Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[Villa75]

What is the point getting hung up over a couple of points here and there at this point of the season?

It's not even christmas yet, there's a shit load of football to still be played.

And that stands for both those making the case we'll go up and those suggesting we're not good enough. We just don't really know either way yet.

I'm just glad we're in the mix rather than mooking around the arse end of the table(s) as we have done for the last 7 years.

I am not a fan of Bruce's football particularly, either, but the table and the current form table both look pretty good to me at the moment.

I don't think anyone is "hung up" over anything. We're merely having a good natured discussion, on a discussion board.

Some people have suggested we just need to carry on doing what we're doing, to get automatic promotion. Others, well me, have suggested that won't be enough and we need to do even better.

It's no biggy. As the kids say.

[Chris Jameson]

Have we sacked him yet?

[Drummond]

I have looked at their results and their opposition. They have lost 2, drawn 1 and won 2 of their last five, but all sides in the bottom 6 or 7.

We took 4 more points from the same fixtures.

and what does any of that have to do with what I wrote?

I'll simplify it for you, if they're reliant on Clarke because he's been in great goalscoring form why are we not reliant on Adomah who's been in great goalscoring form?  If I thought you'd watched them then it'd be different but you've just said you've looked at their results and decided, from that, they're a one man team at the moment.  My argument is if you looked at Villa in the same way would we not also look like a one man team?

I've seen quite a bit of  them, go fine my in laws and wife are season ticket holders.

They are gutted that their best player got a leg break, since when their form has dipped.

I could patronise you too, but I won't.

[olaftab]

What is the point getting hung up over a couple of points here and there at this point of the season?

It’s worth a discussion on a fan forum not here...oh hang on🤔

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I have looked at their results and their opposition. They have lost 2, drawn 1 and won 2 of their last five, but all sides in the bottom 6 or 7.

We took 4 more points from the same fixtures.

and what does any of that have to do with what I wrote?

I'll simplify it for you, if they're reliant on Clarke because he's been in great goalscoring form why are we not reliant on Adomah who's been in great goalscoring form?  If I thought you'd watched them then it'd be different but you've just said you've looked at their results and decided, from that, they're a one man team at the moment.  My argument is if you looked at Villa in the same way would we not also look like a one man team?

Sheffield United's form has dipped. They have been so-so these past 5 games against some of the poorer sides. Coutts is their best player and he's out for the season. Clarke is a journey man whose on fire at the moment. I don't think his form will last because he's crap.

I don't see what's controversial about my point. If you could leave out the patronising garbage that would be appreciated.

[olaftab]

I agree Sheff Utd will not last the pace. They have over achieved and will find it difficult to recover from setbacks. Teams getting automatic places will be those that have plenty of spare capacity in the tank. Squad wise we are that team the rest is up to Bruce.

[tomd2103]

What is the point getting hung up over a couple of points here and there at this point of the season?

It's not even christmas yet, there's a shit load of football to still be played.

And that stands for both those making the case we'll go up and those suggesting we're not good enough. We just don't really know either way yet.

I'm just glad we're in the mix rather than mooking around the arse end of the table(s) as we have done for the last 7 years.

I am not a fan of Bruce's football particularly, either, but the table and the current form table both look pretty good to me at the moment.

I don't think anyone is "hung up" over anything. We're merely having a good natured discussion, on a discussion board.

Some people have suggested we just need to carry on doing what we're doing, to get automatic promotion. Others, well me, have suggested that won't be enough and we need to do even better.

It's no biggy. As the kids say.

I think you have a point.  A repeat of our form over the past few months in the coming ones should hopefully see us strengthen our position in the play offs but we will still probably need a real rich run of form at some point to catapult us into the automatic places.

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We're 5 points off with 27 games to go and Cardiff, Wolves and Sheffield United all to come to Villa Park.

[SoccerHQ]

End of season will be mad. We play Leeds, Cardiff and Derby as our final three home games in April.

Are the club thinking of opening the Upper Trinity for all the home games after xmas? Think it would be worth it, games v Wolves and SHA will get 40k as will those three above if we're in contention for top 2 come the final weeks.

[tomd2103]

We're 5 points off with 27 games to go and Cardiff, Wolves and Sheffield United all to come to Villa Park.

Yep, but even if we continue with our current form, I still think we are going to need that really good run along the way to give us that push.  Three out of the next four games are Leeds and Derby away, and Sheff Utd at home which will give us a better picture. 

[paul_e]

I have looked at their results and their opposition. They have lost 2, drawn 1 and won 2 of their last five, but all sides in the bottom 6 or 7.

We took 4 more points from the same fixtures.

and what does any of that have to do with what I wrote?

I'll simplify it for you, if they're reliant on Clarke because he's been in great goalscoring form why are we not reliant on Adomah who's been in great goalscoring form?  If I thought you'd watched them then it'd be different but you've just said you've looked at their results and decided, from that, they're a one man team at the moment.  My argument is if you looked at Villa in the same way would we not also look like a one man team?

Sheffield United's form has dipped. They have been so-so these past 5 games against some of the poorer sides. Coutts is their best player and he's out for the season. Clarke is a journey man whose on fire at the moment. I don't think his form will last because he's crap.

I don't see what's controversial about my point. If you could leave out the patronising garbage that would be appreciated.

For the sake of you and Drummond, it was intentionally patronising because when I asked a straight question you ignored it and gave an answer that had nothing to do with it.  You've answered it now but we'll get back to that because that was more a side point anyway, I said it was nit-picking from the start. My main problem is that it you seem to be arguing that we're a better squad than them (and Cardiff) so we'll finish above them, which I think most of us agree with, but you're using it to defend us currently being below them which seems a bit muddled to me.  Something you've repeated with the 5 points off with 27 games to play line.

Let me clarify because I get that this might come across a little rambling; I agree with you that our quality should mean that we are a top 2 side and the reason I've been so unhappy with Bruce is because we're not one. For me, as much as you can say that our extra quality should come to the fore, that has been true since last January and yet the last 13-14 games is the only sustained period where that has looked like happening and even that has included some defeats where we weren't just beaten but made to look really poor.  I really want to believe that the inexplicable drop in form that we saw in April won't happen again but because I just can't do it I won't be confident that we're going to battle our way out of this shit league until we're into the top2 and have earned ourselves a bit of a buffer.

The Clarke/Adomah thing still stands though, if you were a neutral fan looking at the recent results of Villa and Sheff U and looking at the history of Clarke and Adomah I don't think it would be unreasonable to suggest that you'd think both of them were going through a run of unprecedented form which was making the difference for their club.  You only have to look at post on the Adomah thread from about the same time Coutts got injured to see people (well mainly 1) slagging him off as not good enough and even those defending him didn't suggest he'd go into December with 10 goals to his name.  I like Adomah, I was one of his biggest advocates on here in the summer when people were calling Elmo an upgrade, but he's never shown this sort of goalscoring form and, without watching the games, it would be very easy to see it as a temporary blip, just as you're suggesting with Clarke and if he suddenly does stop scoring or picks up an injury, will we see a drop off in our own form?

[Clampy]

We're 5 points off with 27 games to go and Cardiff, Wolves and Sheffield United all to come to Villa Park.

Yes, and it's also possible a couple of the teams above us could fall away. If at the end of December we're in similar position to where we are now, I'd be more than happy.

[Drummond]

I have looked at their results and their opposition. They have lost 2, drawn 1 and won 2 of their last five, but all sides in the bottom 6 or 7.

We took 4 more points from the same fixtures.

and what does any of that have to do with what I wrote?

I'll simplify it for you, if they're reliant on Clarke because he's been in great goalscoring form why are we not reliant on Adomah who's been in great goalscoring form?  If I thought you'd watched them then it'd be different but you've just said you've looked at their results and decided, from that, they're a one man team at the moment.  My argument is if you looked at Villa in the same way would we not also look like a one man team?

Sheffield United's form has dipped. They have been so-so these past 5 games against some of the poorer sides. Coutts is their best player and he's out for the season. Clarke is a journey man whose on fire at the moment. I don't think his form will last because he's crap.

I don't see what's controversial about my point. If you could leave out the patronising garbage that would be appreciated.

For the sake of you and Drummond, it was intentionally patronising because when I asked a straight question you ignored it and gave an answer that had nothing to do with it.  You've answered it now but we'll get back to that because that was more a side point anyway, I said it was nit-picking from the start. My main problem is that it you seem to be arguing that we're a better squad than them (and Cardiff) so we'll finish above them, which I think most of us agree with, but you're using it to defend us currently being below them which seems a bit muddled to me.  Something you've repeated with the 5 points off with 27 games to play line.

Let me clarify because I get that this might come across a little rambling; I agree with you that our quality should mean that we are a top 2 side and the reason I've been so unhappy with Bruce is because we're not one. For me, as much as you can say that our extra quality should come to the fore, that has been true since last January and yet the last 13-14 games is the only sustained period where that has looked like happening and even that has included some defeats where we weren't just beaten but made to look really poor.  I really want to believe that the inexplicable drop in form that we saw in April won't happen again but because I just can't do it I won't be confident that we're going to battle our way out of this shit league until we're into the top2 and have earned ourselves a bit of a buffer.

The Clarke/Adomah thing still stands though, if you were a neutral fan looking at the recent results of Villa and Sheff U and looking at the history of Clarke and Adomah I don't think it would be unreasonable to suggest that you'd think both of them were going through a run of unprecedented form which was making the difference for their club.  You only have to look at post on the Adomah thread from about the same time Coutts got injured to see people (well mainly 1) slagging him off as not good enough and even those defending him didn't suggest he'd go into December with 10 goals to his name.  I like Adomah, I was one of his biggest advocates on here in the summer when people were calling Elmo an upgrade, but he's never shown this sort of goalscoring form and, without watching the games, it would be very easy to see it as a temporary blip, just as you're suggesting with Clarke and if he suddenly does stop scoring or picks up an injury, will we see a drop off in our own form?

So we 'ignore' a question that you have said was only a side question and you decided to patronise us.

What a pleasant fellow you are.

As for your bollocks about not looking like a top 2 side, if you ignored the first two games we'd be in the top two (of course they play a part in the season and can't be ignored overall but those games have only resulted in us dropping two places). So, over a run of the last 17 games this season we're in Automatic promotion form. With the three sides above us to come, including Sheffield United twice, we're well set. With the squad we have at our disposal, and the depth thereof, I'd say we're looking pretty good. The depth of our squad could be shown to be good and our current position to be argued to be quite good given that our talisman from last season is still injured (Kodjia in case you didn't know), our new captain and widely argued to be the best defender/player in the division (yes, John Terry) is out injured and we've lost numerous midfielders, including Grealish (who many feel is an exceptional talent).

It's good to know you'll consistently moan and whinge about how crap we and our manager are until we've a buffer in the Top 2 places. Just so that I understand fully, what with me really not seeming to be intelligent enough to understand your cerebral posts, what sort of buffer do we need to have?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We're 5 points off with 27 games to go and Cardiff, Wolves and Sheffield United all to come to Villa Park.

Yes, and it's also possible a couple of the teams above us could fall away. If at the end of December we're in similar position to where we are now, I'd be more than happy.

If by 'similar position' you mean 5 points off second place, 9 off Wolves, I agree. We need to keep it tight at the top. Let the rest worry about play off places.

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Admoah is and always has been much better than Clarke.