Following disappointing draws in the Championship of late Aston Villa were looking to get back to winning ways on Tuesday evening as we faced now familiar Burton Albion in the second round of the EFL Cup.
All happening. Villa win a penalty as Kyle McFadzean is sent off for handball. Albert Adomah takes, the keeper saves, and the follow up is skied over the bar. Just minutes remain to try and nick something.#PartOfThePride pic.twitter.com/NrSJLJcjev
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 28, 2018
Knowing Burton well from their time in the Championship, they are now a League One side and have only won one of their opening five matches so far this year, so that makes the pathetic 1-0 defeat even harder to swallow.
Following the game, plenty are again rounding on the gaffer and he’s no doubt been accused of throwing the players under a bus, and whilst there’s truth to any questions asking what they do on the training ground, we’re left once more paying the price for individual failures on the pitch and this isn’t FIFA – Bruce isn’t playing with his knobs.
Speaking to the Official Site as he met with the media following that shambles, Bruce explained.
“Sometimes as a manager it’s very difficult to come out and face everybody, but that’s my job. We were very, very poor. The people who’ve been knocking on my door and wanting to get their chance really haven’t done themselves any favours at all. It’s turned into one of those awful nights. We have to now accept it and apologise for it.”
Bruce went on to bemoan the pace of the game that we played, describing it as being ‘testimonial’ like and he held his hands up to making so many changes, admitting we got away with it at Yeovil.
“We got away with it at Yeovil and none of them now can knock on the door because they really haven’t grasped it enough of what I’m trying to put across. It was a chance for some of them to try and claim their place.”
Whatever your thoughts on Bruce, the above remains true, those on show waiting for their shot completely and utterly blew it and that’s on them and the sooner some of them are off the wage bill the better. Few come out of it with any credit, we may as well have played the entire Under 23 side, at least they’d have benefited regardless of the result.
🎥 Steve Bruce expresses huge disappointment at tonight’s #CarabaoCup exit.#AVFC pic.twitter.com/gQ3HJaDbwM
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 28, 2018
