Aston Villa 2 Sheffield United 2 Merry bloody Xmas Post Match thread.

[paul_e]

I do think that the minute we slip out of the top six Bruce will be gone, and I would expect/hope that plans for this eventuality/likelihood are well in hand already.

The major problem there is that this is easily the worst time of the season to change manager, you've got a lot of games close together coupled with a very short window to add to the squad, even if we kicked him on Boxing day you'd be lucky to get a manager in by the FA cup weekend and then they really should be taking a couple of weeks with the squad before making signings which gives you a week or so to actually look for players.  That said I don't think he's going anywhere unless we're 5-6 points out of the playoffs, which will be too late, in my opinion.

[paul_e]

He’ll only go if there’s a better candidate on the market

I still can’t see who that is really

We should hold out for Zidane, he's got a matter of weeks I reckon

[Smirker]

That was a bad result.

All our own doing.

Just a really disappointing result.

I still think we will be OK but we can't afford many more of these.

We badly need Terry and Kodge back.

[gpbarr]

You can forget promotion, not happening.

Will be lucky to hang onto 6th place and then they play a team above them and inevitably will be found out and lose.

Thats the thing. Even if we scrape into the playoffs (and even thats looking suspect), we will be turned over in the play offs. Our record against the Top 10 in the Championship as at tonight (half way mark) stands at 7 points for / 23 points against. Thats fucking completely unacceptable and if Xia and Wyness had any nous about them, they'd realize a change is needed.   

[ktvillan]

So 3 points from the last 12, despite two fairly straightforward looking home fixtures.  A bit like our start to the season and quite simply not promotion form and not good enough. 

[martyn ellis]

What a shambles. Poor at the back. Poor in the middle. Poor up front. I swear he thought Davies was still on while instructing players to miss out the midfield and lump balls up front. And can Gabby please retire. Absolute zero ideas. Absolute zero shape. Absolute zero chance of going up this year.

[curiousorange]

Even if we reach the playoffs and even if we reach Wembley, would Bruce be the man to trust with a Premier League campaign? You would argue that the man that gets us there has earned the right, but looking at us tonight compared with Burnley or Tottenham, who played at the same time...God, I wouldn't stick a bent halfpenny on us staying up.

[ciggiesnbeer]

He’ll only go if there’s a better candidate on the market

I still can’t see who that is really

We should hold out for Zidane, he's got a matter of weeks I reckon

"Aston Villa is ... how you say? 'top club' I could not have asked any more from le lads. I will be giving 'gabby' another run, he seems so keen!"

[Ads]

Absolutely woeful defending from Jedinak cost us two of the softest goals we will concede all season.

Thought the midfield was flat and didn't offer enough legs or creativity.

442 is how you play 352 and it took us too long to get into that and then constrained ourselves with a deep midfield playing the wrong balls into the front two.

They should have had one sent off, ridiculous decision from the referee.

Lot of territory and possession, but Grealish apart it was too pedestrian centrally.

Snodgrass is out of sorts and Davis needing time out. Whelan at home is reminiscent of Westwood at times.

Three really poor results. The tempo is too slow and that comes from midfield.

[garyshawsknee]

He’ll only go if there’s a better candidate on the market

I still can’t see who that is really

Oscar Garcia, Dean Smith, Nathan Jones, that's off the top of my head. Dread to think what Wyness would come up with.

[Goldie.7]

Does Hourihane know he's allowed to move and pass the ball forward, maybe even run with it...? Just a thought after constantly seeing him slow down our already feeble attacking threat.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm struggling to think of a worse manager in the top half. He's been found out but it's us that have to pay the price.

[ktvillan]

I’m so fucking done with Steve Bruce. I can accept shit football if we are getting decent results. A sacrifice worth making to get promoted. But shit football and shit results. Well it’s just shit isn’t it?

Yep - just like Pulis, and look what happened to him.

[gpbarr]

He’ll only go if there’s a better candidate on the market

I still can’t see who that is really

Oscar Garcia, Dean Smith, Nathan Jones, that's off the top of my head. Dread to think what Wyness would come up with.

Add Lee Johnson and Derek McInnes to the list. There are lots of good managers available, we just have a shocking track record of appointing managers who have both the ability and the charisma to manage an institution

[curiousorange]

What I'm sick of is Villa trying the quick fix. I'd rather stay down and become a great adaptable side than bankrupt ourselves boring the crap out of all and sundry.