Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[West Derby Villan]

My hope is not that Bruce will improve Villa but that Villa will improve Bruce.  Might be happening but it is still too close to call.

Like your thinking Brian

[Clampy]

My hope is that Bruce gets us up and Villa improves Bruce. Might be happening but Villa comes first.
 

[Rudy Can't Fail]

My hope is not that Bruce will improve Villa but that Villa will improve Bruce.  Might be happening but it is still too close to call.

It just might. I think he now knows having had the sack rumours earlier in the season he has to raise his game and he needs to be far more adventurous. Last night he could have made a single substitution but he went for a double and both attacking. I may be clutching at straws but I'd like to think we're dragging him into the 21st century.

[Toronto Villa]

The time to judge Bruce is once we are in the PL. He's proven himself at this level several times, so I'm not taking what he's doing with us any more than he's figuring things out finally as our manager in the Championship. But time and again he has shown he is years behind other PL managers when it comes to tactics, ambition, adventure and progressive thinking. A mark of progress will be if he is able to approach those games with more than a draw in mind AKA The TSM1 Syndrome. That's when we will know he's improved.

[ciggiesnbeer]

My hope is not that Bruce will improve Villa but that Villa will improve Bruce.  Might be happening but it is still too close to call.

Huh. Well put.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The time to judge Bruce is once we are in the PL. He's proven himself at this level several times, so I'm not taking what he's doing with us any more than he's figuring things out finally as our manager in the Championship. But time and again he has shown he is years behind other PL managers when it comes to tactics, ambition, adventure and progressive thinking. A mark of progress will be if he is able to approach those games with more than a draw in mind AKA The TSM1 Syndrome. That's when we will know he's improved.

If we give him the best squad in the PL he'll keep us up. You can file that one.

[not3bad]

Aston Villa is probably Steve Bruce's last chance to really make a mark as a manager.

[Rigadon]

Aston Villa is probably Steve Bruce's last chance to really make a mark as a manager.

As per any of our mangers of the last 30 years ?

[Villafirst]

Our best season so far for many years, well in the promotion mix and the word 'out' is still in this thread title? Bruce is slowly turning things round after the shambles that preceded his tenure.

[Gregorys Boy]

Aston Villa is probably Steve Bruce's last chance to really make a mark as a manager.

Don't think that's fair.  A fairer statement might be its his last chance at a massage club. Think Hull and Birmingham fans would say he did a good job there. Wigan too.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Aston Villa is probably Steve Bruce's last chance to really make a mark as a manager.

Don't think that's fair.  A fairer statement might be its his last chance at a massage club. Think Hull and Birmingham fans would say he did a good job there. Wigan too.

They have massage clubs in Wigan? No wonder Risso is always banging on about the place.

[Clampy]

Aston Villa is probably Steve Bruce's last chance to really make a mark as a manager.

Don't think that's fair.  A fairer statement might be its his last chance at a massage club. Think Hull and Birmingham fans would say he did a good job there. Wigan too.

Blues were definitely a massage club under Gold and Sullivan.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Aston Villa is probably Steve Bruce's last chance to really make a mark as a manager.

Don't think that's fair.  A fairer statement might be its his last chance at a massage club. Think Hull and Birmingham fans would say he did a good job there. Wigan too.

Blues were definitely a massage club under Gold and Sullivan.

No happy ending for their fans though.

[Risso]

Aston Villa is probably Steve Bruce's last chance to really make a mark as a manager.

Don't think that's fair.  A fairer statement might be its his last chance at a massage club. Think Hull and Birmingham fans would say he did a good job there. Wigan too.

They have massage clubs in Wigan? No wonder Risso is always banging on about the place.

A man walks past a pie shop in Wigan, the sign outside says... 'Special offer - today only'.... MEAT PIES 50p, WANKS £1.00. The man goes into the shop and asked the young, good-looking female assistant behind the counter "Excuse me are you the girl who gives the wanks for a pound?" "Yes" replies the girl. "Well wash your fucking hands I want 2 meat pies please."

[stuart445]

I would position it this way. We very much underachieved for the early part of the season given our resources, squad depth and manager who has a lot of experience and success at this level. But since he steadied the ship we’ve done exactly as we should have done. Hypothetically had we started the season at an above average pace we’d probably be very close to top right now. We didn’t and there’s nothing that can be done about that. What’s evident recently is that Bruce has come across a system/formula/Strategy, whatever you want to call it, through his ability or luck (probably both) that seems to work. And if we keep going along this path given all of the assets we have at the club we should be promoted come May.

I mostly agree but then performances like Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday come to mind and make me think that the gap is still too wide right now.  4 wins and a draw or 2 in December and I'll believe that we've truly turned the corner, much less than that and it'll be treading water again.  We've got the players to go on a 10-12 game unbeaten run but we now need to go and get it done.  Then we can start looking at auto promotion seriously.

You won't,  you'll just find something else to use against Bruce. 

Every time we don't lose must really annoy some people, I bet when we went 1:0 down some could hardly contain themselves bet they were heart broken when Lansbury scored.