Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[AsTallAsLions]

If we hadn't got the rub of the green in two matches in Sheffield and a couple of others, we might not have made the play-offs.

We finished where we deserved to be over the season.

Indeed. And the Play-off Final result was the result we deserved also.

[pauliewalnuts]

I thought last season, when we played well, we at times played extremely well, I'd even go as far as to say that we played some of the best football I've seen us play in ages.

When we were bad, though, we were frequently utterly awful.

Whether that is any different to any team over 46 matches, I don't know. I am pretty sure Newcastle were like that when they got promoted. I am 100 percent sure Cardiff were (more of the bad to watch, though) too.

[Nev]

I've given this much thought and given the circumstances I think we should stick rather than twist.

Remove the style argument for a moment, Bruce improved on his first season by getting us to a play off final. He needs to improve again next season and that means promotion one way or another. Failing that, he's toast. I believe he's a better manager without piles of cash and that is rather convenient now.

I don't see an outstanding candidate to replace him at the moment either.
 
Now I'd prefer a more expansive style of football but winning with style is something that hasn't been seen at Villa Park regularly since the days of Big Ron over 20 years ago and is an ideal that most clubs aspire to but rarely achieve, that's not to say you shouldn't try but pragmatism both on and off the field ought to be the watchword as things stand.

[Ads]

There were bad performances and often we'd have spells in games, but that's football all over.

Take Wagner. I have seen 180 minutes of Huddersfield and they were lucky not to be hammered at Villa Park and ground their way to a 1-0 win at home, with their only effort a corner routine that caught us out- that's a supposedly progressive manager. Whatever that means.

I think if you're hoping for somebody to come in and deliver 4140 minutes of total dominance, with 100 odd goals scored then, if that is you're bar, you've only guaranteed yourself disappointment.

Last year was enjoyable. The football was sometimes maddening (Cardiff, Reading, Norwich) and it was sometimes fantastic (Bristol and Wolves) but it was by and lage exciting and entertaining. Because we were win ing and scoring plenty and I've waited since 2010 to see a Villa side do that.

[Chris Jameson]

If we hadn't got the rub of the green in two matches in Sheffield and a couple of others, we might not have made the play-offs.

We finished where we deserved to be over the season.

And if Grealish hadn't been unavailable up until December, Kodjia hadn't been injured most of the season etc....

[sirlordbaltimore]

We finished where we deserved to be over the season.

Absolutely. There were 3 teams better than us over the course of a season. It happens

[old man villa fan]

We had the ability to play like we did in some games, far more often.  Too many times we were just going through the motions, lacking ideas.

Cardiff played many games as if they were the under dog in a cup tie.  They over achieved and because of that, I do not think people can say they didn't deserve to go up.  In a way, it was a bit like Leicester winning the PL, in that they came up with a successful system that took most teams by surprise.

[SoccerHQ]

At home we were pretty good for most of the season I thought, dominant bar the odd disaster like QPR.

Away from home though the backfoot approach cost us again I think. Won 10 away games and collected 34 points. Cardiff collected 38 points and Fulham 41.

We frequently just couldn't get or attempt to be on the front foot away from Villa Park.

[Clark W Griswold]

I definitely think we'd have been closer if we'd had Kodjia fit all season. Best player the year before, 20 or so goals etc. Really, we didn't have promotion standard centre forward all season, Grabban looking about the best. I think that's where we fell down ultimately.

[Damo70]

The thing that entertains me most is winning. There was a long drawn out debate about Allardyce and Everton last season. It will be interesting to see if firstly they are the great entertainers of the Premier League next season and secondly if they finish higher than the eighth spot they managed last season.

[SoccerHQ]

We had the ability to play like we did in some games, far more often.  Too many times we were just going through the motions, lacking ideas.

Cardiff played many games as if they were the under dog in a cup tie.  They over achieved and because of that, I do not think people can say they didn't deserve to go up.  In a way, it was a bit like Leicester winning the PL, in that they came up with a successful system that took most teams by surprise.

We did have a very good team for this level let's not forget.

If SB can shoot us 80 + points and 70 + goals with likes of Green, O'Hare and Hepburn-Murphy as regular starters I'd be astounded.

[sirlordbaltimore]

If SB can shoot us 80 + points and 70 + goals with likes of Green, O'Hare and Hepburn-Murphy as regular starters I'd be astounded.

so would everyone i'd assume. our remit this season wont be promotion, it'll be purely not letting the club go to the wall

as long as everyone approaches it as such knowing what a state we're in some enjoyment can be had along the way

[ktvillan]

It wasn't mostly dire at all. Goals equal excitement for me, but the ebb and flow of a game and pressure and anticipation on it is similarly entertaining. That we out scored nigh on everybody only adds to that.

Were you at Bramell Lane? A game where we didn't click, created a few second half, but there was plenty of excitement from the knife edge the game was on and then boom- ecstasy. Look at the away end, the ripple of limbs flying everywhere, a pitch invasion, your head pounding from shouting- that's the antithesis of dire and that wasn't a particularly action packed game.

You're prone to some really gross exaggerations, in both the French and US meaning of the word it seems.

What I saw was mostly dire and that doesn't change because you say so. I'm prone to such gross exaggerations that a fair amount of people on this forum and elsewhere agree that the entertainment value was poor.   Are they all exaggerating too? Or is it perhaps you and the very few others that claim they found Bruce's football entertaining who are exaggerating?  You might find Bruceball thrilling and good for you if you are that easily pleased, but there are plenty who don't, and not only at our club.     

[Clark W Griswold]

The thing that entertains me most is winning. There was a long drawn out debate about Allardyce and Everton last season. It will be interesting to see if firstly they are the great entertainers of the Premier League next season and secondly if they finish higher than the eighth spot they managed last season.

Yes, that situation was quite idiotic really, my bet is that they'll play slightly better football and finish 14th.

[SoccerHQ]

The thing that entertains me most is winning. There was a long drawn out debate about Allardyce and Everton last season. It will be interesting to see if firstly they are the great entertainers of the Premier League next season and secondly if they finish higher than the eighth spot they managed last season.

Yes, that situation was quite idiotic really, my bet is that they'll play slightly better football and finish 14th.

They've finished 5th and 6th under likes of Martinez and Koeman in last 6 seasons.

Think Everton fans main complaint was how incredibly negative he set them up away from home, think they only scored six goals in about 10 games under him.