Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[ROBBO]

I'm still trying to fathom his reasoning for leaving Hogan on for the second half when he had hardly touched the ball, whatever Hogan had been instructed to do it wasn't working and that is the number one problem with Bruce far to slow to react when changes need to be made.

[Drummond]

We're still on line for the play-offs. We've still therefore got a great chance to go up.

We're fucking diabolical at times though. It's so frustrating going from big wins to big defeats and is  unacceptable. However, there's no point changing now, we still have that chance and I'd fancy us in the play offs anyway.

Bruce needs to go in the summer whatever happens though, as this level of inconsistency isn't on. I think his comments about this league being what it is, tricky matches, expect to lose some etc. just give the players an excuse.

It's not the league that's unpredictable, it's us. And therein lies the problem.

[Louzie0]

God, Lou, I wish I had your confidence.  I really, really do.

It’s mainly down to Buzzard’s Valley Summer Gin, Brian.
And a significant bit for the Villa.

[tomd2103]

We're still on line for the play-offs. We've still therefore got a great chance to go up.

We're fucking diabolical at times though. It's so frustrating going from big wins to big defeats and is  unacceptable. However, there's no point changing now, we still have that chance and I'd fancy us in the play offs anyway.

Bruce needs to go in the summer whatever happens though, as this level of inconsistency isn't on. I think his comments about this league being what it is, tricky matches, expect to lose some etc. just give the players an excuse.

It's not the league that's unpredictable, it's us. And therein lies the problem.

I mentioned it in another thread, but I think his comments about players being tired after playing Saturday - Tuesday might be having the same affect.

[Louzie0]

Bielsa is available...

There’s a reason for that.

It's a bit of a tradition on here to mention Bielsa when talking about future Villa managers. It'll never happen...

I realise that. But, never say never.
Except for Bielsa, of course.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm still trying to fathom his reasoning for leaving Hogan on for the second half when he had hardly touched the ball, whatever Hogan had been instructed to do it wasn't working and that is the number one problem with Bruce far to slow to react when changes need to be made.

I can only think he was expecting Hogan to track down the keeper again and score from another fumble. Either that or he doesn't watch our games.

[villabear]

Bielsa is available...

There’s a reason for that.

It's a bit of a tradition on here to mention Bielsa when talking about future Villa managers. It'll never happen...

I realise that. But, never say never.
Except for Bielsa, of course.

We could have him with Steve Bull and Carlton Palmer as his assistants.

[Lastfootstamper]

I want him replaced by Our Next Manager, by the manager that's going to push us to MON heights (or their new equivalent, seeing how the Sky4 of yore now seems to be a Sky6). Yes, crazy as it sounds, I want Aston Villa to be the next Burnley. And I say, if we can get that man, then why not get them now? Why risk another wasted season by waiting?

If we kick off in August with a(nother) production-line jobber in charge, then I might just... Well, I don't know exactly. But it'll no doubt involve tutting. Loudly.

[themossman]

We’ve still got a decent chance via the playoffs, which was perhaps always the most likely route with Bruce. The things that worry me are:

Momentum is key and we have comprehensively thrown it away in the last few games. All the stuff about size and fitness of squad looks ill founded.

We are chokers and generally don’t rise to the occasion of big games. Every opportunity we’ve had to throw away an advantage has been seized with both hands.

[brian green]

Bruce has a lot of faults.  One of them is common in under achieving managers - stubbornness.  A clinging to something or somebody despite repeated failure in an attempt to justify making the mistake in the first place.  A classic example is Scott Hogan.  He was bought, like so very many of our acquisitions without full examination of what we were buying.  At best we were buying a player who needed a team set up around his particular skill set and which contained players willing and able to service him.  At worst we were buying a player who lacked pace, flair and the ability to jump high enough to reach the balls pumped upfield.  Yet Bruce continues to hammer the square peg he bought into the round hole he expects him to fit.
It is right across the spectrum of management that Bruce shows lack of flexibility.  The Bruce Way for the best part of two seasons has been to grind out an okay product and hope it is enough.  Like a Victorian doctor prescribing laxatives.

[mr underhill]

I haven't felt so disenchanted as I do this mornign with Villa for a long time - so much so that I don't know if I can be bothered to attend tomorrow and i hate myself for feeling like that.

[brian green]

I know the feeling.  I thought I was made of tougher stuff.

[The Edge]

We’ve still got a decent chance via the playoffs, which was perhaps always the most likely route with Bruce. The things that worry me are:

Momentum is key and we have comprehensively thrown it away in the last few games. All the stuff about size and fitness of squad looks ill founded.

We are chokers and generally don’t rise to the occasion of big games. Every opportunity we’ve had to throw away an advantage has been seized with both hands.

I can't agree with this. They  have risen to arguably  the two biggest occasions this season so far in blues and wolves. It's the run of the mill games where you'd expect a victory when the wheels come off as they have done in spectacular fashion since the Wolves game.

[Risso]

I haven't felt so disenchanted as I do this mornign with Villa for a long time - so much so that I don't know if I can be bothered to attend tomorrow and i hate myself for feeling like that.

Was going to miss my usual 5 aside game on a Tuesday evening and get up to Villa Park.  Now I'll be hauling my unfit bulk around the pitch as usual.

[aj2k77]

A handful of games ago the majority were saying they feel an affinity with the players again.... A few bad performances and everyone is shit and the feeling is one of can't be arsed. I'm not criticising any Villa fan here, we've been pretty poor and disjointed for a large amount of games this season but we are approaching the business end now and potentially 3 games from being promoted and possibly avoiding a financial calamity for the club, if there's ever a time to give it one last push and stick behind them then it's now.

Talk of sacking the manager is daft, it's not going to happen. We have more chance of going up providing a united front rather then apathy. The performances are flat, we can see that, we've been nothing but a streaky side under Bruce, runs of 10 or so unbeaten then patches of 6/7 of poor results, we need to ride this patch out and come out the other side again all together because financially we are fucked if we don't go up. I don't get all this defeatism.