Love Thy Neighbor.

[McParlandTheGreat]

Didn't say RDM was the answer. But to take over the shambles that was Villa, get some new players in, try to integrate what he had into a workable team, was a big ask, and 11 matches was very short time to expect him to do it.

A record which was largely draws could have been a lot worse.

 

[Silhillvilla]

Wasn't there a fair few loses in there , off the top of my head
Sheff W 0-1 opening day
Luton 1-3 omnishambles in the league cup
Preston 0-2 I was there, it was woeful

 

[McParlandTheGreat]

Wasn't there a fair few loses in there , off the top of my head
Sheff W 0-1 opening day
Luton 1-3 omnishambles in the league cup
Preston 0-2 I was there, it was woeful

Yep, it was the Preston loss which did for RDM. The Sheffield loss could be dismissed as teething troubles. The Luton result was pretty usual for us in the league cup, before and since. Losing 3-1 to Bristol City was a bit of a surprise. In the league p11 w1 d7 l3.

Not great. You can say Gollini was a big mistake. But considering where we were coming from not a disaster either. Once Kodjia found his shooting boots and Jedinak settled down we were away. Take away the poorer signings of that summer and we had some very good ones. Of the following January signings, only Johnstone is guaranteed a place, of the others only Hourihane starts a lot.

 

[Melon Donkey]

There is no defence for RDM , stupid appointment, awful manager

PMSL.

You can put your mortgage on the fact that when we start getting dodgy results, RDM was not that bad and should have stayed and Dean Smith or some young sexy foreign manager (this time Jaap Stam) are the answers to the problem.

 

[JuanPabloAngel]

Jaap Stam isn't that sexy, to be fair

 

[CDX_EIRE]

Didn't say RDM was the answer. But to take over the shambles that was Villa, get some new players in, try to integrate what he had into a workable team, was a big ask, and 11 matches was very short time to expect him to do it.

A record which was largely draws could have been a lot worse.

I don't disagree it was an uphill battle and I am onboard with what you're saying but I am not so sure he really did try get them into a workable side.

Maybe he just needed more time and things might have been different if business was done early and we had a good preseason but much like Bruce he seems to have bought guys without thinking it through. Buying McCormack, Jedinak and Kodjia looks great on paper but in reality trying to play a 4-4-2 with a CM who doesnt have the legs, one CF who isnt a team player (kodjia) and another CF who equally didn't work as hard was always going to be tough.

 

[BodyButter]

Even if we don't go up I'd stick with Bruce . The club needs stability and chopping and changing manager from one charlatan to the next is silly . Bruce is the man

One of the many factors in our decline was changing managers so often. It felt like the players couldn't be bothered playing for the manager because they knew he'd be gone in a couple of months.

 

[BodyButter]

PMSL.

You can put your mortgage on the fact that when we start getting dodgy results, RDM was not that bad and should have stayed and Dean Smith or some young sexy foreign manager (this time Jaap Stam) are the answers to the problem.

My favourite piece of anti-Bruce nonsense is 'we need a guy who looks good in a suit'.

 

[BodyButter]

I'm really gutted by our 1 point since Wolves. Living so far away, I am a little more detached than the season ticket holders amongst us but still, I really though we had turned a corner as a club. I was hoping that the Wolves result would be a springboard to automatic promotion and a club on the front foot roaring back into the Premier League.

As they say, it's the hope that kills you.

 

[ASPINALL]

Bruce has said “ we need to give our heads a wobble “ after the performance at Hull.

With that tactical insight we can’t go wrong surely ?

 

[starchild65]

Bruce's remit when he was made manager was clear from Dr Xia - Premier League, this was the full season Bruce had asked for so I wouldn't be at all surprised if we don't get promoted that Bruce's position comes into question. There is still work to be done with the squad, deadwood to remove, high wage earners to get off the books, and bring in quality players who can take us to where we want to be. Removing Bruce means starting again with a new manager who will have his own ideas and players he wants. We won't get a proven top manager unless we are plying our trade in the top flight. Come the end of the season there will be decisions to make, if we do go up financial restrictions will be lifted somewhat allowing us to be able to make some quality signings to try and consolidate a Premier League place. If we don't go up then restriction s remain and we have to work harder to put together a squad to go up next season - which is paramount in Dr Xia's eyes. It had been well documented that he has big plans for the club, serious investment in infrastucture, the stadium etc, but he can't do any of it unless we are in the Premier League. Unlike Lerner, Xia understands the first thing to get right is the team.

 

[DeanoVilla]

It depends on what happens in the next 7-10 games really.

If we don't go up with a whimper now then Bruce may come under some pressure.

However if we end up on 84 points + then in most seasons that would be good enough for automatic promotion, so in that scenario I'd have to say we've kind of done our bit, but you just can't account for the kind of season Cardiff are having.

Either way, i personally can't think of a better manager to take us up next season if we dont go up this.

And don't forget if Bruce goes we most likely lose Terry, Johnstone and Snodgrass too. If he stays chances are we keep them all.

 

[ASPINALL]

If Xia knows how important it was to get promoted this season then only bringing in 2 loans in January was pathetic.

Cardiff brought in 5 which on the face of it was exactly what was required, have they lost since?

Although the flip side is I wouldn’t be sure Bruce would know his best side with even more options.

 

[McParlandTheGreat]

If we don't go up we'll be lucky to keep any of Terry, Johnstone and Snodgrass.

Pretty sure Johnstone would go. I think Terry would only stay if he thinks next year will turn out better. Snoddy likewise, and West Ham may have other ideas as well.

 

[villasince67]

there is the possibility that if we go up that mr bruce will buy yet more experience but from a better shop, resulting in an even more ageing team.

 

[BodyButter]

there is the possibility that if we go up that mr bruce will buy yet more experience but from a better shop, resulting in an even more ageing team.

That would seem like a sensible option to me. We have young players like Green, Grealish and Davis. They are going to need some experience around them.

I'm concerned that Xia has already pulled the plug and if we don't go up, we lose Johnstone, Terry and Snodgrass.

 

[South coast Villan]

If we dont go up we will live within our means and eventually will be stroger and better prepared.

I only hope we do go up otherwise I can see us being stuck in this league for many years. Not sure if Xia will stick around and if he does bale out I would be worriedly about who buys us. All this makes it imperative we go up.

 

[starchild65]

If Xia knows how important it was to get promoted this season then only bringing in 2 loans in January was pathetic.

Cardiff brought in 5 which on the face of it was exactly what was required, have they lost since?

Although the flip side is I wouldn’t be sure Bruce would know his best side with even more options.

ffp could have had a massive say in who we got and how much for. Spending money stupidly in the first 3 or 4 windows in the hope it was good enough came back to bite us and left too close to falling foul of the ffp rules for this season. Perhaps getting 2 good players instead of 5 average ones was the thought behind that process, not to mention the wage bill.

 

[South coast Villan]

Wasn't thinking about the cash which selling would bring in. Having a squad too large makes training difficult and keeps developing players out of the squad. That's one reason why Bruce shifted out players like De Laet on loan. A leaner squad is probably better for training, and opens up options for more developing players. But shifting players out would improve the wage bill as well.

Re Richards and McCormack, I think the club may find a way to ship them out, even if they're not at the end of their contracts. We'd probably take a loss on it.

Let's have a squad of players who we really want to be here.

Incidently, find it a bit strange that neither Terry nor Snodgrass is listed in the first team squad on the Villa web site. Not impressed.

We can have all the players we want but if the system we play doesn’t suit the team we will get nowhere. Sometimes Bruce’s team selection and playing style make me wonder. He may have won promotion from this league 4 times previously but Villa is a far bigger club than those he did it for beforehand. We will now get to see exactly what the manager and players are made of.

 

[davetcb]

Well tonight was a helping hand from Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
We've done what you asked of us by beating Cardiff, now its over to you.????.