Season expectations 2017-18

[Mister E]

Of Gil, Amavi and Veretout, only the latter would be of much use to us, IMO.
Samba actually looked reasonable last night, alongside Terry.

However, the general level of play (simple things, like passing to a player in the same colours, taking free kicks that apply some pressure on opponents) and the tactical ineptitude and lack of offensive impact - all of these are just at such low levels that, once again, I found myself asking the age-old question: "what do these f***ers do during training and why has there been no apparent coaching input?"

From being very 'meh' about Bruce's appointment I am now definitely firmly against his continued involvement at VP and would prefer the pain of yet another managerial search to bring in a Proper Manager.

[Fin Feds Dad]

There is an international break in early October - after Bolton at home.

My guess is he'll go then. 

[Boz]

Hopefully we will be top two but it won't be under Bruce.
The pre season has shown that nothing has changed in his tenure and the signings of whelan and el ma', whilst we are happily looking to ship out Vertoute, Gil, Amavi says it all for me.
He was under pressure last season and he is now under more pressure (that's what you get for screening friendlies live I guess). Imagine dire performances and poor results in the rest of the friendlies coupled with a poor start and he could well be gone by end of September at this rate.

Dr X needs to be looking now for a new modern manager. Bruce is proving to be the old school type I expected him to be, and will be out thought by the majority of managers in the Championship. If there was a decent replacement available now, Bruce wouldn't see out the friendlies.

[Risso]

I would say 10th at best. Possibly 8th if Kodjia has a good season again, but things will be dull and we'll be nowhere near promotion.

[Billy Walker]

I'll be very, very surprised if we don't get into the top six, at least - although automatic promotion has to be the aim and target.

 I don't really get all this doom and gloom stuff going on at the moment and, likewise, I don't get this belief that some Villa fans seem to have, of us needing to be playing like 1970s-era Ajax to get out of this league.  Bruce has the CV and track record for the position we find ourselves in.  It isn't going to be pretty, there will be a lot of huffing and puffing and grinding results out but one has to believe he knows what he is doing. 

Pre-season is pre-season and the results are meaningless, all that matters is what happens in the league.  As soon as kick-off arrives, and the squad settles, I hope and expect us to click into gear picking up as many points as we can week in week out. This isn't the time, in my opinion, to be looking for a progressive manager and an "Aston Villa" style - save that for next season when, all being well, we're back in the PL. Steve Bruce is, surely, a stage in the journey back to the top? 

[Matt Collins]

Like the positivity!

I am a bit concerned that fan negativity will be a problem if we get off to a mediocre start (and I reckon we've got some tough games early on)

[RussellC]

I think a lot of people are being overly negative at the moment. If nothing else, we'll be a lot more solid than we were last season. Terry and Samba are big upgrades on Richards and Elphick, and we still have Chester and Baker. Johnstone in his end-of-season form will be an upgrade on Gollini.

Despite their current form, having a summer together will eventually benefit the likes of Lansbury, Hourihane, Hogan and Bree.

I don’t expect it to be pretty, in any way shape or form, and we’re still going to be very reliant on Kodjia’s individual brilliance for most of our goals, but I do expect us to be top 8 by Christmas, and then hopefully in a position to bring in a couple of reinforcements to push for Promotion from there.

[Tom_Mc9?]

Top six. Based on nothing except a hunch.

[Matt Collins]

It's worth bearing in mind just how bang average most of this league is - including us

We don't have to improve that much to get into the top 6 I reckon.

Obviously there's a risk that Kodjia doesn't replicate last season's form and we really do struggle for goals

No afcon will help

[Gareth]

For me the negativity has ramped up since it became apparent that the next 2 planned signings were Elmohamady & Whelan...we all know that the problem in the team was creating chances so we chase two more efficient plodders. 

Normally at this time I say let's see what the squad looks like on Sep 1st but I do worry that Bruce has no inclination whatsoever to sign a player whose first mindset is to go forward.

Zzzzzzzz

[Mister E]

.... Pre-season is pre-season and the results are meaningless ...

Well, you may be right but the way that the games have been played out gives a clue to the likely league performance (after all, what is practised is usually what is seen in performance).
Against Shrewsbury and Walsall the players showed poor passing, poor set-piece play and an inability to sustain pressure on the opposition; all of which meant that goalscoring opportunities were few and far between. Bear in mind, these are skills not unreasonably expected of professional footballers.
My caution for the forthcoming season is that we continue to demonstrate ineptitude in the basics of the game and that - additionally - the manager continues to demonstrate the limitations in game management and tactics that we saw last season. Putting both together will result in disppointment (to say the least).

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I do worry that Bruce has no inclination whatsoever to sign a player whose first mindset is to go forward.

Why give him more money when he bought three players in January that have exactly that mindset but for some reason they no longer do it?

[ChicagoLion]

I do worry that Bruce has no inclination whatsoever to sign a player whose first mindset is to go forward.

Why give him more money when he bought three players in January that have exactly that mindset but for some reason they no longer do it?

Pretty obvious where the mindset problem is.

[Matt Collins]

In his defence we've had what, 3 1/2 weeks of pre season

It's not long to solve some critical problems so we do need to judge a bit later down the line

[PeterWithesShin]

Against that he's had 9 months to improve things, and apart from looking a bit better defensively we still struggle with all the other basics. I really hope Bruce proves everyone wrong, or right depending on point of view, and we storm this league, I just don't see anything that suggests we can or will.