I’ll say up front here, everyone knows my views on Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce.
I’m not in the ‘out immediately’ camp, but I’m certainly not oblivious to the failings and concerns as I share them. I’m just in the camp of giving him time to fail rather than presuming he will.
Can all Villa fans and local press please note – to enter Villa Park in future, you will need to bring a certificate with your IQ test results. Only fans suited to the manager's superior intelligence will be permitted.
— Vital Villa (@VitalVilla) September 19, 2018
The problem I now have is the excuses we’ve seen rear their head and whilst Bruce should’ve been focusing on the positives from last nights victory over Rotherham, pointing out we had a long way to go and it was about time the fans had something to cheer…”Hopefully it shuts a few of them up but I doubt it” is not a great reaction.
He can think that in private, I shake my head at some comments on social media from the ‘we want it now’ brigade who presume supporting the club means we must play like Barcelona, never concede a goal and win comfortably because we’re Aston Villa and entitled.
So, I’d probably agree with him.
But saying it in public is not coming out fighting. Saying it in public gets everyone’s back up because even those with valid, very valid, criticisms will believe that somewhere, to whatever degree, they are included in the sweeping statement – even if they know they weren’t the target.
This is his full speech as quoted by the Birmingham Mail.
“The most intelligent people will see through all the nonsense and realise that we’ve got the makings of a decent team. We’re Aston Villa and the expectation at the club is huge, I understand that. But a little bit of common sense is needed because unfortunately it filters through to the mad few. The vast majority of supporters are right behind what we’re trying to do. You can feel that when you’re in the stadium. If they wanted me out the stadium would have erupted before the game. It didn’t. They were right behind the team and myself. That’s the most important thing. Yes, we had a bloody awful performance at Sheffield, it happens. Thankfully we’re back on the road again and we’re now into sixth. Hopefully it shuts a few of them up but I doubt it.”
100% nothing wrong with the above in reality, but when you think of headlines, the 10-second attention spell world we now live in, what is wrong with.
“Most people will see through all the nonsense and realise that we’ve got the makings of a decent team. We’re Aston Villa and the expectation at the club is huge, I understand that. The vast majority of supporters are right behind what we’re trying to do. You can feel that when you’re in the stadium. They were right behind the team and myself. That’s the most important thing. Yes, we had a bloody awful performance at Sheffield, it happens. Thankfully we’re back on the road again and we’re now into sixth.”
To be honest, you only need to look at the headlines that little speech has created for my point to already have been proven and some of the reactions already being aired – which again fuels the idea that a louder minority are in the majority, just because the less reactionary will occasionally sing from the same hymn sheet after we’ve conceded because there are valid criticisms to be made.
Some may forget this if we win the next few on the spin, those fervently anti-Bruce will store it as a stick to beat him with the second it doesn’t go our way again.
I’d rather celebrate the three-points – it’s been a while.
