Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

We were never going to win the FA cup. With that said I don't believe that winning a couple of games in the cup puts our chances of promotion at risk any more than an under-performing manager. It's a smokescreen to hide his inadequacies, just like criticising  his players one week or the fans another. His post match interview was BS (this idea of hindsight and trying out units of players)! That's his f-cking job to put together a cohesive unit with the players he chooses. Isn't that what a pre-season or BMH is for? Instead, in a competitive fixture, he manages a shambles and allows Peterborough to play us off the park! 6 of the starting line up were his signings, 7 starting the second half were his. He really doesn't know what he's doing! If ever a game demonstrated that Bruce does not know how to manage a big club it was yesterday's. He and the players looked like strangers, with little evidence of training and coaching and this with a second string team. In one game Bruce proved the Villa engine Wyness talks about does not work with Bruce at the helm! I want him gone, but I realise it won't happen while we are in the playoffs. Nothing yesterday convinces me though that he is the man to see the job done.

[Steve67]

Good post Abbey. He knows full well that so many changes all at once is likely to be a disaster, yet he goes ahead and does it anyway. He needs to be held to account by the Technical Director, but won't be. We did need game time for certain players but this was a dumb move.

[Mister E]

We were never going to win the FA cup. With that said I don't believe that winning a couple of games in the cup puts our chances of promotion at risk any more than an under-performing manager. It's a smokescreen to hide his inadequacies, just like criticising  his players one week or the fans another. His post match interview was BS (this idea of hindsight and trying out units of players)! That's his f-cking job to put together a cohesive unit with the players he chooses. Isn't that what a pre-season or BMH is for? Instead, in a competitive fixture, he manages a shambles and allows Peterborough to play us off the park! 6 of the starting line up were his signings, 7 starting the second half were his. He really doesn't know what he's doing! If ever a game demonstrated that Bruce does not know how to manage a big club it was yesterday's. He and the players looked like strangers, with little evidence of training and coaching and this with a second string team. In one game Bruce proved the Villa engine Wyness talks about does not work with Bruce at the helm! I want him gone, but I realise it won't happen while we are in the playoffs. Nothing yesterday convinces me though that he is the man to see the job done.

Absolutely with you.
If he wanted to try stuff, why did he not try Doyle-Hayes in a holding MF position? And RHM as a dual striker with Davis?
Why not give Elphick more gametime to build his confidence?
Why is it not clear which of Bree and de Laet is a RB and a CB? - as it happens, I thought de Laet looked excellent at RB, but I couldn't figure out the thinking with the two of them.
Why revisit the Bjarnasson-out-of-position again?
Why play Onomah at all?!

He demonstrates all the traits of a confused man who really has not worked stuff out, after 15 months in post.

[nick harper]

We were never going to win the FA cup. With that said I don't believe that winning a couple of games in the cup puts our chances of promotion at risk any more than an under-performing manager. It's a smokescreen to hide his inadequacies, just like criticising  his players one week or the fans another. His post match interview was BS (this idea of hindsight and trying out units of players)! That's his f-cking job to put together a cohesive unit with the players he chooses. Isn't that what a pre-season or BMH is for? Instead, in a competitive fixture, he manages a shambles and allows Peterborough to play us off the park! 6 of the starting line up were his signings, 7 starting the second half were his. He really doesn't know what he's doing! If ever a game demonstrated that Bruce does not know how to manage a big club it was yesterday's. He and the players looked like strangers, with little evidence of training and coaching and this with a second string team. In one game Bruce proved the Villa engine Wyness talks about does not work with Bruce at the helm! I want him gone, but I realise it won't happen while we are in the playoffs. Nothing yesterday convinces me though that he is the man to see the job done.

Absolutely with you.
If he wanted to try stuff, why did he not try Doyle-Hayes in a holding MF position? And RHM as a dual striker with Davis?
Why not give Elphick more gametime to build his confidence?
Why is it not clear which of Bree and de Laet is a RB and a CB? - as it happens, I thought de Laet looked excellent at RB, but I couldn't figure out the thinking with the two of them.
Why revisit the Bjarnasson-out-of-position again?
Why play Onomah at all?!

He demonstrates all the traits of a confused man who really has not worked stuff out, after 15 months in post.

He did try stuff - he had Bree at centre half, he brought Green back in and gave O’Hare another game. I don’t disagree with any of your suggestions and he admitted he had overplayed the changes including those comin back from injury, but we could and should have been 3 up in the first 20 minutes.

He has said that some players didn’t do the basics in closing down which gave them far too much space - I could see that - and imagine Taylor, Lansbury, Bjarnesson, Onomah in particular haven’t done themselves any favours. The personnel and shape of that side was easily good enough to win that game.

[Malandro]

We might have had the personnel good enough to win the game, unfortunately we were played off the park (our park)

I understand why the cups are not important to Bruce, but I don't like it.

[wittonwarrior]

The cup fisasco was more a Club thing  than just Steve Bruce attempting to be clever. 

Lack  of hospitality, Holte Suite closed after the game, no family fan zone, reduced sized programme, paper tickets for season ticket holders, no visits from the legends in attendance.  Even the cups that they use for beer didn't have the villa badge on. 

I am prepared to give Steve Bruce a get out of jail card over yesterday, clearly a Club decision.  Not right I know but such  is life.

[David_Nab]

The problem with him saying players are not doing the basics is a) he brought alot of them b ) he coached or directs the coaches coaching the players so in no way , shape or form is he blameless despite his attempts to act that way.

[XXVilla]

I didn’t go yesterday and I’m an ST holder. I’m glad my level of disinterest was matched by Bruce, it makes me feel less guilty.

[nick harper]

The problem with him saying players are not doing the basics is a) he brought alot of them b ) he coached or directs the coaches coaching the players so in no way , shape or form is he blameless despite his attempts to act that way.

Not sure his after match comments suggested he did not blame himself for some of the selections. He could have made several substitutions such was the difference in performance across the team. Some players let themselves down, simple as that I think.

[Mister E]

The problem with him saying players are not doing the basics is a) he brought alot of them b ) he coached or directs the coaches coaching the players so in no way , shape or form is he blameless despite his attempts to act that way.

Not sure his after match comments suggested he did not blame himself for some of the selections. He could have made several substitutions such was the difference in performance across the team. Some players let themselves down, simple as that I think.

But, again, we're talking about the basics of the game: passing, movement, closing down, first-touch control - all of these basics were sadly absent yesterday from our players. And not just yesterday: it's been a theme for a long time.
So, yes, the personnel on the pitch are at fault, but behind that is the apparent absence of coaching (or, we've bought the wrong players!).

I'm despairing ... not about yesterday per se (although it was embarrassing to lose and for the club to look so small-time with the reduced services; for the team to lack pride and competence) but because it encapsulated all that is wrong about the current set-up.

[Dougs Socks]

The problem with him saying players are not doing the basics is a) he brought alot of them b ) he coached or directs the coaches coaching the players so in no way , shape or form is he blameless despite his attempts to act that way.

Oh...he knows exactly what he's doing, he's been in this game long enough not to. He is old school too, and see's and handles things that way, so much so that i am surprised others on here or elsewhere can not see what yesterdays selection and tactical approach was about!

Firstly, on the eve of the game, he has his mate bemoaning the lack of ambition our owner is showing by not backing his manager to the hilt, and that we are lucky to have him (which was the give away for me, that he had been briefed beforehand).

Our manager then selects a side that includes people just coming back from injury, whilst shoehorning others into positions alien to them, alongside kids. Result is a big one for him, since he can now go to Wyness and bemoan that outside his first eleven, our squad is weak, and any more injuries to key players will mean no promotion unless the owner releases the funds.

Its a canny move. But what it reveals most is that Bruce disagrees with the FFP excuse, so why?

Privately, i think everything is not rosy at the top as we are led to believe. And i am not backing Bruce here, just stating that i think any problems may go beyond Bruce.

[clash city rocker]

The noses are battling relegation along with Smethwick but they both decider to win yesterday although they have more pressing demands on them. What our excuse ?

[Clampy]

The cup fisasco was more a Club thing  than just Steve Bruce attempting to be clever. 

Lack  of hospitality, Holte Suite closed after the game, no family fan zone, reduced sized programme, paper tickets for season ticket holders, no visits from the legends in attendance.  Even the cups that they use for beer didn't have the villa badge on. 

I am prepared to give Steve Bruce a get out of jail card over yesterday, clearly a Club decision.  Not right I know but such  is life.

Was that a serious post or a piss take?

[Risso]

The cup fisasco was more a Club thing  than just Steve Bruce attempting to be clever. 

Lack  of hospitality, Holte Suite closed after the game, no family fan zone, reduced sized programme, paper tickets for season ticket holders, no visits from the legends in attendance.  Even the cups that they use for beer didn't have the villa badge on. 

I am prepared to give Steve Bruce a get out of jail card over yesterday, clearly a Club decision.  Not right I know but such  is life.

Was that a serious post or a piss take?

He’s clearly saying it didn’t appear to be high on the club’s list of priorities.  I’d have thought you’d be pleased, as if the club itself aren’t arsed about going out it makes Bruce getting the chop less likely.

[mr underhill]

he was never going to get sparkied over that result, lore's the pity