Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[Russ aka Big Nose]

Only that we need to be confident of securing a decent replacement before firing Bruce..

Why?

We're literally going nowhere with Bruce. If anything, him wasting the last two years has made it less likely we'll get out of this division any time soon. As this is the last season with any kind of parachute payment money it really is shit or bust.

We don't have any time to waste.

Maybe, but in my view we would have Calderwood and Agnew in temporary charge so no great lift expected there. And the next appointment is so important - more so because it is a statement from the new owners - so it needs to be 'right'.

If there are not decent candidates prepared to come, then we start to look like a basket case the longer it takes, and that might prompt the owners to get twitchy and appoint someone for the sake of it.

[LeeB]

I thought it was common knowledge that whilst he pissed off Bruce with missing training, the wider issue was his dietary preferences.

The final straw being he'd had the last of the Donner meat before Bruce got to the chippy.

[sickbeggar]

I thought it was common knowledge that whilst he pissed off Bruce with missing training, the wider issue was his dietary preferences.

Even when he was knocking them in, he wasn't the slimmest. Besides i think he himself has said he's now as light as he's ever been. It's always been a personal thing in my mind. Even Bruce himself at the time said he'd never shamed a player in public before. Maybe ross just pushes his buttons, or maybe he's still being an arse but 20 months totally banished seems a bit harsh for missing training. Mind you there's players who haven't done anything as far as we know and don't seem to get a look in either

[darren woolley]

It's about time we had a journalist do his job and ask Bruce some questions to explain his thinking, instead of being fed bullshit and going along with his stories.

1. What made you persist with Mile Jedinak at center back despite examples during the previous season that he wasn't up to it?
2. After trailing a left back for most of the window why did you decide to do without one and instead play a right back there?
3. What is the thinking behind loaning a younger player and then shunting him out to a position where we already have 4 players that can cover that spot?
4. Do you think going in to the season with a solitary center back in the entire squad is wise? If so why?

I don't want to hear anymore excuses about turmoil in the summer, players at the world cup, players not pulling their boots on, refs, individual errors, luck, losing players from the play off final, John Terry, leaders, anything. I want to hear the fat c*** explain why the defense is a mish mash fuck up of the highest order and looks like conceding every time the opposition step foot in our half and what the reasoning behind those decisions are because to the outsider it looks like he has lost his grip on reality and constructed the most lopsided squad I've ever seen down the Villa.

He's failed massively and deserves the sack.

Too right about the journalists. Their questions are about as probing as a cuckolded husband asking his wife if she had an enjoyable evening last night.

I also agree with the non questions from journalists that they should be asking but seem reluctant too.

[Clark W Griswold]

He's still here then?

[The Edge]

I have just read the full transcript from his post Sheff Utd press conference. You have to conclude he talks utter drivel and he's totally deluded. First: "I have been out of this league four times" What? That doesn't even make sense although I understand what he was trying to say. Second: " we got to the play off final so I think that proves I do know what I'm doing" (obviously aimed at the fans) We fucking lost Steve. And on saturday he blamed unfit players. Deflection. The truth is we got battered by a side who in only there second year have learned lessons from the first, stabilized things and kicked on to the point where they batter a team who beat them at the same venue last year. All with a fraction of the resources afforded to Bruce. He's a charlatan. A shit manager and worst of all a bullshitter who's just biding his time waiting for his big pay off.

I agree entirely and would add that we were utterly played off the park by a Fulham team, whose manager had rightly surmised that our team of 30 somethings would be knackered, and they passed it round us at their leisure.  Our tactics in the first half did not appear to extend past passing it back to the keeper for him to hump it back to their defenders.  That game was just a perfect example of a modern, progressive manager giving an old dinosaur a lesson in how to do things.

Exactly. But be careful using the "D" word as it upsets his precious ego.

[The Edge]

I thought it was common knowledge that whilst he pissed off Bruce with missing training, the wider issue was his dietary preferences.

The final straw being he'd had the last of the Donner meat before Bruce got to the chippy.

👏👏👏

[The Edge]

It's about time we had a journalist do his job and ask Bruce some questions to explain his thinking, instead of being fed bullshit and going along with his stories.

1. What made you persist with Mile Jedinak at center back despite examples during the previous season that he wasn't up to it?
2. After trailing a left back for most of the window why did you decide to do without one and instead play a right back there?
3. What is the thinking behind loaning a younger player and then shunting him out to a position where we already have 4 players that can cover that spot?
4. Do you think going in to the season with a solitary center back in the entire squad is wise? If so why?

I don't want to hear anymore excuses about turmoil in the summer, players at the world cup, players not pulling their boots on, refs, individual errors, luck, losing players from the play off final, John Terry, leaders, anything. I want to hear the fat c*** explain why the defense is a mish mash fuck up of the highest order and looks like conceding every time the opposition step foot in our half and what the reasoning behind those decisions are because to the outsider it looks like he has lost his grip on reality and constructed the most lopsided squad I've ever seen down the Villa.

He's failed massively and deserves the sack.

Too right about the journalists. Their questions are about as probing as a cuckolded husband asking his wife if she had an enjoyable evening last night.

I also agree with the non questions from journalists that they should be asking but seem reluctant too.

I have the answers for you.
1. Because I've realised I hav'ne got a clue what I'm doing so I want them to sack me and give me a massive pay off.
2. Ditto.
3. Ditto.
4..Ditto.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Someone on Twitter reckons he'll be here till Blackburn at least

[chrisw1]

I think they'll give him several more weeks so he can at least play the team with the latest signings and see how that pans out.  We'll probably win a couple and the cycle will go on.

Personally I lost patience some time ago and very much hope they are lining up a replacement, but it is extremely difficult to get someone in a job to jump ship at this time of year.  My greatest fear is they will turn to Fat Sam, former England manager....

[themossman]

The annoying thing is that to the outside world it seems hasty to get rid. You have to watch the games and know the squad to realise how untenable his position is.

For it to look compelling to the casual observer he probably has to wreck this season irretrievably.

It’s a good test of whether the owners have got the pulse of the place.

[sickbeggar]

The annoying thing is that to the outside world it seems hasty to get rid. You have to watch the games and know the squad to realise how untenable his position is.

For it to look compelling to the casual observer he probably has to wreck this season irretrievably.

It’s a good test of whether the owners have got the pulse of the place.

yep to the neutral he's still good old Mr. Promotion who we're lucky to have. Amazing how successful his media persona is

[Oscar Arce]

I cannot understand why Bruce, the once top defender and defensive type manager has paid no attention to who will play in the defence.
Elphick's binning, like Steer, makes less sense every minute, and I'm sure it won't be long before Bree is tried in central defence, which will be a disaster.
I can't see a solution to the deffence problem unless he changes his style completely and plays 4-4-2 with two wingers, which leaves us wide open.

[The Edge]

I think they'll give him several more weeks so he can at least play the team with the latest signings and see how that pans out.  We'll probably win a couple and the cycle will go on.

Personally I lost patience some time ago and very much hope they are lining up a replacement, but it is extremely difficult to get someone in a job to jump ship at this time of year.  My greatest fear is they will turn to Fat Sam, former England manager....

Although Sam wouldn't register highly on the thrillometer he's far more in tune with the modern game than Bruce and I think he would likely get us promoted then hit the buffers half way through our first season back in the prem. By which time we'd be far more likely to attract a top manager.

[john e]

But the guy wasn't turning up for training. Besides years ago the manager might have got away with keeping it quiet. With social media now, it's virtually impossible. You only have to look at Adomah's brother's outburst on Twitter. No, Bruce did the right thing for me.

ffs Clampy are you still busy finding things to defend him with

i admire your (that word that George Galloway used once)