Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[ChicagoLion]

If the Villa Engine is to have any credibility - and to demonstrate that it’s “business as usual” - then Round should be the main man in identifying the next manager. The Dr can sign the cheques.

Unfortunately somebody called Steve poured Agricultural diesel into the Villa engine used old oil, did not give it a service or tune it up when it really mattered, it blew up  and is behind the back of the barn with all the other outdated agricultural machinery with the best parts being canabalised for better use elsewhere.

[eamonn]

Did the African Car Reverse foresee all that happening?

[eamonn]

Didn't I read somewhere he was meeting the board on Monday or have I imagined that?

Not sure I have seen that.  Do we actually have a Board at the moment?  Presumably, Tony is flying back over unless they are skyping. Hopefully, whatever is decided is done so quickly and they come out an make a proper statement.

From Pravda:

The club is owned and controlled by Dr Tony Xia

Board Members

Owner & Chairman -   Dr Tony Xia
Chief Executive   - Keith Wyness
Director - Tracy Gu
Advisor to the Board - Brian Little

Behind the Team

Director of Football -   Steve Round

Management Staff

Club Secretary:   Sharon Barnhurst
Chief Commercial Officer:   Luke Organ
Operations Director:   Ian Dimmock
Communications Director:   Tommy Jordan
Head of Facilities and Estates:   Troy Griffin
Interim HR Director:   Mel Millner
Finance Director:  Ian Hopson

[robleflaneur]

the football will be better

Right. I forgot Smith was such a mastermind 

It doesn't require a mastermind to improve on Bruce's football

[Chris Smith]

Bruce has been with us for nearly two seasons and we are less stable now than we have been in my lifetime supporting Villa
and people want to keep him in because he will bring stability

you couldn't make this shit up

In that case you can only be 2 years old.

I'm 48 and the club has never been in this much of a mess before in my time, i'd guess the only other time in our history was the late 60s.

We were in far more of a mess the season we went down. We were a zombie club with players and management at odds and an owner who had lost interest. Bruce my well go in the end, he failed in what he was asked to do but until the club sorts itself out financially and installs a functioning executive board then it is of secondary importance.

[ktvillan]

I reckon Dean Smith would give it a try.  He could always go back to making smaller clubs punch above their weight if it didn't work out. 

That's would be all well and good for him but where would that leave us again?

Well the suggestion was in response to "who would want to take it on?" , so where it would leave us if it didn't work out is irrelevant to that question.  And anyway it has as much chance of working as keeping Bruce does, possible more, because it will give us a coach who appears to be able to get players to play proper football and teams to play above themselves.  And if he can't manage that with us then I dare say we'll be no worse off than if we'd kept Bruce. 

[PeterWithesShin]

Bruce has been with us for nearly two seasons and we are less stable now than we have been in my lifetime supporting Villa
and people want to keep him in because he will bring stability

you couldn't make this shit up

In that case you can only be 2 years old.

I'm 48 and the club has never been in this much of a mess before in my time, i'd guess the only other time in our history was the late 60s.

We were in far more of a mess the season we went down. We were a zombie club with players and management at odds and an owner who had lost interest. Bruce my well go in the end, he failed in what he was asked to do but until the club sorts itself out financially and installs a functioning executive board then it is of secondary importance.

We'll have to disagree, I consider no CEO, no sign of much money, borrowing money against future income, FFP, stuck in division 2 for a 3rd year with a manager no one has much faith in, an owner we don't really know if he has the money, tax bill outstanding and so on to be worse than even the shite of 2016.

[Boz]

I think under the current circumstances, Wyness suspended and financial uncertainty around the club as a whole,  we are going to find it difficult to attract the type of manager we hope for. I think those wider issues need to be dealt with before decisions are made on the manager.

That's my view too. After the final, I was happy to see him go and let someone else have a crack at it but in the current circumstances, I think it's best we stick with him for now.

Personally I hope Leeds take him off our hands if it's true they're interested in him

[brian green]

Where we are is, short of doing an Accrington Stanley, about as clear an example of how not to run a football club as you can get.

Just about everything we have done in the post Ellis era has been done badly.  The club needs to change.  It needs to change itself and it needs to change the way it does things.  On the pitch, in the board room, on the training ground, in the dressing room, in the media.  Everything.

[garyshawsknee]

Bruce has been with us for nearly two seasons and we are less stable now than we have been in my lifetime supporting Villa
and people want to keep him in because he will bring stability

you couldn't make this shit up

In that case you can only be 2 years old.

I'm 48 and the club has never been in this much of a mess before in my time, i'd guess the only other time in our history was the late 60s.

We were in far more of a mess the season we went down. We were a zombie club with players and management at odds and an owner who had lost interest. Bruce my well go in the end, he failed in what he was asked to do but until the club sorts itself out financially and installs a functioning executive board then it is of secondary importance.

We'll have to disagree, I consider no CEO, no sign of much money, borrowing money against future income, FFP, stuck in division 2 for a 3rd year with a manager no one has much faith in, an owner we don't really know if he has the money, tax bill outstanding and so on to be worse than even the shite of 2016.

We had a brand new shiny owner when we went down and untouched parachute payments too.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Where we are is, short of doing an Accrington Stanley, about as clear an example of how not to run a football club as you can get.

Just about everything we have done in the post Ellis era has been done badly.  The club needs to change.  It needs to change itself and it needs to change the way it does things.  On the pitch, in the board room, on the training ground, in the dressing room, in the media.  Everything.

Totally agree Brian - we have followed the club over a similar span of time - one thing that has always shocked me is how amateurish the running of the club has been over many of those years - the lack of cohesive planning on the pitch and business wise- we appear to lack leadership - it's all very well having rich owners but if they are unable to appoint capable and efficient employees it is all a waste of time -Wyness appears to have hoodwinked many with the assurance of a plan should we fail to get promoted - unless of course he meant the club folding
Personally I would prefer an owner with a successful business and sports background who also has links to the right people to run a successful sporting institution - once again the club needs proper organisation from bottom to top - sadly I don't think Xia is that person

[ktvillan]

The way we have been run the last 8 years has made me wonder if Mike Ashley doesn't have the right idea after all.  He may come across as tight or unambitious and I've always thought of him a an owner from hell, but at least Newcastle can pay their tax bills on time.

[VinnieChase84]

John terry back as player manager if Bruce leaves next week.
It’s in line with Xia’s statement of a new philosophy/approach

[brian green]

VCTM I wholeheartedly agree with having a proven sports businessman owning the club.  Somebody with legal training would be ideal.  Our last three owners have been rabbits in the headlights.  Doug did not know he was because he kept his eyes closed most of the time.

[sickbeggar]

John terry back as player manager if Bruce leaves next week.
It’s in line with Xia’s statement of a new philosophy/approach

While i wouldn't disagree i don't think he'd take it. He was highly complimentary to Bruce when he left and i think he wouldn't take it out of respect for him.