETA: reply to Diablo.

Hoddle had as good as signed for Roma at one point a few years before going to Monaco but it fell through at the last minute, the same as Sid and his move to Napoli. Hoddle even gave an exclusive to Match Weekly as he had a weekly column and was pictured on the front cover with a Napoli scarf and the headline 'Arrivederci Spurs'.

[AsTallAsLions]

From TalkShite via the Express. Dazza Benty sez "non"!

“For me, if you want to get a team out of the Championship you stick with someone like a Steve Bruce or a Neil Warnock – they have pedigree of getting teams out of that league,” he told talkSPORT.

“For Villa to take such a big risk and appoint Henry – I know he’s legend, he’s my hero being an Arsenal supporter – but as far as managing goes he’s untested and he doesn’t know the Championship.

“He’s played games in the Premier League and Champions League, but the Championship is completely different to anything he ever faced in his career.

“So for them to turn away from Steve Bruce, someone who has experience, has done it before and know the league inside and out, and to all of a sudden taken a gamble on someone like Henry – it’s going to be tough for villa I think.

“Hopefully Steve Bruce keeps the job. I think he could definitely get Aston Villa up this season.”

During Bent’s time at Villa he worked under Manchester United legend Roy Keane, who acted as assistant coach under Paul Lambert during his time in the Midlands.

And while Bent admits he learned a lot from the Irishman, he claims Keane didn’t understand his players not being able to match his own career when things got tough.

“There are so many risks involved [if Henry takes the job],” Bent added.

“The standard Thierry is used to, from his playing career and from his coaching work with Belgium, is going to be completely different.

“I’ve had it before [being coached by a manager who used to play] and at first, when things are going really well, it works. The standards are set high.

“But it’s when things start to go badly going that you start to see all the problems.

“You begin to think, ‘his expectations are way too high’, so you start to get frustrated and then the manager gets frustrated because they can’t understand why we can’t play the way they played when they were playing.

“It becomes a struggle until the whole thing just implodes.

“I had Roy Keane at Villa – he was a fantastic player with great ability and he was a good coach.

“But one of his problems I always felt was he just couldn’t understand why the midfield players in our team weren’t as good as him.

“Even with simple things like possession drills and shooting drills, if we missed the target or gave the ball away, he couldn’t understand how we could make such bad decision.

“In the end, ultimately, he left.”

Not, in fact, a good coach then, was he?

The manager and coaching staff's job is to get the best out of the players at their disposal, and, if possible, even make them better footballers. Getting frustrated and throwing toys out of the pram (or in Roy's case, actively fighting players on the training pitch or in the dressing room) isn't good coaching or good management.

Bent's talking a load of sh!te IMO.