Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[john e]

With the impending player exodus and book-balancing ahead, I honestly think the next manager appointment should be made with stability and survival in mind before even daring to look any further. Do not underestimate the damage that afinal defeat like this can have on a club - just look at the likes of Leeds about a decade ago. What we need is a very safe pair of hands, and most importantly, a plan for the next 5 years.

I absolutely hate that word stability people Been banging on about stability since Bruce came in,
I’m pissed off with it

We have achieved stability now-
Stable Championship club
a squad of stable championship players
a top stable championship manager
Stable back room staff
Tactics from the book of stability

if this is the stability people wanted and still want you can stick it somewhere

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Amen.

[Richard E]

Yes. If 'stability' just means 'not being relegated to League One' then wow, awesome.

[Clampy]

I think we needed stability when RDM left because we'd been through too many manager's in a short space of time. Not sure about now though.

[Risso]

a squad of stable championship players

Great post John, but we haven't even got that now.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Some of the players we do have belong in a stable. Donkeys.

[Richard E]

Some of the players we do have belong in a stable. Donkeys.

Darn! Beaten to the punch.

[JUAN PABLO]

I heard someone say

'on saturday it looked a bit like the old school versus the new school'

Im sick of the old school ..   

[Rudy65]

We played our usual game away from Villa Park.

Not saying it's right but think how many games against top 10 teams we've dominated away from home this season.

Cardiff-Rubbish
Wolves- Rubbish
Derby- Rubbish
Fulham- Rubbish.
Brentford- Rubbish
Preston- Good performance but they were missing pretty much all their defence that night and had their full strength team out at VP.
Sheffield United- Great goal to win it but we were very lucky to still be 0-0 of course.

Boro for some reason is only away ground where we seem good for a win and even then we still have to grind things out up there.

We were also going to set up to contain Fulham. It's what we did at Boro which was hailed as a professional away performance. Difference there is Pulis teams move the ball so slowly centrally, they could never score the goal Fulham did in a million years so played into our hands first.

I'd probably just say it was our normal performance in a cup final at Wembley since the 90s.

Would generally be interested how many shots on target we've had combined from the games in 2000, 2010, 2015 and Saturday. Can't be more than five.

We don't have the mentality to win finals I'm afraid. We go mad about winning semi finals thinking this is it and then turn up flat for the final. I would of course love to be proved wrong one day.

We had different managers and teams for all those finals so I don’t think it’s a club mentality per se. The similarity between the four games was the mentality of the 4 managers. Set up to defend in all four games. Gregory was as bad in 2000 as Bruce was on Saturday. The SF against Bolton was awful as well. Sherwood was worse although arguably the opposition was much stronger in 2015. MON had the best chance in 2010 when we actually had a very strong side. Seem to recall us doing well until the first Chelsea goal and then we collapsed. A certain JT should have been sent off for a foul on Milner as well

The BFR approach in 94 was the one to take. Have a bloody go and see what happens. United had a much stronger team than us but BFR got his tactics right and we won the day. Perhaps the next time we get to Wembley our manager can take the BFR approach. I’d rather lose when trying than capitulate from the start.

[Ads]

We've been too fearful away from home.

[Monty]

We've often been too fearful *at* home as well.

[ktvillan]

Well said John E.  I'm also tired of all the cod philosophy,  not only about stability,but also a manager who know the league, a promotion specialist, a proper football man, it's a hard league to get out of  etc.  Much of it seems to be recycled opinion picked up from dimwit ex-players now peddling themselves as pundits despite having the critical reasoning, insight and analytical prowess of Robbie Savage.  Then there are those who say we need someone who knows the club.  Why?  We need someone who knows how to set a team up to win, to get the ball down and play, to motivate make best use of the expensive assets we've got, and to have a bit of tactical nous.  Someone who can build a playing style from the bottom up and top down, who will bring through the best young players and show a bit of faith in them - would Sessegnon have played in our team?.  Someone who realises he's in charge of Aston Villa, not Wigan or Hull, and that we should be letting the opposition worry about what we're going to do to them, rather than keeping it tight and hoping to nick a goal.  It's been fucking painful watching us under Bruce and if he represents stability then you can keep it.

[garyshawsknee]

Wyness must come under a lot of scrutiny too as he was the one who signed off high contracts for players over 30, he should be fired for Lansburys contract alone. The gamble of signing short term experienced signings have failed so his future must come into question.

[Clampy]

Wyness must come under a lot of scrutiny too as he was the one who signed off high contracts for players over 30, he should be fired for Lansburys contract alone.

Lansbury didnt do anything for me either, he was poor but that's just ridiculous to be honest.

[Malandro]

Any more news on the resignation, TheMalandro?

I'm not being snarky, btw, just really keen for it to be true!

I know nothing more than I was told. I'll pm you who it's from. Happy to do that for anyone on here.
He did it publicly, but I don't want to just chuck his name out.

I would also appreciate a PM too please

If Steve Bruce is still manager in say 2 weeks you do realise you are going to look look like a right prick. If he does go your posts will be the first I look for.

I always look a prick. I passed on what I'd been told, nothing more.