Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[tomd2103]

It showed during his post match interview that he took some stick from the away support. They're as loyal and patient as they come but once they turn, it normally means one thing unfortunately.

I don't think he took any stick but the team certainly did.

There were sarcastic chants of "We've had a shot" as we approached half time and had our first shot of the night.

Personally, I expected this performance.  In the past 3 seasons, we've put in similar performances against Yeovil, Boro, Peterborough, Luton and now Burton.  We need to stop kidding ourselves that we can just chuck a bunch of reserves together and expect them to play to the same standard as the first team.

Not if you want to actually win and go through you can't.  I do question whether that has really been the case in recent years though.

Personally, I have no problems in fielding a reserve side.  I don't like this competition any more and hardly any team plays a full strength side in the early rounds.

Realistically, league football is where the money is and managers are happy to rest players for cup games.  MON even did it in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup once.

If we go out and win on Saturday, last night will soon be forgotten.

What it did for me is answer a few questions, ie, the players that Bruce starts with are the right ones. RDL was awful (I've never been his biggest fan)

Fair enough, but for me defeats by lower league teams are still a source of embarrassment for the club and the fans, even if they have become quite a regular occurrence over the past few seasons.  Successive recent managers have done a great job in reducing expectations at the club to the point where defeat in cup competitions by lower league opposition is almost to be expected. 

[Damo70]

I wonder what we would be saying on here as outsiders if another Championship club sacked their manager after five league games from the start of the season with no defeats and sitting fourth in the table.

[Risso]

I wonder what we would be saying on here as outsiders if another Championship club sacked their manager after five league games from the start of the season with no defeats and sitting fourth in the table.

It depends on who they were and why they were sacking him.  If it was a club of a similar stature to Villa, and their manager had spent two years not getting them promoted despite spending squillions and generally playing poor football, I think I'd say something like "I'm amazed he's lasted that long."

Likewise, if Steve Bruce was the manager of one of our rivals, and had performed for them like he has for us, how many people would be clamouring for him to be appointed?

[Brend'Watkins]

I wonder what we would be saying on here as outsiders if another Championship club sacked their manager after five league games from the start of the season with no defeats and sitting fourth in the table.

If there is someone who is better than Bruce available (of course there is) it doesn't matter where he is in the table. We need to improve and I'm sure a better manager would have added an additional 4 points to our total had he been here from the start.

[aj2k77]

It's not just the points, sometimes you just don't get the rub of the green, bad decisions, mishaps, lucky deflections, it's the performances and managerial decisions. It's the same as last season, we already know the outcome to this story. It's a waste of another year, perhaps the final year to have an advantage over the rest of the league before all parachute payments are lost and then what are we left with? A fat fucking idiot as manager trying to get the best out of bit part players and experienced donkeys?

[PeterWithesShin]

I wonder what we would be saying on here as outsiders if another Championship club sacked their manager after five league games from the start of the season with no defeats and sitting fourth in the table.

He's won 6 of the last 18 league games (classing playoffs as league games) and been knocked out of a cup by Burton. As an outsider looking at Aston Villa in division 2 with the squad we have, would you be surprised?

[mattjpa]

I wonder what we would be saying on here as outsiders if another Championship club sacked their manager after five league games from the start of the season with no defeats and sitting fourth in the table.

If they were one of the favourites, had the best player in the league, one of the biggest squads, best ground in the league, biggest fan base, biggest wage budget and yet were playing awful football, out of 1/2 cups and were (potentially and definitely conceivably) 7 points off the automatic promotion places after 6 games with probably the easiest start you can ask for, I dont think we would be that surprised. Lose Saturday and the pressure will be immense. I think the Rotherham game could be Brucey's Bolton...

[ktvillan]

I'm not sure his future is in the balance until we get a football hierarchy in place, CEO, DoF or whatever, who have been given time to source a list of potential successors.  In the meantime I have that dilemma of wanting Villa to do well but also wanting to see Bruce gone which would most likely only happen if we don't do so well.  Despite league position (thereabouts again)  he's clearly not good enough, and it's not just based on 5 games this season.    I wouldn't worry about what others think, I would take the Daniel Levy ruthless approach - ok isn't good enough, we can do better and fuck what anyone else thinks.       

[itmustbe_it is!]

It showed during his post match interview that he took some stick from the away support. They're as loyal and patient as they come but once they turn, it normally means one thing unfortunately.

I don't think he took any stick but the team certainly did.

There were sarcastic chants of "We've had a shot" as we approached half time and had our first shot of the night.

Personally, I expected this performance.  In the past 3 seasons, we've put in similar performances against Yeovil, Boro, Peterborough, Luton and now Burton.  We need to stop kidding ourselves that we can just chuck a bunch of reserves together and expect them to play to the same standard as the first team.

Not if you want to actually win and go through you can't.  I do question whether that has really been the case in recent years though.

Personally, I have no problems in fielding a reserve side.  I don't like this competition any more and hardly any team plays a full strength side in the early rounds.

Realistically, league football is where the money is and managers are happy to rest players for cup games. MON even did it in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup once.

If we go out and win on Saturday, last night will soon be forgotten.

What it did for me is answer a few questions, ie, the players that Bruce starts with are the right ones. RDL was awful (I've never been his biggest fan)

Yes, he did. And some of us have still not forgiven him for it.

[ktvillan]

Even if it was mostly back up players they are all mates. This won’t go down well with the others. When you go and blast your players you’re on the fast track to losing the team, if he’s not done so already. They need a new face. He needs a new place.

I think it's fair to say Bruce could do with a new face too.

[ktvillan]

If we go out and win on Saturday, last night will soon be forgotten.

I seem to recall this being said a fair bit the day after Moscow.  You may recall we didn't win and it hasn't been forgotten. 

[itmustbe_it is!]

If we go out and win on Saturday, last night will soon be forgotten.

I seem to recall this being said a fair bit the day after Moscow.  You may recall we didn't win and it hasn't been forgotten. 

This

[Duncan Shaw]

I still can't see them pulling the trigger without the CEO/DOF roles filled though - thought we may have been hearing something about that by now?

[mr underhill]

Why though? They own the club have a keen interest in football, and one of them has direct experience of owning a sports club.  These two know their onions and ultimately sanction all appointments - and pay for them . Personally I think they have had one or two candidates in mind from the moment they long grassed  Doctor T.

[Ad@m]

I wonder what we would be saying on here as outsiders if another Championship club sacked their manager after five league games from the start of the season with no defeats and sitting fourth in the table.

He's won 6 of the last 18 league games (classing playoffs as league games) and been knocked out of a cup by Burton. As an outsider looking at Aston Villa in division 2 with the squad we have, would you be surprised?

That's a shocking stat and should be enough to see him binned regardless of how Saturday goes.