Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[Risso]

Bruce has had never much money to spend though. I think that was an issue at the start of the season, we had too many players bought in and took a while before we had a settled team. By which time we were playing catch-up. Maybe it will work out better for him with a trimmed down squad.

He had more than most, especially when you takes wages into consideration.

He bought Hogan - total waste.
He swapped Ayew for Taylor - total waste.
He bought Lansbury - total waste.

[Richard E]

We are not in ‘one last heave and we’re there’ territory. It needs a totally fresh approach and that has to be with a new manager.

[olaftab]

We need a manager who is not burdened by experience and tradition.

[Brassneck]

My biggest criticism of Bruce is that he did not trust his players.

His methods work well when you have limited ability in the squad (Sunderland, Wigan BN scum) and you concede possession with the hope of nicking a goal at the other end of the pitch.  Last seasons squad were good enough to have taken games to the opposition like Wolves and Fulham did.

We had too many bad games with our style and every time, Bruce simply stated "we did not play well enough".  It's funny how every time we lost, we did not play well enough.  Who would have thought that?  The performances away to Wolves, Derby and Fulham stand out because we were appalling, then there was the Norwich debacle.  We were too cautious and showed these teams too much respect - We sat back and waited for them to score and then had little to offer in return.

That said, now that our team is about to be decimated, I wonder whether a Bruce style approach would be best next season?

For me, I'd stick for 12 months.

[SoccerHQ]

It isn't wrong though Rudy, it's common knowledge about the relationship between Mendes and Nuno, and how potentially dodgy some of the other stuff at Wolves is.
For example, Fosun own Wolves, the chairman of Fosun controls Foyo Culture, Foyo Culture own a stake in GestiFute, GestiFute was started by Mendes.
If I were a Wolves fan, besides wondering how my life went so wrong I supported Wolves, i'd want answers and transparency about what's actually going on at my club.

Wolves fans were chanting one Jorge Mendes at a few matches towards end of the season. Might be ironic but I doubt it's high on their priority list.

One I know says this is most enjoyable season he's had in 20 years of supporting them and Neves is best player he's ever seen play for them.

When you're seeing your team win every week playing very nice football questioning the running of it wouldn't be the first thing you'd do same as it would be here.

[manic-road]

Bruce has had never much money to spend though. I think that was an issue at the start of the season, we had too many players bought in and took a while before we had a settled team. By which time we were playing catch-up. Maybe it will work out better for him with a trimmed down squad.

He had more than most, especially when you takes wages into consideration.

He bought Hogan - total waste.
He swapped Ayew for Taylor - total waste.
He bought Lansbury - total waste.

Every manager has good and bad signings, Ayew wanted to leave. Bruce got in decent players as well mainly on loan such as Terry, Grabban Johnstone and Snoddy whilst getting in Elmo relatively cheaply. Still he should have done better with the squad he had.

[SheffieldVillain]

Bruce has had never much money to spend though. I think that was an issue at the start of the season, we had too many players bought in and took a while before we had a settled team. By which time we were playing catch-up. Maybe it will work out better for him with a trimmed down squad.

He had more than most, especially when you takes wages into consideration.

He bought Hogan - total waste.
He swapped Ayew for Taylor - total waste.
He bought Lansbury - total waste.

Every manager has good and bad signings, Ayew wanted to leave. Bruce got in decent players as well mainly on loan such as Terry, Grabban Johnstone and Snoddy whilst getting in Elmo relatively cheaply. Still he should have done better with the squad he had.

That's not the point though.

The point was that someone said Bruce hasn't had much to spend. The £12m-ish he wasted on Hogan and Lansbury alone says otherwise. Fine, Ayew wanted to go, so sell him for actual money rather than a crap left-back who ends up being second choice to a limited full back playing on the wrong side.

And before anyone says that isn't a lot of money these days, very few other Championship clubs would be spending that kind of sum on two players.

[nigel]

Bruce has had never much money to spend though. I think that was an issue at the start of the season, we had too many players bought in and took a while before we had a settled team. By which time we were playing catch-up. Maybe it will work out better for him with a trimmed down squad.

He had more than most, especially when you takes wages into consideration.

He bought Hogan - total waste.
He swapped Ayew for Taylor - total waste.
He bought Lansbury - total waste.

Played the wrong system for Hogan, and Lansbury was played in the wrong position most of the time. So you have to feel for the players rather than blame them.

Taylor, should have been just money for Ayew

[curiousorange]

My feeling with Bruce is that he creates a team through personality rather than tactically. There's nothing wrong with team spirit but that seemed to be Bruce's main tactic - a kind of 'we're all in this together'. Cardiff were the same but with an added streak of Warnock nastiness. I don't rate Hogan, but it appeared at times it was up to him to fit into the team rather than the team play to his strengths. You may find the equivalent of Bruce's Bomb Squad become the new vital players under a fresh approach.

[Boz]

If we go into the new season with Bruce in charge, we'll be a mid table side still playing boring football, without the likes of Grealish.

[robleflaneur]

My feeling with Bruce is that he creates a team through personality rather than tactically. There's nothing wrong with team spirit but that seemed to be Bruce's main tactic - a kind of 'we're all in this together'. Cardiff were the same but with an added streak of Warnock nastiness. I don't rate Hogan, but it appeared at times it was up to him to fit into the team rather than the team play to his strengths. You may find the equivalent of Bruce's Bomb Squad become the new vital players under a fresh approach.

Agreed.I think we are are barking up the wrong tree when we start to discuss how good /bad his signings were.The problem is Bruce and his methods and that won't change.On the previous page read Rudy can't fail's assessment and Footyskillz's comments,especially about Lampard's desire to bring pacy,aggressive football to Derby.Harris's Millwall brought such methods to VP and overran us at times.
It wasn't the quality of our players that let us down.
Theresa May promised stablity,more of the failed policies.Bruce is the same.

[SheffieldVillain]

My feeling with Bruce is that he creates a team through personality rather than tactically. There's nothing wrong with team spirit but that seemed to be Bruce's main tactic - a kind of 'we're all in this together'. Cardiff were the same but with an added streak of Warnock nastiness. I don't rate Hogan, but it appeared at times it was up to him to fit into the team rather than the team play to his strengths. You may find the equivalent of Bruce's Bomb Squad become the new vital players under a fresh approach.

Agreed.I think we are are barking up the wrong tree when we start to discuss how good /bad his signings were.The problem is Bruce and his methods and that won't change.On the previous page read Rudy can't fail's assessment and Footyskillz's comments,especially about Lampard's desire to bring pacy,aggressive football to Derby.Harris's Millwall brought such methods to VP and overran us at times.
It wasn't the quality of our players that let us down.
Theresa May promised stablity,more of the failed policies.Bruce is the same.

I don't disagree with that. When I say Lansbury and Hogan were a waste of money, I don't really mean they are bad players but that they were pointless acquisitions due to the system we play for Hogan / in Lansbury's case the plethora of other bang average central midfielders at the club.

[Archivist]

[/quote]

Played the wrong system for Hogan, and Lansbury was played in the wrong position most of the time. So you have to feel for the players rather than blame them.

Taylor, should have been just money for Ayew
[/quote]

Spot on. Buying with no plan.

[PeterWithesShin]

It isn't wrong though Rudy, it's common knowledge about the relationship between Mendes and Nuno, and how potentially dodgy some of the other stuff at Wolves is.
For example, Fosun own Wolves, the chairman of Fosun controls Foyo Culture, Foyo Culture own a stake in GestiFute, GestiFute was started by Mendes.
If I were a Wolves fan, besides wondering how my life went so wrong I supported Wolves, i'd want answers and transparency about what's actually going on at my club.

Wolves fans were chanting one Jorge Mendes at a few matches towards end of the season. Might be ironic but I doubt it's high on their priority list.

One I know says this is most enjoyable season he's had in 20 years of supporting them and Neves is best player he's ever seen play for them.

When you're seeing your team win every week playing very nice football questioning the running of it wouldn't be the first thing you'd do same as it would be here.

As I said, there were some on here questioning the General about how sustainable what we were doing was. I'd hope there's some Wolves fans doing similar.

[Monty]

I'm just fed up with Villa being boring, to be honest. This season was an improvement on boring and terrible, which had been the norm for years, but we're still boring. I hate seeing all these other clubs - Southampton, Bournemouth, Fulham - gain success by being stylish, by being modern, getting themselves together as clubs, while we muddle along appointing the same old-school 'proper football men' who learned what they know about the game during the era when England's footballing ideology was set by Charles sodding Taylor.