Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[Ozzjim]

You want to get it done ASAP though if you are going to. Gives the new man chance to bring in a couple of their own players too.

I see Grayson has the utter shambles that is Sunderland winning away at Norwich. Grabban looking a good loan signing there.

[Clark W Griswold]

Is there an 'International Break' coming up soon?

Yep. I agree with Chris that they will not act yet (and although i understand if people disagree) i don't think we should. Not sure he should be even given the 12 games that RDM had at the start of last season though if the performances continue to be as bad as most of what we've seen so far. I think the international break is the time to do it.
If, and it's a very big if, we win the next 3 games including the cup game and show a considerably better standard of performance, things will be back on track. Of course, it won't happen, but after giving him the summer to change the squad and get them into shape we simply have to give him more than 3 games.

[LeeB]

Is there an 'International Break' coming up soon?

Yep. I agree with Chris that they will not act yet (and although i understand if people disagree) i don't think we should. Not sure he should be even given the 12 games that RDM had at the start of last season though if the performances continue to be as bad as most of what we've seen so far. I think the international break is the time to do it.
If, and it's a very big if, we win the next 3 games including the cup game and show a considerably better standard of performance, things will be back on track. Of course, it won't happen, but after giving him the summer to change the squad and get them into shape we simply have to give him more than 3 games.

I'm one for being more considered in these situations, but after watching those 'highlights' yesterday I'd do it immediately.

I would say that given the time he's had so far, and the funds he's had to shape the squad in comparison to our competitors, that was pound for pound the worst performance from a Villa side in my lifetime.

He has had, since October last year, no positive impact whatsoever on us. None at all. It fact, it looks quite the opposite.

I can't think of a single game where one, just one of the many costly players bought in under his watch have made you think "he was superb today"

[paul_e]

Is there an 'International Break' coming up soon?

Yep. I agree with Chris that they will not act yet (and although i understand if people disagree) i don't think we should. Not sure he should be even given the 12 games that RDM had at the start of last season though if the performances continue to be as bad as most of what we've seen so far. I think the international break is the time to do it.
If, and it's a very big if, we win the next 3 games including the cup game and show a considerably better standard of performance, things will be back on track. Of course, it won't happen, but after giving him the summer to change the squad and get them into shape we simply have to give him more than 3 games.

The problem is that if you give him to the international break the new guy has to go with this squad with no option to change things.  I'd been saying to give him until the October break but I honestly don't see the point any more.

[PeterWithesShin]

What is he going to do over the next month that will be any different to what he's been doing for the last 39 games? We had to judge him after Jan and he signed his own players, then it was at the end of the season, then after a pre-season and more of his signings. And yet here we are and we are still a shit, dysfunctional, clueless mess.

[LeeB]

Is there an 'International Break' coming up soon?

Yep. I agree with Chris that they will not act yet (and although i understand if people disagree) i don't think we should. Not sure he should be even given the 12 games that RDM had at the start of last season though if the performances continue to be as bad as most of what we've seen so far. I think the international break is the time to do it.
If, and it's a very big if, we win the next 3 games including the cup game and show a considerably better standard of performance, things will be back on track. Of course, it won't happen, but after giving him the summer to change the squad and get them into shape we simply have to give him more than 3 games.

The problem is that if you give him to the international break the new guy has to go with this squad with no option to change things.  I'd been saying to give him until the October break but I honestly don't see the point any more.

Yes.

That performance yesterday should ring massive alarm bells, not least in HR.

[brontebilly]

I would have sacked Bruce the moment he bought Gabby back in, how many goals in how many years and yet the idiot thinks Gabby is the answer. Is Bruce on a rolling contract? if he is there is no impediment to him being replaced.

To be fair that's just nonsense, it was either bring Gabby back in, pay him off or have him  leech the club even more with the reserves. His contract hasn't been extended and if everyone was fit he wouldn't be starting. Unfortunately we have spent 25m in the past two seasons alone on forwards that have completely bombed hence Gabby is still an option.

There are umpteen more reasons to have a valid go at Bruce but Gabby ain't one.

[aj2k77]

Gabby should have been paid off and the club release a statement that his kind of attitude and presence will no longer be tolerated at Aston Villa.

Instead he was back in the team.

Brilliant example.

[Clark W Griswold]

We have had some good runs of form results wise, but i'd say that from a football point of view he's helped very little, certainly for any long term benefit. My issue with him at the moment is the fact that he's bought in 6 new players and still not addressed the main problem of the lack of creativity and subsequent goals haul. We literally don't look like scoring, still. For the most part, we've bought players in areas where we were already quite strong, or bought players in that aren't really an improvement on the players that they're replacing. Where are the 2 quality wide players and target man centre forward that we need? Apart from getting a continuation on Johnstone, the only one that looks like he might actually notably improve the starting 11 is the other loanee, Onomah, but even looking at him i'm wondering whether we needed someone quicker with goals in them.
In hindsight, as others have pointed out he seemed to buy players in January with no idea how he was going to play them, there really doesn't seem to be a plan and that is even more evident now from how we've started the season.

[Matt C]

At the moment we looked to have regressed from RDM which is barely comprehensible.

[brontebilly]

Gabby should have been paid off and the club release a statement that his kind of attitude and presence will no longer be tolerated at Aston Villa.

Instead he was back in the team.

Brilliant example.

Gabby should have been fired after his performance v Spurs and certainly since on more than a few occasions. Successive chairmen and chief executives have tolerated him far too long but blaming Bruce  is a bit much.

[aj2k77]

Bruce is the one picking him.

[KevinGage]

Naw, Gabby is a big reason for my dissatisfaction too and I reckon Robbo is spot on.

Not only was it a dull, imaginative typical Bruce move trying to reintegrate a 'name' from 10 years ago, but Gabby's condition at the time was shocking. Barely pub football standard.

There should be a value on wearing the shirt -not just the Villa shirt, but any shirt at a professional club. You don't just turn up to training after taking the best part of a season (or three) off and then make the starting XI.  Not unless you are some sort of incredible talent -which Gabby clearly isn't.

It also sends out the wrong signals to players who might have -up until that point- taken training seriously. What type of joke outfit is this? Or chancers like McCormack. 'If he can get away with that, what can I get away with?' 

After a decent start to the season, Ayew's form tailed off from October onwards. Might have been just pure coincidence. But I would be pretty miffed if I was in good physical shape and match fit, and was getting benched for that clown.

[PeterWithesShin]

Gabby started 2 games last season before the New Year, one in Nov and another in December so I doubt those 2 starts are the reason Ayew  or anyone else went shit.

[KevinGage]

He was wobbled in within weeks of Bruce arriving to the club, coming on against B-lose away and starting v Brighton. From memory, he might have got a knock v Brighton or torn one of his fatman fold overs, can't quite recall. That, more than Bruce quickly clocking he wasn't up to snuff might explain the gap between the start in Nov and Dec.

The volume of games the useless bloater actually started isn't the important element in all this. He was still favoured in place of other players who looked like professional footballers and had done well for us earlier in the campaign, or young players determined to make a name for themselves (Davis, RHM).  Plus Bruce made it very clear he viewed him as an important part of the team with AFCON coming up.