The Official Steve Bruce Thread | Page 95 | Vital Football

The Official Steve Bruce Thread

Negativity has to stop now, only one week on but we need to make sure are 100% ready for next season, so many positive things happening at the club, new pitch investment, new kit Innovation, massive regeneration of ground and surrounding area planned, 1000,s season tickets bought early.
 
There is supposed to be a Villa model and system instaled by Steve Round & Co from the kids up to the first team and it seems to work until it reaches the first team and the way the team is instructed to play.

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Ryan Sessegnon turned 18 last week and was given a chance by a positive thinking manager could you really see Bruce doing that!?

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Good point in the first para, but I would think that last season was a reflection on the chairman's target of 2 years max to get promotion.

On the second point I quote, t.b.h. I don't think we have a Sessegnon in the reserve team. There are several promotable players, agreed, but I don't see a big star there. And not one that Bruce should have gambled on last season in view of the target he was given

I am not a 100% Bruce supporter, but I think he's a good guy. Just that he has a few foibles. But who would be good for Villa now as an alternative, with the thought we'd be starting all over again if that happened?

The current situation is that despite several who will be leaving the club, there's a core of players who will surely stay. I think we'll still have Jack and Chester with us next season, and several other regular first-teamers. And we'll see more of the reserve team coming in almost for sure.

It was such a close run thing last season, and, after Jack returned, we accumulated 45 point in 21 games from December 30 - that's over the target 2 points for the season that was the initial season's target. But with Jack unavailable and Kodjia out of action much of the time, we only just failed to get there.

I can see arguments for Bruce to go, but he's working as part of a team and to my mind it's better that we just 'go again'. I'm sure much has been learnt and this time it will produce a much better outcome.

UTV
 
Our options have been limited by FFP rules. But within those limits the club has done it's utmost to get promotion. Would anybody have wanted it different?

Think the same is true going forwards. We shouldn't cut back more than we need to.

Re the signings, think it was a team effort. Bruce obviously chose his past players, but Round would have had a big say in the others.
 
We only need a statement if Bruce is leaving. What is the point of issuing one to say he is staying ? It would only lead to the rumours re the dreaded vote of confidence.

Bruce is staying until we are told otherwise.
 
Here's a few thoughts on our bench-warmers.

Hogan - remember he suffered a serious injury. Bruce only played him when he was truly match-fit. Was displaced by Grabban when Bruce wanted more of a presence up front. However, could still be a useful option.

Lansbury - dodgy knees. However, from the bench he has looked lively and maybe that's the way to use him.

Taylor - suffered dip in confidence. But even if Cafu stays could be a useful option.

Barney - played as a central midfielder he can give us a lot. Needs to play a lot more.

And not-even-on-the bench:

McCormack - not sure we can sell him for anything useful, so why not at least give him a shot? We know he has ability.

Tshibola - doing fine at Killie. Can't we make use of a box-to-box midfielder?
 
Kilmoarnock is probably the equivalent of our league 1 and nothing I have seen from Tshibola even in the friendlies v Kidderminster and Walsall at the start of the season suggests he will be any good for us.
 
Kilmoarnock is probably the equivalent of our league 1 and nothing I have seen from Tshibola even in the friendlies v Kidderminster and Walsall at the start of the season suggests he will be any good for us.
Bizarre decision to bring him to the club at such an early stage of his career for that fee.

Agree Scottish football is a low standard but in the situation we are it is important that we either sell players or actually make the most of them and utilise them in the squad.
 
Kilmoarnock is probably the equivalent of our league 1 and nothing I have seen from Tshibola even in the friendlies v Kidderminster and Walsall at the start of the season suggests he will be any good for us.

The bits of him I saw on the tele I thought he looked OK. Long legs, makes up the ground faster than it appears at first sight. Can score goals, indeed has done for us. Good skills. Needs experience and a good manager, which he's getting at the moment.

Clarke's taken Killies from bottom to 5th in the Scottish Premiership , a pretty good run.
 
With regard to us needing a presence up front, didn't we have one in Keinan Davies? The rumours of top clubs watching him might surface again if Bruce sidelines him next season. I don't think the kid did much wrong for us before he was supplanted by Grabban.
 
With regard to us needing a presence up front, didn't we have one in Keinan Davies? The rumours of top clubs watching him might surface again if Bruce sidelines him next season. I don't think the kid did much wrong for us before he was supplanted by Grabban.

One of the issues that has me concerned about SB and young players. Instead of building on a fine beginning by bringing him on from the bench and keeping him involved, he praised him and then appeared to bin him for the last 10 matches. The only youngsters he involved regularly were not ours. Young players only find their level if they play. Davis arguably brought as much, if not more to the team as any of our other strikers. Needs to be involved regularly from the start next year surely?
 
Puzzled by Davis disappearing. It could be a health issue; he did have a few issues with things like groin strains. Maybe Bruce decided that he ought to go easy on him for a bit; he's always spoken highly about him when he's been mentioned.

A year older Davis could be pretty effect for us. If Kodjia gets back to form that could be a great attack. Use Hogan as backup (if he stays) and give RHM and O'Hare time on the field.

Re attack, wonder if Agnew will have further influence in the new season. Coming in late may have limited what he can do.
 
Puzzled by Davis disappearing. It could be a health issue; he did have a few issues with things like groin strains. Maybe Bruce decided that he ought to go easy on him for a bit; he's always spoken highly about him when he's been mentioned.

Pretty straight forward IMO he's a center forward with Hogan, Grabban and Kodjia ahead of him and for me he isnt the type you'd stick on the wing and hope for a goal.

Davis and RHM need to be out on loan for a season.

A lot of our young players could do with that. Green might be the only one where he has a realistic chance of playing most games. O'Hare might get 10-15 games but he'd be better off getting 30 or 40 with Charlton or even one of the promoted sides.
 
Pretty straight forward IMO he's a center forward with Hogan, Grabban and Kodjia ahead of him and for me he isnt the type you'd stick on the wing and hope for a goal.

Davis and RHM need to be out on loan for a season.

A lot of our young players could do with that. Green might be the only one where he has a realistic chance of playing most games. O'Hare might get 10-15 games but he'd be better off getting 30 or 40 with Charlton or even one of the promoted sides.

Grabban's gone. We can play two up front. Davis, Kodjia and Hogan give us a range of options. Both Davis and Kodjia can play "off centre". Think sticking Davis out on loan is a waste.
 
Well a rumored change but not the main one I personally was hoping for

"Sunderland could be set to take advantage of Aston Villa’s failure to return to the Premier League by bringing Tony Coton back to Wearside.
A broken leg ended the goalkeeper’s career months after he made a £600,000 move from Manchester United to the Black Cats in 1996.
But now Coton has been linked with a return to provide much-needed knowledge of English football to the club’s new management.
Coton has been working as Aston Villa’s chief scout, but with the West Midlands club having to seriously scale back after losing to Fulham in the Championship play-off final, he is expected to leave, and it is though he may move to Sunderland."

Full Article: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/could-tony-coton-bring-much-14738249
 
If money is as tight as everyone is saying it is then the younger players will surely need to be part of the squad? I think Davis is good enough to be 3rd choice forward at least, it was a shame he was pushed so far down the pecking order in the latter stages of the season, he could have been a useful impact sub. Hepburn Murphy has been knocking the goals in at reserve level, about time he is brought into the squad, he should be good enough as 4th choice striker and as he is supposed to be quite fast perhaps can be used as a back up winger as well?
 
Grabban's gone. We can play two up front. Davis, Kodjia and Hogan give us a range of options. Both Davis and Kodjia can play "off centre". Think sticking Davis out on loan is a waste.

I just think for a kid of his age not to be playing regularly is a shame and I know we're not ones to think long term but long term it's better us if he goes on loan. He'll be a better player faster by going somewhere else he can get games and hopefully develop that goalscoring touch.

Unless there are major changes at CM we won't be playing two up top because that would require playing two in midfield.
 
Well a rumored change but not the main one I personally was hoping for

"Sunderland could be set to take advantage of Aston Villa’s failure to return to the Premier League by bringing Tony Coton back to Wearside.
A broken leg ended the goalkeeper’s career months after he made a £600,000 move from Manchester United to the Black Cats in 1996.
But now Coton has been linked with a return to provide much-needed knowledge of English football to the club’s new management.
Coton has been working as Aston Villa’s chief scout, but with the West Midlands club having to seriously scale back after losing to Fulham in the Championship play-off final, he is expected to leave, and it is though he may move to Sunderland."

Full Article: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/could-tony-coton-bring-much-14738249

The slow news post season continues. Oh no not Tony Coton FFS. Now all of sudden Sunderland are in a better position than us to take on what we can't afford . Mmmmmm ....dont think so . Bullshit. Bullshit . Then again if it's not bullshit . Who cares !!!!.
 
I thought the Sunderland article was boarding on fantasy.

You would think we at Aston Villa were about to close and Sunderland are a rich club without any problems and picking over the good bits of our carcass.

I agree it was a one-eyed bullshit article and they are most welcome to Coton should he actually go.
 
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