Steve Bruce: Aston Villa Manager

Will Westward be able to worm his way into the 3 man midfield i wonder..............

That's my worry. I don't rate him but would settle for Gardner coming in instead. I'm prepared to accept that playing alongside Westwood may have contributed to him looking like a worse player than he is.

We do seem to be fairly agreed on what kind of team and tactics will be used and what players (Amavi, Gestede and Mc44) might prove to be key. I know Bruce is an admirer of McCormack having previously tried to sign him a couple of times with Hull.

Steve Bruce will have his own back room staff after Steve Clarke, Kevin Bond and Massimo Battara all left today. Stephen Clemence with whom SB has had a long professional relationship has joined us from Hull FC.

Max Marchesi (fitness coach) is the only RDM aid still with us.

Clemence seems to be a well thought of coach:
http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/stephen-clemence-leaves-hull-city-with-big-hole-after-joining-aston-villa/story-29806465-detail/story.html

It's also good that we already have brought in a long-term lieutenant of Bruce's which we haven't really done with previous managers.

Steve Agnew also being linked with the assistant manager post:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/oct/13/steve-bruce-aston-villa-championship-sunderland-hull-birmingham

Three Steves.

Just caught the press conference and a couple of things stood out. He is a very likeable guy, is clearly delighted to be here, thinks he can be a success and the press like him (all helps) oh and odd they won't reveal contract length (or odd if it's not agreed) looks like it may be heavily incentive based on promotion (no bad thing)

As for formations we do have the players to play 3-5-2 however I still think we look best (with the players we have) as a 4-3-3

I'd go.....

Gollini

Richards Elphick Chester Amavi

Jedinak

Westwood Tishbola

Grealish

Kodjia McCormack

So a couple of points on this formation and team. We've spent and fortune on RM and Kodjia, so for me both must play and in their best positions. JK to lead the line and RM to link up and occasionally drop deep and collect the ball (it's how he played for Fulham) I think Grealish will really benefit from Bruce and his arm around the shoulder approach (he likes to be loved) So pop him in the whole and get him playing like he can.

In midfield, we just need Jedinak to sit and mop up. He doesn't have the legs for anything else and as shown in a 2 man CM set up, he gets overrun. This brings me onto Westwood. He gets an obscene amount of flak, some justified, much not. Pretty much all our midfield have struggled for the last few seasons, yet he seems the 'fall guy' He was really poor in the last game, but that aside, he's struggled with having different partners each week and also better in a 3 man midfield, both he and Jedi will benefit from having the more offensively thinking Tish next to them. AW is far far better than GG for me at least. I'll be happy to see how he does in a 3 man midfield and a settled side.

Whatever the past with Richards (again some of it OTT) he is probably our best RB, I'll never be convinced Bacuna is a proper RB and we all know how poor Hutton can be, so I'd have him up and down the flanks and an older head next to the other two in TE and JC, leaving Amavi at LB, who for me offers a lot more class than Aly Cissikho. He is also just getting back to full match fitness and conditioning, so the right time to get him settled in the side.

I'll be intrigued to see Bruce's first formation and how keen he is to get a settled side (very keen I'd imagine) I take heart in the fact he got Huddlestone and more impressively Curtis Davies performing so well.

Clemence is a good bit of work and by all accounts was wanted/scouted by Ancelotti for a role at Bayern and is seen as a forward thinking and progressive coach. Agnew will be another solid addition to the ranks.

Overall I, like you guys have a bit of excitement back. I wasn't a big fan of us chasing Bruce, but now it's happened and I've had time to reflect I see it as perhaps exactly what we need right now.

I hope SB get's us back to winning ways and his name is sung loudly around Villa Park on a regular basis. UTV

I've made the same point about Richards. If we're playing a flat back four I'd much prefer him to Bacuna. I do think if it's 3-5-2 I'd probably favour Baker as the extra centre half and Adomah/Bacuna as the right sided wingback but would pick Richards in a flat four. I think compared to Lescott and Gabby his reputation for being a bad egg is undeserved. His problem was that his form deserted him. I don't think he's a great centre half and playing alongside Lescott and behind our midfield didn't help that but he was a decent right back. Bacuna isn't, never has been and never will.

Sandie wrote:Steve Agnew also being linked with the assistant manager post:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/oct/13/steve-bruce-aston-villa-championship-sunderland-hull-birmingham

Three Steves.

Plus Steve Round.

It'll be like this at the training ground:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU-tuY0Z7nQ

Sandie wrote:It'll be like this at the training ground:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU-tuY0Z7nQ

Hahahaha!!!

Steve Bruce already knows the extent of his problems.

Sadly so do we. I've clung to the belief that we had some damn good players, and a piss poor manager in RDM. Sadly I now realise that too many of our players are living on their reputations and are really not up for the challenge.

Remember the days of Young, Barry and Milner. Not only were they really good players, they worked their arses off every match. Bruce has somehow got to recreate a hard working midfield unit without the materials to do so.

Yesterday the midfield was packed with gold shirts and not a claret and blue shirt to be seen at times. I think SB has a hell of a job on his hands.

He's inherited one hell of a mess from RDM. There's an unbalanced squad with new signings of debatable quality, poor fitness and low confidence. We are meant to be in the first stage of a comeback but we're probably worse off than we were last season considering the drop in level and possibly having a better manager on board.

What bruce woud give for a pre season. I agree with everyone who says how unfit our players are. Its no wonder we let in so many late goals. Enjoyed Grealish on the left though. Quite an interesting line up. Also thought Richards was ok for parts.

Bruce needs time, because the changes he has to make won't happen overnight.