Lately, I’ve been left fuming after most of our performances.
Sometimes, it’s best not to post knee jerk reactions straight after the game, as they can leave you looking like a mug.
So I’ve left it a couple of days to try and think reasonably in hindsight.
Nothing has changed though and I’m 95% of the way there to calling for Bruce’s head after the utter load of rubbish I witnessed during the Blackburn game.
I’ve often said that I can stand boring, turgid footy if we’re getting results.
Ok, the “entertainment” bores me, but the feeling I get when we win more than makes up for it.
Winning is what it’s all about, after all, isn’t it?
But when rubbish footy is combined with poor results, it’s just not good enough.
Apparently Bruce looked resigned when Sky showed a shot of him.
I didn’t see that on the Villa feed, but I’m not surprised, as he must also know it’s not good enough.
Four draws and a spanking loss in the last 5 games says it all.
Bruce’s recent comments have been interesting, to say the least.
He asked if he’ll ever win over certain sections of the fans and the answer is, no he won’t, because his football is so poor. What I seriously think he doesn’t realise is that it’s not just a section of fans that want him gone; It’s a majority.
The 5% of me that doesn’t want to call for his head is the fact that I think he’s partly correct when he says that the team need time to gel.
The problem I have is that I don’t think we have time for it to gel.
If we go another few weeks of poor performances combined with poor results, we might as well kiss promotion goodbye, hence we need to start getting wins quickly.
But who do we think will come in and get the team firing instantly?
That’s the question.
Bruce has also come out with the fact that we brought in £25 million, while paying out £2 million last season, as his latest excuse and while that’s admirable, it certainly didn’t seem like that and it’s been said lots of times that most other managers in this league would practically give a limb to get the squad we’ve got.
And it’s this part that makes me question Bruce the most.
How can he make what looks a great squad, on paper at least, look so poor on the pitch?
There’s just no urgency, no pace and most importantly, no incisiveness to our game.
Some pundit came out and said he doesn’t see a team.
I think he’s right, as I don’t either.
We rarely seem to target any of the opposition’s players and it’s all just reactive, instead of proactive and there’s just no plan that I can see.
It’s just a case of “ok, go out and win the game”, which you would think is enough, given our players.
And might have been enough under the likes of Clough.
But it’s not, when you face a team that is well-drilled, with a plan, these days. Which is exactly what most teams are.
It’s not like our players look like they’re busting a gut either, which worries me.
I along with many of us, see that Grealish hasn’t performed lately, for example.
Is it just poor form or more than that?
I don’t know, but it just seems endemic in the whole team, to me.
Onto tomorrow’s game then and this is our first game at home in a while, so it’ll be interesting to see the fans’ attitude if we perform poorly again.
If, horror of horrors, we concede an early goal against a team of such poor resources compared to ours, I dread to think what the reaction will be.
This ought to be a very straightforward win for us, but Rotherham did well in beating Derby on Saturday (something I took great delight in teasing my Derby mate over, will my mickey taking bite me on the butt?).
We don’t do straightforward, these days, do we?
I have to go for the home win, 2-1, but I have serious doubts.
And that’s a shocking state of affairs.
If we lose this, I can only see one conclusion.
An absolute must-win for Bruce.
Leave the poor guy alone he’s busy rebuilding the side.
That or some other excuse.
To be fair the players should be able to beat Rotherham without a coach/manager. I think we will win but I will be very surprised to be impressed by the manner of victory.
That’s exactly how I’m thinking.
A poor win.
Yet again.
Or at least it would be, if we were winning.
Badger, I have to more or less agree. However, even if we manage a fluky win on Tuesday, I still don’t think it will be enough. They need to play as a team and with some urgency to convince anyone that Bruce should stay and I honestly don’t see that happening.
I think that this squad could finish mid-table without a manager so replacing Bruce isn’t that much of a gamble as that’s where I fear we’ll end up with Bruce in charge anyway.
Time for a change.
“I think that this squad could finish mid-table without a manager”
That’s a massive indictment in itself and one I agree with.
There are some really poor sides in this league and I wouldn’t bet on us beating any of them 🙁
The only point I’ll make in Bruce’s defence and, in itself it’s ironic, is his ability to pull in very good players on loan that (perhaps) one would expect to go elsewhere. He did it last season and again this and has done pretty well in the transfer market given the financial restrictions under which he’s operating.
How ironic therefore if he’s unable to get this assemblence of very good players to play together as a team!
I’m not making an argument for him to stay – he has to demonstrate that he can get a good tune out of a Stradivarius and quickly if he wants to keep his job.
Like Badger, I have to go for a win – anything else is unthinkable – but more than that I want to see an aggressive and positive team performance which I can relax and enjoy without fearing the worst!
UTV
He assembled a team for last season based around a significant number of loan/short term contracts. He did this in part because he wanted to unload players under contract and create space for those players, and with a remit he accepted of achieving promotion. In failing to achieve that, he had to lose those players and that is in part the reason he has had to do it again. If had done the job properly most or all of those players would still be here.
Give him a Stradivarius and he would play it at left back.
Apart from that I’m pretty much in agreement.
Not totally in agreement with you DS. I don’t think there is any doubt he had to unload contracted players last season to secure income and reduce the wage bill. I agree however that he went for a number of older, more expensive (in wages terms) loan players as an all out gamble to achieve promotion. Would he have done so (achieved promotion) had we not suffered a number of telling injury setbacks – we’ll never know.
I don’t really know why I seem to be defending him – I suppose because, in part, it stimulates debate.
I would like to see Bruce succeed because then the Villa are successful. I don’t subscribe to the ageist view – just look at what Warnock achieved, Pullis is doing OK and Bielsa is not a spring chicken – but, on balance, I feel we probably need a change of approach and thinking. Can Bruce deliver, I’m no longer convinced he can.
I also don’t subscribe to the ageist view. It’s not his age. I don’t think Bruce has ever showed himself to be a great coach or tactician. He’s more of a motivation focussed person, looking for dressing room unity. With a decent set of coaches maybe that would work, but it needs someone much braver to set the tone. You would have thought he might have learned that from his time under Ferguson.
Hitch/DS,
Here lies my biggest worry.
We pull in good players on loan, yet don’t see the kids coming through at all.
I detest loans, as I’ve often said and just don’t see any future in them.
I’m beginning to see that whatever happens, Bruce’s days are numbered.
It’s believed that the new owners want the squad age reduced and I don’t believe Bruce has a hope in hell of achieving that with the way he plays the game.
It’s all too safe.
We should drop the holding mid entirely, imo, as it’s no more than an extra defender, the way Bruce plays.
But that isn’t going to happen, is it?
Badger – we seem to suffer a disproportionate number of injuries to our better younger player which disrupts their progress. Andre Green is out again, Davis is long term injured, RHM was injured most of last season etc., etc. Is it bad luck or something else because at times we seem to be suffering more than our fair share!
Actually, I don’t see that this can be a co-incidence, at all, Hitch.
Along with wondering what we coach our players, I suspect there’s something wrong with the way they train too;
At the Villa? Tick.
Under 21? Tick
On the verge of the first team? Tick
Injured? Tick (or at least if you aren’t now, you soon will be).
Bruce’s team selection tomorrow will be interesting. He finished Blackburn game with Kodja and Abraham up front, so will he be brave enough to start with two up top? I don’t know if Hogan is fit, but he would offer a better foil for either Kodja or Abraham as they are quite similar. Grealish does need to get his head out of his arse because he is our star man when on form. He looks like he is in 3rd gear at the moment. It is a fair comment that he needs to add more goals to his game if he ever wants to play for England. Hourihane deserves a start tomorrow, so my choice of team would be.
Nyland
Elmo RB
Chester
Tuanzebe
Hutton LB
Adomah / Bolasie RM
Hourihane
Grealish
El Ghazi / McGinn LM
Abraham
Hogan if fit or Kodja
I will make my prediction when I see the line up, although based on same starting XI as Blackburn I would predict 1-1.
Badger / DS – question. If Bruce is replaced say in the next three / four games, would you expect ANY new manager to achieve promotion this season or would you be prepared to give him two?
Good question, Hitch.
I personally think promotion is already beyond us, given the way we’ve played against very average sides.
I just can’t see Bruce turning it around quickly.
Which means this season is already lost, to my mind.
Hence, if we don’t do it this season, we’re talking two seasons anyway.
And there’s a possibility that a new manager could fire us up straight off.
Hence why I think Bruce is a goner.
I would happily give him 2 seasons as long as I felt we were progressing. I do think it’s perfectly possible for promotion this season, though I very much doubt Bruce’s ability to achieve that.
I have no doubt that the process of identifying a replacement started a while ago. There will have been discussions by the board, and managers being sounded out. I just think they are giving Bruce a bit of time to turn things round, while being mindful of the fact that they can’t wait until promotion is beyond us.
There’s a lot of supposition in that but I think it isn’t far from the truth.
I meant to say 1-1 …..yawn! Bruce out!
Even with all the talk of Brucey possibly going, we’re only actually five points off top spot! Stop worrying kids, we’ll be back!
Fair play, Bum Bum.
That’s a very reasoned way of looking at it.
5 points this early is not season-defining.
But it’s just the way we look as a side that worries me.
Agreed Bum Bum but as Badger says its the manner of the performances and against arguably some of the weaker sides – Reading and Ipswich in particular – and then the complete capitulation at Sheffield Utd. Add to that, the number of points that we’ve won (or lost) in injury time and it doesn’t instil fans with confidence.
I agree with Badger – “But it’s just the way we look as a side that worries me.”
As a side we’re shapeless and I’m not sure that the players know exactly where they’re supposed to be playing at times. I now dread when we’re on TV as I have zero confidence in the outcome.
TBH I’m not even sure I want to watch the game tomorrow but when the time comes I probably will even though it’s like going to the dentist these days.
UTV
I think the Villa are waiting for a Premiership manager to get sacked and then they’ll get him.
Here’s some inside news, after the Burton game their was a confrontation between Elphick and Bruce, Tom through his shirt down and had to be dragged away from Bruce by his brother, could that be why Elphick was loaned out so quick?. this is from a Villa Blog site.
If that’s the case, then a dressing room split will only cause more unrest. Was Tommy being unreasonable??? Guess we won’t really find out, but I sadly think Bruce has hit his glass ceiling. Shame because he’s stabilised the club, but I can’t honestly see him take us much further.
P.s. Has anyone heard the new Parquet ts LP, Wide Awake??? Great stuff!!! Like 1979/80 all over again!
No Bum bum , I’m more into Vera Lynn.😊
Ho, ho Bill. Dreaming of white cliffs and all then!
Yes Hitch Dixie Dean was a good footballer in my days.
Conor’s not happy;
“It’s been hugely disappointing for me,” Hourihane told The Express & Star. “Last year I felt I had a good year.
I feel I have been left out of it a little this year and it is hugely disappointing. I kept my head down and working hard and you get the rewards in the end.”
Quite rightly so in my view. Although he seemed to get criticised when he played, I always thought he contributed well and topped it off with 11 (?) goals from midfield. He has that real knack of timing exquisite runs into the box.
Our strikers aren’t that prolific and Grealish / McGinn et al will be lucky to contribute 11 between them. Get him in the team on a regular basis.
I see that the latest CB linked with us is Stephen Caulker – understand he’s had some real issues (not sure of the details) but he’s the right side of 30 (26) and was a promising player. Available free as out of contract – others may know a lot more about him than I do. Interested in hearing their views.
A quick Wiki, Hitch;
“In June 2017, Caulker was interviewed by The Guardian and discussed his problems with alcohol, gambling addiction and depression. Caulker acknowledged that his problems had damaged his football career and had led him to consider suicide.”
Sounds like a fair few footballers and not necessarily a reason to condemn him, for me, as long as he’s sorted them out.
Can he still perform? is all that matters.
Great news. Major news paper now talking about Bruce being lined up for sack rather than regurgitation of how many Championship promotions he achieved. Alan Nixon, is discussing he will have time to bed in new players but not much longer.
Ps Adrian Durham discussed Caulkner on TalkSPORT just over a year ago. It is fair to say Caulkner did not come out of it well. Hope he is not lined up to join us.
Garcia back in the frame?
Adrian Durham – not some one who has shown much in the way of balanced views so I’m disinclined to be swayed by his opinion in isolation.
Nyland
hutton axel chester elmo
Hourihane whelen mcginn
grealish abraham kodjia
my line up tonight. looking on other sites. we got ambitious fans playing 5 forwards. might work at home and on game consoles.
i watched rotherham at leeds who everybody have been talking up. leeds struggled big time and were pushed all the way. they won 2 nil but was very close and we will have to be respectful or we will fook up again
tonights score will be 2 1
looks like axel has missed out and return to cb for jedi, should give the fans something to post about. iam sure its because its 2 games in x amounts of days. he was tiring towards the end of the blackburn game
Defo need to score a few as we seem incapable of keeping a clean sheet!
Nyland, Elmohamady, Jedinak. Chester, Hutton, El Ghazi, Hourihane, McGinn, Grealish, Kodjia, Abraham.
Subs: Bunn, Bree, Tuanzebe, Whelan, Bjarnason, Adomah, Bolasie.
Tbh, I can’t see a lot wrong with that.
Except I’d expect Kodjia to be played on the left, instead of up top in a two, with Grealish behind.
Jedinak at CB shows how weak we are in that area, simple.
Two upfront – Hutton back to LB and Jedi back at CB! No out and out DM – suspect McGinn will drop deeper. Start for Hourihane – well deserved imho.
i don’t see two up front Hitch?
Who plays the left wing?
Grealish?
Apart from Jedinak instead of Tuanzebe at CB, I’m quite impressed with starting line up. Could he have rested Jedinak and kept Tuanzebe alongside Chester to develop a partnership? I feel this a must win game for Bruce. The owners will be getting twitchy if we fail to pick up 3 points. They have splashed out in keeping our top players and signing premier players on loan. They haven’t done this to accept mid table mediocrity.
Tuanzebe should play. He is the quickest we have at CB, and as for his fitness, Jedinak will tire early as well. Not impressed with putting Hutton to LB again either. Other than that, it’s a braver selection. They should be good enough to win but tactics and motivation are important too.
Fingers crossed