Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[dave shelley]

They'll always be a big club to me Gar, and I would suggest to a great many other people also.  If we're playing in Perry Hall Park next season, they'll still be my club with the history to back up the fact, and they will still have that presence.  A big club always, despite this current shitstorm

[SoccerHQ]

Next season is going to be about stabilisation and developing the kids

Exactly right. And Bruce has never developed the kids at any club he's been at.

So Smith, or any other up-and-coming manager, is no bigger risk than keeping Bruce. And would quite probably be on less money into the bargain.

With our problems now I'm not sure Smith would even want to come.

It would be a bit like Grayson walking out of a very stable job at Preston into the madhouse of Sunderland and predictably lasting three months. He was last at Bradford in league one.

Plenty of risk for Smith coming here considering he got Brentford very close to the play offs last season.

With the left field risk I was more on about a Garde style type appointment from abroad, bit like Barnsley appointing Mourinho's mate mid season and him promptly relegating them or SHA appointing Zola.

Of course loads will point out Nuno but the squad we start the season with is going to be nothing like Wolves had.

[sickbeggar]

I just don't think he will stay if we haven't a pot to piss in. Other clubs will want him soon enough - if he left now they'd be knocking on his door by the end of October the way clubs panic nowadays. A decent budget for a promotion quick fix or relegation battle will suit him down to the ground and much more palatable than trying to stand still with us with no money to do it with. I can't say i'd be too unhappy to see him go but if i've misjudged  him and he really fancies a thankless task of a season surviving then fair enough.

[SheffieldVillain]

Next season is going to be about stabilisation and developing the kids

Exactly right. And Bruce has never developed the kids at any club he's been at.

So Smith, or any other up-and-coming manager, is no bigger risk than keeping Bruce. And would quite probably be on less money into the bargain.

Plenty of risk for Smith coming here considering he got Brentford very close to the play offs last season.

Plenty of upside too for any ambitious manager. Come in during a bad situation, on a hiding to nothing, get it even partially right and you've got a great gig and lots of exposure at a big club which during normal times you wouldn't have had a sniff at. We need a new manager with the brains and visions to see that and the balls to give it a go. If it's someone who hasn't got the guts to take that chance, I wouldn't want them anyway (whoever it is).

[brontebilly]

Next season is going to be about stabilisation and developing the kids

Exactly right. And Bruce has never developed the kids at any club he's been at.

So Smith, or any other up-and-coming manager, is no bigger risk than keeping Bruce. And would quite probably be on less money into the bargain.

Plenty of risk for Smith coming here considering he got Brentford very close to the play offs last season.

Plenty of upside too for any ambitious manager. Come in during a bad situation, on a hiding to nothing, get it even partially right and you've got a great gig and lots of exposure at a big club which during normal times you wouldn't have had a sniff at. We need a new manager with the brains and visions to see that and the balls to give it a go. If it's someone who hasn't got the guts to take that chance, I wouldn't want them anyway (whoever it is).

Any manager who has those attributes would want to be certifiably insane to take the villa job this summer. It's been a career killer job for 25 years.

I see Bruce has been leaking his narrative to his media pals today. Focusing on transfer fees while ignoring the wages our loan players last season cost us is the kind of economics that has us in the mess we are today.

[GarTomas]

They'll always be a big club to me Gar, and I would suggest to a great many other people also.  If we're playing in Perry Hall Park next season, they'll still be my club with the history to back up the fact, and they will still have that presence.  A big club always, despite this current shitstorm

No I agree Dave. I think our fan base will stay fairly loyal attendance wise as well.

I meant more in the way of expectations; whereby we may feel more comfortable taking a long term view on returning to the top flight.  I feel we tried to act a big club with our spending in the last 2 years rather than taking a 3 year view and signing a number of high quality youngsters to supplement the academy.

[dave shelley]

I will also agree with what you say there Gar.  I always felt that we should have taken the slower approach to getting back up after relegation, it made sense to me.  I also have to admit that I did become excited for a while as the money seemed to be coming in as promised, taken in is what I think it's called.  We now have no choice but to take the long-term approach, I just hope that the people in charge of the club whoever they are have a similar mindset with the nous to back it up this time.  The closed ranks approach to the rest of the football world also appeals to me.

[Matt Collins]

Next season is going to be about stabilisation and developing the kids

Exactly right. And Bruce has never developed the kids at any club he's been at.

So Smith, or any other up-and-coming manager, is no bigger risk than keeping Bruce. And would quite probably be on less money into the bargain.

I'm not saying he's Pochetinno, but:

Jordan Henderson

Andrew Robertson

Harry Maguire

Sam Clucas

Better than some?

[ozzjim]

Grealish, Davis, Green, Johnstone arguably.

He is not as bad with kids as is being made out.

[Matt Collins]

https://twitter.com/AVFCTransTweet/status/1004839687062802436?s=19

Collymore's summary. Similar to elsewhere. 50m new debt taken.

Chinese government warning investors about wasting money on vanity projects abroad. Which, to be fair, is a pretty apt description of what Xia has been doing

[SoccerHQ]

Next season is going to be about stabilisation and developing the kids

Exactly right. And Bruce has never developed the kids at any club he's been at.

So Smith, or any other up-and-coming manager, is no bigger risk than keeping Bruce. And would quite probably be on less money into the bargain.

Plenty of risk for Smith coming here considering he got Brentford very close to the play offs last season.

Plenty of upside too for any ambitious manager. Come in during a bad situation, on a hiding to nothing, get it even partially right and you've got a great gig and lots of exposure at a big club which during normal times you wouldn't have had a sniff at. We need a new manager with the brains and visions to see that and the balls to give it a go. If it's someone who hasn't got the guts to take that chance, I wouldn't want them anyway (whoever it is).

Tell that to Lambert!

[SheffieldVillain]

Next season is going to be about stabilisation and developing the kids

Exactly right. And Bruce has never developed the kids at any club he's been at.

So Smith, or any other up-and-coming manager, is no bigger risk than keeping Bruce. And would quite probably be on less money into the bargain.

I'm not saying he's Pochetinno, but:

Jordan Henderson

Andrew Robertson

Harry Maguire

Sam Clucas

Better than some?

Robertson had played nearly a hundred games in Scotland before moving to Hull.
Maguire had played 134 games for Sheffield United before moving to Hull.
Clucas had played over 130 games for other clubs before Hull.

So, no. In terms of bringing through players from academy to first team which is the situation we'll have next season, still rubbish.

[SheffieldVillain]

Next season is going to be about stabilisation and developing the kids

Exactly right. And Bruce has never developed the kids at any club he's been at.

So Smith, or any other up-and-coming manager, is no bigger risk than keeping Bruce. And would quite probably be on less money into the bargain.

Plenty of risk for Smith coming here considering he got Brentford very close to the play offs last season.

Plenty of upside too for any ambitious manager. Come in during a bad situation, on a hiding to nothing, get it even partially right and you've got a great gig and lots of exposure at a big club which during normal times you wouldn't have had a sniff at. We need a new manager with the brains and visions to see that and the balls to give it a go. If it's someone who hasn't got the guts to take that chance, I wouldn't want them anyway (whoever it is).

Tell that to Lambert!

I think I mentioned brains and vision though?!

[SoccerHQ]

He showed plenty of that at Norwich.

Sadly a club like us in turmoil can just as easily swallow up any young ambitious coach and turn them into a negative mental wreck as we saw with him over the two and a half years here.

[SheffieldVillain]

He showed plenty of that at Norwich.

Sadly a club like us in turmoil can just as easily swallow up any young ambitious coach and turn them into a negative mental wreck as we saw with him over the two and a half years here.

So clearly he didn't have the mentality to cope with it. Doesn't mean every young ambitious coach is the same.