Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[john e]

I follow the racing broadcaster Rupert Bell on Twitter he's also a Villa fan

he started a Twitter poll yesterday on whether Bruce should stay or go

69% go  31% stay

31% of people still think he's the best man for the job
I'm genuinely flummoxed

I just can't get my head around stuff like that,
after two years of Bruce 31% of his followers want more of the same

your always going to get maybe 2 or 3% who just won't change, but 31% !!

not everyone that follows him will be a Villa fan so maybe non Villa fans are voting for him just to take the piss
This is the only explanation I can see

fs 31%

[sickbeggar]

In my opinion, Bruce's biggest problem is he's either forgotten his best team/Formation or deliberately decided to change it. Whether this is due to the financial uncertainties or not, that is the chief cause of why we look so disjointed. Whatever you think of the side last seaon, it was good enough to get to a play-off final so you would think he would have gone with those players again and looked to replace those that have left. If you look at last time we won away last season against 'Boro, our team was:


Johnstone
Elmo
Chester
Terry
Hutton
Jedinak
Snodgrass
Adomah
Horinhane
Grealish
Grabban

You can argue about a few players but overall not far off our best team.

a) Now presumably you'd be looking to replace the players who have left with the same or better players. So Bruce has replaced Johnstone, Snodgrass, and Grabban (either with Abraham or the returning Kodjia). I'm not going to go too far into the Terry fiasco because its all been said already,except to say its pretty baffling with his apparent battle of wills with the fans over Jedinak/Axel even more so.

b)The failure to get a replacement for jedinak/Whelan. Our midfield looks totally unabalanced this season, and with jedinak and whelan both blowing out their arses you'd have though he would have bought a replacement. Instead we get McGinn. Great player but him and Grealish don't work. You need someone in there doing the defensive work if your gonna play the wingers. The game above we had jedinak, now there is no-one.

He really has to sort it out because with a weakened defence anyway, you can't play 5 midfielders who are all looking to get forward.

[mr underhill]

Terry and Snoddy are the key for me, plus Albert's alarming decline. Grabban blew hot for a short time then the goals dried up - I think he's only managed one since March.  Abraham on paper is a more than adequate replacement and Kodjia even in a diminished state should be doing more. I agree completely about  the midfielders. Theoretically the best we can put out should have goals in them,but they look nowhere near as potent as the side did last season when we played the first half of  it without a consistent goal threat up top, relying instead on a hold up man who can't really score and a dwarf who is simply in the wrong team.

[kippaxvilla2]

I’ve just listened to his WM interview from yesterday.  Did you know the new owners have breathed new life into the club?

As I’ve said before it’s a fucking good job they did cos he spent the whole summer hiding in Portugal

Albufeira or Albefeirabouts particularly made me laugh yesterday.

[Sexual Ealing]

I’ve just listened to his WM interview from yesterday.  Did you know the new owners have breathed new life into the club?

As I’ve said before it’s a fucking good job they did cos he spent the whole summer hiding in Portugal

Albufeira or Albefeirabouts particularly made me laugh yesterday.

I was thinking Faro Farobouts.

[Little Class]

There's a two week gap between the Millwall and Swansea games

That looks a likely time to act. It will be on the back or away games at Bristol and Millwall too - plus Preston at home which is more winnable  - where on current form we look very unlikely to pick up many points.

Too late.  With Bruce, probably only 2 or 3 points in that, even 4 isn't good enough.  Has to be now - be better to sack him and all the coaching staff now, put McDonald and Delaney in charge for 3 weeks and look for a replacement.  Reckon they would get us 4 points at least, maybe 6.

[sickbeggar]

Terry and Snoddy are the key for me, plus Albert's alarming decline. Grabban blew hot for a short time then the goals dried up - I think he's only managed one since March.  Abraham on paper is a more than adequate replacement and Kodjia even in a diminished state should be doing more. I agree completely about  the midfielders. Theoretically the best we can put out should have goals in them,but they look nowhere near as potent as the side did last season when we played the first half of  it without a consistent goal threat up top, relying instead on a hold up man who can't really score and a dwarf who is simply in the wrong team.

Yep. I just find it amazing that a manager with Bruce's reputation for being lets say, over-cautious can't see the problems with the defence and the lack of cover for them in midfield. Wasn't making us hard to score against one of his main positives when we employed him?


Personally next game i'd go for


Keeper

back 4



Jedinak/Whelan DM (Perfect replacement for each other if they get knackered)

Holihane,Mcginn


then either Grealish/adomah as an attacking midfielder if we're playing a diamond with Kodjia and Abraham up front


or

two wingers and 1 up front.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Apparently we are about to appoint Leicester’s Head of Recruitment as Sporting Director.  Will also have a major say in the managerial appointments.  Nixon saying it and saying it’s bad news for Bruce.

I saw that fingers crossed

[Tayls_7]

I hope the players had Bruce and the rest of the coaching staff in for extra training today.

[Mister E]

Apparently we are about to appoint Leicester’s Head of Recruitment as Sporting Director.  Will also have a major say in the managerial appointments.  Nixon saying it and saying it’s bad news for Bruce.

I saw that fingers crossed

If true, it's a good step in the right direction.

[Toronto Villa]

Bruce is speaking very openly like he knows the writing is on the wall. He’s setting out his defence in public. The players are no longer playing for him. He’s not even preparing for games himself as evidenced by not knowing Forestieri wouldn’t be playing for Sheff Wed. The end is coming. He knows it and the club I am sure are working behind the scenes to put in place the right people to make the best future decision when they finally pull the plug on this charlatan. No doubt Bruce will spin it. He already is. Frankly I don’t give a fuck what he says or who defends him publicly or privately as long he’s no longer manager of Aston Villa FC.

[mr underhill]

totally

[CT]

Bruce is speaking very openly like he knows the writing is on the wall. He’s setting out his defence in public. The players are no longer playing for him. He’s not even preparing for games himself as evidenced by not knowing Forestieri wouldn’t be playing for Sheff Wed. The end is coming. He knows it and the club I am sure are working behind the scenes to put in place the right people to make the best future decision when they finally pull the plug on this charlatan. No doubt Bruce will spin it. He already is. Frankly I don’t give a fuck what he says or who defends him publicly or privately as long he’s no longer manager of Aston Villa FC.

Be fair, when you highlight a danger man and don't give him a single kick in the game, surely that's worthy of some praise?!

[Dave P]

Apparently we are about to appoint Leicester’s Head of Recruitment as Sporting Director.  Will also have a major say in the managerial appointments.  Nixon saying it and saying it’s bad news for Bruce.

I saw that fingers crossed

If true, it's a good step in the right direction.

Nigel Pearson then?

[mcgrath_85]

“There’s some who will never accept me here, but that’s part and parcel of management”.

Absolute wanker.