Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[old man villa fan]

I don't get this "give him half a season if we don't get promoted ". It is almost impossible to pick up a new manager half way through the season. Preseason is very much part of a successful season. A decision has to be made at the end of the season but we are not there yet so we wait for, hopefully, a good ending.

[oldtimernow]

Our elderly neighbours died recently, one in November his wife in March.  The only thing I can offer as a crumb of comfort to the Bruce family is, that they can do all their grieving at pretty much the same time.  Should there have been a larger gap between the passing of his parents then all the upset and hurt starts all over again just as the mind would have been adjusting to the painful loss.  Small comfort I know but thinking about it, it may help.

Agreed , my next door neighbours passed away within two weeks of each other.He just crumbled before our eyes and he was one of the fittest people I knew at the age of 80. I don't think he wanted to carry on without her.

[Brassneck]

I think I've U-turned regarding Bruce if we don't go up.

I now think that I'd give him another chance next season.

Assuming we can keep most, if not all of our contracted players, the 3 major losses would be Snodgrass, Grabban and Johnstone. In addition, it looks as if Terry would leave.

I think there is enough in the remaining players to mount another challenge and I think we'd hit the ground running next season, rather than needing to play catch up after the first 7 games - Something we never really recovered from this season.

I think there is a great atmosphere in and around the squad and I would be loathe to risk losing that with a change of manager.

On reflection, we had to play more than half the season relying on Hogan who either isn't good enough or doesn't fit into our system, depending on your personal opinion (mine is that he isn't good enough).

Losing Snodgrass might force our hand to revert back to 433 which in my opinion is best suited to our team. If we could somehow get Grabban for the season, we'd have quite a formidable 3 out of Kodjia, Grabban, Albert and Green. In addition, we'd probably have most, if not all of Hogan, Davis, Hepburn Murphy and the man himself, McCormack. I think that would be pretty formidable.

I think the squad is fairly settled. A new keeper and centre back would definitely be needed but hopefully we could retain Grabban. I wouldn't want to disrupt things. There has been a general improvement over the period that Bruce has been at the helm, most notably since Christmas to present. That run has convinced me that Bruce is as good a bet next season (if we don't go up) as any other realistic prospect.

I think the "half a season" attitude is futile because barring a miricle, we'd probably be top 4 throughout the campaign.

[Villa Lew]

Very sad news, thoughts are with him and his family.

[tomd2103]

Very sad news, thoughts are with him and his family.

It must have been a very tough few months for him personally.  He deserves a lot credit for the dignified way he has handled himself through such a difficult time.

[Gregorys Boy]

Awful news and a lot playing on his mind with big games coming up.  My thoughts are with him and the Bruce family.

[Sexual Ealing]

A horrible time for him. We’ve all been there or will be there. Best wishes to him.

[Lizz]

Not a subscriber, if anyone is, it's probably worth a read.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/05/10/aston-villa-manager-steve-bruce-looking-forward-bit-escape-play/

[KevinGage]

The sorrow follows Steve Bruce everywhere he goes, the grief all-consuming. To lose one parent is traumatic enough; to lose both in the space of a few weeks is crushing. For Bruce - whose mother, Sheenagh, died last Friday, just 88 days after his father, Joe, also passed away - football briefly appeared inconsequential. The two constants; the two biggest inspirations in his life have gone, cruelly taken from him, one after another. But he is back at work, taking training as usual this week, preparing his Aston Villa team for the most important game of his reign, Saturday's play-off semi-final at Middlesbrough. It has been a relief to be around the players and coaching staff again, a welcome distraction from mourning. Life must go on and, as his wife Janet has reminded him, football is his life.

“There is no question it’s difficult to be preparing for a game of football, that’s for sure,” said Bruce, his voice already cracking with emotion. “Only those who have lost their parents will know what it is like. It is horrific, it is hard and it breaks your heart, it really does.

“To lose my dad in February, just days after my mum had a huge stroke... it has, without a doubt, been the toughest period of my life. You know, I’m not one of these where football is everything in my life. It never has been and there have always been things that are more important to me.

“The grief has been overwhelming at times, I can’t deny it.  I’m not going to pretend to be stronger than I am, and it has been incredibly hard to go through.

Bruce needs to take a breath. “It was just so unexpected, especially mum, she was as fit as flea. It’s cruel. But if anything, the football, going to work, it has been a bit of an escape, if that’s the right word."

Even within football's protected bubble, however, reminders of his parents are everywhere.

“On a Friday, my dad would always speak to me and he would want to know the team - we’d have a chat about it," Bruce reveals. "That’s gone.

“I think about the possibility of going to Wembley with Aston Villa and I know my mum will be there in spirit. She used to love a day out at Wembley, she really did. My dad wasn’t a huge fan of those trips, but she loved it.

“The whole thing has rocked me to the bones. It doesn’t matter if you are a football manager or driving a truck for a living, it isn’t something you can deal with easily. But you have to carry on and that is what I will do. I just hope we have something to celebrate at the end of the month, because that is what they would have wanted."

Bruce knows he could not have coped without the influence of Janet, his wife of 35 years. “I hope I can be as strong and as good to my wife as she has been when she needs me. She is so strong, she has been there hour after hour by my mum’s bedside. She is a remarkable person. I have come to expect that, but we should never take that for granted.”



It would be heartless not to want Bruce to win the play-offs again, a feat that would secure him a fifth promotion to the Premier League as a manager - his previous four, at Birmingham (2001 and 2008) and Hull (2013 and 2016) are already a managerial record.

But he knows football does not work like that. Middlesbrough will be just as desperate to go up, their players and staff just as motivated as his will be.

“My focus is completely on the semi-final,” Bruce reassured. “We’ve got a couple of huge games coming up and I don’t think we could have chosen a tougher opponent.

“I genuinely believe Middlesbrough are the toughest team we could have faced, whether it was in the semi-final or the final. Tony [Pulis] has been around the block a bit, I seem to have been doing battle with him for years and they’ve been on a good run of late, so it will be tough.

“But you’ve got to try and enjoy it if you can. We always say we’re in football for big games and believe me, if you do manage to win the semi, there is no bigger game than the day out at Wembley to play in the final.

“I’ve managed to win a few, luckily. I’ve gone up a couple of times through the play-offs in my career, I’ve gone up a couple of times automatically too, and it would be great to get another one with Aston Villa.

“Whether I can, we’ll have to wait and see. I hope we can make it a fifth time, it’s always been kind to me and hopefully it stays that way.”

[SoccerHQ]

Said before but wouldn't shock me if he steps down in a few weeks regardless of whether we go up or not.

Last few months have been a huge strain on him. Holloway stepped down at QPR today after one of his parents passed away apparently. All the pressures of football management with that on top is very tough to handle.

[Matt Collins]

If Bruce got us up and then stepped down I think that would probably be the best scenario

Not sure he would though

[Jon Crofts]

I also think he’ll step down regardless of whether we go up or not, I really do hope Wyness offers him a back room role at the club, DofF or Recruitment/Scouting. Clearly the players and staff all like him and playing for him, we do a lot worse than to keep him in our employment.

[Drummond]

I think he'll choose to stay whatever happens. It's the biggest job he'll ever have.

Whether we decide to keep him is another question.

[Hookeysmith]

Said before but wouldn't shock me if he steps down in a few weeks regardless of whether we go up or not.

Last few months have been a huge strain on him. Holloway stepped down at QPR today after one of his parents passed away apparently. All the pressures of football management with that on top is very tough to handle.

It is being reported that Hollowanker was sacked - apologies if it was due to being a death in the family

[sirlordbaltimore]

Bruce's head must be all over the place at the moment, how on Earth he's kept his mind on the job i don't know.

If he decides, enough's enough come what may then i'll send him off with a round of applause. Hoping that's not the case of course, and so do the players from what i've heard. He's VERY well liked at the club and it's not hard to see why. Good man