Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[brian green]

You never know with Eric Black.  He has probably got a signed and witnessed contract written on  a McDonald's serviette signed by Dr Tony Xia, witnessed by Keith Wyness making him Aston Villa Manager for Life.

[PaulWinch again]

His answers are pretty disingenuous. We’re in rubbish form, look incoherent, and are constantly performing as a team that are less than the sum of our parts. We’ve also had a pretty easy start, so that makes our results even worse. We have more attacking talent than all of the teams in the league, a decent manager would have a great time with us.

[ktvillan]

I honestly thought that quote was a parody written by the poster on here who predicts Bruce's post match comments (sorry can't remember who it is).  Surely it can't be real can it?  I mean pretty much every excuse he's ever used, plus a couple of new inventions for good measure, in one quote?  All of which have been discredited?
And such utter utter bullshit?    Unbelievable.  It really does sound like a desperate man who knows the game is up.

[robleflaneur]

I'm trying to work out what point you are trying to make here Paul, other than reminding everyone how right you were all along?  Mike seems to be suggesting we should make a change, even at the risk of staying down, if that helps us build a better team for the long term.  Isn't that essentially what you are advocating?

The point I'm making is that some people wanted that 2 years ago when it was the right thing to do, but loads of you didn't give a shit how we got there so long as Bruce got us up.  Now he's failed twice and most people have realised that it's the right thing to do but it might well be a bit late for it now.  This is the last season of parachute payments, and possibly the last season where we could grab the best young players we could find and build things slowly around them.  Under Lerner we had 3-4 seasons where we had a chance to take a leap forward but we gave them all to MON wasted the last 2 of them. Under Xia we had 2 years where we had loads of benefits and should've been pushing for a immediate return but we wasted those opportunities on Bruce. I agree that we need to get away from that and find a way to take advantage of the latest round of wealthy owners and the idea of sticking with Bruce for any longer than necessary frustrates the shit out of me.

I get the argument for patience, I made similar when Henry was being linked, but it's getting close to the point where I'd rather we went with a caretaker for a month than stick with him just because the replacement we want isn't available.  We're misusing our attacking players so badly right now that I just can't see anyone making it significantly worse.

In total agreement,especially the last paragraph.A short term caretaker could no worse.The misuse of our attackers is criminal.Doesn't it cross Bruce's mind that we've rescued points in the last minutes of 3 games by putting on attacking options.The game we let in a last minute goal was when he brought on defensive minded substitutions.
Options exist in this league,Smith,Harris,Cook,Johnson and Wilder .
Incidentally they seem to play a similar brand of football,high energy,fast paced ,quick passing and a willingness to get players forward .Pretty similar to Howe's Bournemouth and Southgate's preference for younger players.
Contrast that with Bruce's approach.
The short term target of promotion and its cash bonanza is so vital and there's no stand out teams.Ally that with bringing in the sustainability of developing younger players.

[andyh]

And keeping the better ones we have now.

[Rodders]

It has already been suggested that SB's demeanor is that of one working notice.

I'm sure someone will correct me if this is not the case, but doesn't his rolling contract renew or terminate next month?

It might not be too unreasonable to hope therefore that managed, process driven change is already underway in anticipation of October 12th (or there or thereabouts... euch)

Can't believe that NSWE aren't in process.

*clutches straw even harder*

[Clampy]

I understand why Bruce is making the comments he is, he's under pressure and he's going on the defensive. He's not really helping himself with one or two of things he's come out with (the waifs and strays comment in particular was a load of bollocks) but I can see why he's doing it. Mourinho comes out with a load of waffle when his back is against the wall, all manager's do.

[four fornicholl]

It has already been suggested that SB's demeanor is that of one working notice.

I'm sure someone will correct me if this is not the case, but doesn't his rolling contract renew or terminate next month?

It might not be too unreasonable to hope therefore that managed, process driven change is already underway in anticipation of October 12th (or there or thereabouts... euch)

Can't believe that NSWE aren't in process.

*clutches straw even harder*

Good point, placing palms of hands together.

[olaftab]

I always thought Bruce spoke English but the answers today suggest his first language is C*ntish.

[Mister E]

Bloody idiot.
I've been trying to think how he raised £25m in player-sales.
To refer to players you've bought as waifs and strays is insulting to the players concerned, non-productive in the whole process of winning over his own stakeholders and self-defeating (why would you waste £2m on the aforementioned?!).

This whole sorry episode is ending the way many envisaged.

[Steve67]

Is he actually poking at the owners to see if they have the balls to sack him so he can pick up his compo wonga?  What utter dribble the man has come out with recently.  Like I have said before, Bruce has only managed shit clubs who were grateful to be in that league, despite being relegation fodder, therefore, he's never felt proper pressure like he is here.  Owners, take note, get rid please. 

[andyh]

These ‘waifs and strays’ were the mainstay of what he called the ‘makings of a decent team’ when he talked about how it was broken up and he has had to start from scratch all over again.

The fucker just keeps speaking in forked tongues!

[tomd2103]

I honestly thought that quote was a parody written by the poster on here who predicts Bruce's post match comments (sorry can't remember who it is).  Surely it can't be real can it?  I mean pretty much every excuse he's ever used, plus a couple of new inventions for good measure, in one quote?  All of which have been discredited?
And such utter utter bullshit?    Unbelievable.  It really does sound like a desperate man who knows the game is up.

The problem is he gets away with coming out with that kind of stuff as he is a popular figure with media types and he never really gets questioned.  We're not really much of a national concern especially as we're in the second tier at the moment and we all know what the local media are like.  Like others before him, he's able to set a narrative which is regurgitated by his cronies in the media because noone questions it. 

[paul_e]

These ‘waifs and strays’ were the mainstay of what he called the ‘makings of a decent team’ when he talked about how it was broken up and he has had to start from scratch all over again.

The fucker just keeps speaking in forked tongues!

I reckon he's senile and thinks he had the Cardiff squad last year.

[clash city rocker]

He has just never had a coherent plan. And that is solely down to him. He has been paid well and I have no sympathy for him. A man found to be well out of his depth in the modern game. Sometimes when we fuck up we have to be big enough to admit it and take it on the chin.0