Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[Steve67]

If we've fucked over Jack Grealish's career aspirations for anything less than a wholehearted, full blooded determination to get to the Premier League this season then we should be ashamed. Jack deserves a shit load more loyalty than Bruce.

I doubt that's the case. I just saw it as the owners wanting to keep one of our best players in a effort to help us get up.

I think it's two sides of the same coin. 

[andyh]

I really and honestly believe that we are st the stage where Bruce cannot take us any further.
He deserves credit for stabilising the club and moving us forward from where we wer, but he has now plateaued.

We need fresh thinking and a fresh approach.

[mr underhill]

Unlikely though it is I'm longing for some international break type regime change

[Steve67]

I really and honestly believe that we are st the stage where Bruce cannot take us any further.
He deserves credit for stabilising the club and moving us forward from where we wer, but he has now plateaued.

We need fresh thinking and a fresh approach.

This. Good post Andy.

[Little Class]

  Personally, I wonder if Moyes might be more able to get a tune out of the current squad.

I said that a couple of months ago and got lambasted!  Villa are the project Moyes would be looking for

Agree we are not going to do it with Bruce - Boro and Leeds look already top 2.  Added to that his recruitment policy is like collecting Match Attax; when you lay it on the playmat, you have an inbalanced team.  We have on our books [exc youth players], we have:  4 goalkeepers; 6 RBs [inc Richards and Axel, cos that's where they are played]; 1 LB; 2 CBs; 8 CMs [10 if you include O'Hare and Doyle-Hayes who people say are good enough]; 4 wingers; 5 forwards

[ChicagoLion]

  Personally, I wonder if Moyes might be more able to get a tune out of the current squad.

I said that a couple of months ago and got lambasted!  Villa are the project Moyes would be looking for

Agree we are not going to do it with Bruce - Boro and Leeds look already top 2.  Added to that his recruitment policy is like collecting Match Attax; when you lay it on the playmat, you have an inbalanced team.  We have on our books [exc youth players], we have:  4 goalkeepers; 6 RBs [inc Richards and Axel, cos that's where they are played]; 1 LB; 2 CBs; 8 CMs [10 if you include O'Hare and Doyle-Hayes who people say are good enough]; 4 wingers; 5 forwards

Moyes, please god no.

[ChicagoLion]

If we've fucked over Jack Grealish's career aspirations for anything less than a wholehearted, full blooded determination to get to the Premier League this season then we should be ashamed. Jack deserves a shit load more loyalty than Bruce.

I doubt that's the case. I just saw it as the owners wanting to keep one of our best players in a effort to help us get up.

I think it's two sides of the same coin.

We certainly have no right to expect him to stick around come January if we are out of the top 2 which is pretty likely unless there is a change of manager.

[JUAN PABLO]

Whatever your views on SB, he has given us a team that we support rather than hate and despise. That is a major positive in our comeback to greatness. I remember how I felt only three years ago about our team and since those rock bottom times I have grown to respect the players that wear the famous Claret and Blue. He has built the foundations that were required, so, although we are disappointed with the lack of Barcelonic aspirations we should acknowledge that the love is back in the club and we are moving forward, so credit we
were it is due

and now we have to get rid because it isnt getting any better,

thanks for everything steve but you have reached your limit.

[Steve67]

  Personally, I wonder if Moyes might be more able to get a tune out of the current squad.

I said that a couple of months ago and got lambasted!  Villa are the project Moyes would be looking for

Agree we are not going to do it with Bruce - Boro and Leeds look already top 2.  Added to that his recruitment policy is like collecting Match Attax; when you lay it on the playmat, you have an inbalanced team.  We have on our books [exc youth players], we have:  4 goalkeepers; 6 RBs [inc Richards and Axel, cos that's where they are played]; 1 LB; 2 CBs; 8 CMs [10 if you include O'Hare and Doyle-Hayes who people say are good enough]; 4 wingers; 5 forwards

Moyes, please god no.

No-one else has made any suggestions apart from Dean Smith, who, imo, will take time to adjust and moves things forward, we don't have time to do that.  It's ok with the please God no's, but make a suggestion instead of ruling people out please.  Moyes and Bruce are probably from the same stable but I wonder if a fresh approach right now is the right thing, or do we wait until Christmas?

[mr underhill]

Bruce has as much chance of top 2 as Pulis

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Nuno at the Dogheads and Bielsa at Leeds prove that you don’t HAVE to have knowledge and experience of this division to play attractive, winning football.

You could add Wagner at Huddersfield and Jokanovic at Fulham to that list too. Bruce is becoming yesterday’s man. The game has evolved but he hasn’t.

[Legion]

Primordial soup, anyone?

[footyskillz]

What will it take to shift Bruce?
I noted the difficult December fixtures and that would have to retain little points for him to go before that difficult run.

Will we go 6 winless for example ? I mean even Bruce (and his coaching team bods of Calderwood , Agnew , Clemence) with this set of players and the lack of quality in the opposition would possibly mean they don't get a major winless run.

Also I feel coaching team need to be included in this ineptitude and lack of development

Despite like Bruce such a decent track record at promotion and level of experience


Colin Calderwood has successfully been a manager, to a degree, with 2 promotions Forest league 1 and Northampton league 2 (both times runners up)
Was also at hibs in Scotland where he was sacked 49 matches.


At newcastle he was part of coaching team as assistant to Chris Hughton that were promoted from championship in 2010

He's been an able assistant with Hughton at Birmingham , norwich, Newcastle and Brighton

At Birmingham they lost in semi final of play off championship

At Norwich 2013 in premier league as assistant they finished 11th and then we're relegated following season in 18th place .

Before coming to villa He was assistant at brighton getting promo as runners up.
He actually left Brighton in premier league and working with Hughton to come to villa.

He's now had 88 matches with Aston villa.

In recent seasons :
Steve Agnew Promotion with Middlesbrough to premier
Promotion with hull to premier as assistant to Bruce

Steve Clemence trusted aide and assistant to Bruce
Promotion at hull.

This coaching team has experience and ' success ' and yet there has been a failure to deliver .

The fact that they achieved the play off final and nearly , by only losing that match, lost promotion doesn't tell the story on the lack of quality in tactics.

It's quite baffling but on paper the owners would think that they are the right men for the job as well as Bruce respected position in the game.

I don't think change occurs unless almighty collapse happens.

[ChicagoLion]

  Personally, I wonder if Moyes might be more able to get a tune out of the current squad.

I said that a couple of months ago and got lambasted!  Villa are the project Moyes would be looking for

Agree we are not going to do it with Bruce - Boro and Leeds look already top 2.  Added to that his recruitment policy is like collecting Match Attax; when you lay it on the playmat, you have an inbalanced team.  We have on our books [exc youth players], we have:  4 goalkeepers; 6 RBs [inc Richards and Axel, cos that's where they are played]; 1 LB; 2 CBs; 8 CMs [10 if you include O'Hare and Doyle-Hayes who people say are good enough]; 4 wingers; 5 forwards

Moyes, please god no.

No-one else has made any suggestions apart from Dean Smith, who, imo, will take time to adjust and moves things forward, we don't have time to do that.  It's ok with the please God no's, but make a suggestion instead of ruling people out please.  Moyes and Bruce are probably from the same stable but I wonder if a fresh approach right now is the right thing, or do we wait until Christmas?

I just think Moyes is another Old School Manager and it’s time we moved on, i could chuck out names but I have no idea what is possible in terms of recruitment and I wonder if our new owners do.

[PaulWinch again]

What I find weird is that I think it’s pretty clear if we moved Tuanzebe to centre half and put De Laet at RB we’d have much better balance. Not saying it’d be perfect but it’d have more players in their natural positions, and there would be better pace distribution in the centre.