Is This Steve Bruce Hysteria Warranted or Unnecessary?

By Liam Scahill

“We had a poor performance on Saturday but there’s no need for the hysteria that goes with it.” – Steve bruce

Everyone’s a Critic… and a Doctor

In the aftermath of yet another lacklustre Villa performance where Villa drew 0-0 with a visiting Boro side who played for an hour with a numerical disadvantage, the Villa faithful have found themselves being diagnosed with a widespread affliction.

Hmmm, what could it be?

Despondency, apathy combined with overriding sense of foreboding and boredom perhaps?

None of the aforementioned, astonishingly Doctor Steve Bruce’s pronouncement directed at the Villa collective in his post-match interview concluded that we’ve become hysterical.

“We had a poor performance on Saturday but there’s no need for the hysteria that goes with it. We understand we’ve had a bad start in terms of points but not in terms of some of the performances we’ve put in.”

“In times like this you have to stay strong, fight the flak and pull together,” Bruce said. “I think we should have beaten them.”

 Wow, there you have it, sprinkled with a seasoning of condescendence and/or delusion to salivate the Holte End taste buds.

Embed from Getty Images

Deflecting the Issue

The harsh reality is simple, the team is underperforming severely, principally in the attacking third of the field.

The cohort of the side is now comprised of mainly highly paid underperforming personages, most of whom have been signed during Bruce’s tenure.

Meanwhile, the wagons are clearly beginning to circle around Bruce, as the cloud of criticism accumulates above him.

Neil Moxely from The Sunday People, today in a series of tweets launched a defence of Villa’s current incumbent as manager:

“Saw Villa as a one-off last night. Seen the ‘hysteria’ too. Change now, again, would make it seven managers in seven years.”

“Kodjia is back which should make a difference. I would resist change until this one plays out. Players are still having a go for the manager.”

“Makes no sense to back manager in his recruitment two weeks ago, then to bin him a fortnight later.”

“Having said that, I wonder if Henri Lansbury saved him a lot more ‘hysteria’. A point following 86 minutes against ten men…..”

Logical or more condescendence, solely dependent on each Villains’ individual point of view.

Key Symptom

However, if Mr Bruce and Mr Moxely are merchants of logic, surely then they must consider the ever so relevant poignant fact which is essentially the core to this ‘hysteria’.

34 points from 29 games in 2017.

Is that a reasonable return considering Doctor Tony Xia’s Club’s financial outlay?

For all of Bruce’s canny footballing knowledge and experience, he has been unable to wean the club off a symbiotic-like over dependence on Jonathan Kodjia’s goals (and even they last season failed to get Villa into the top half of the table).

Now that ‘King Kodjia’ is back, Bruce and his media cohorts may envisage the tide turning and some much needed goals and points coming Villa’s way.

The only diagnosis that truly counts, perhaps unfortunately for Steve Bruce, is the one which comes from Doctor Tony Xia.

And on Twitter, his current emoji status is one of disappointment and anger.

UTV

Follow Liam on Twitter here at Sir_Scatman

 

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4 COMMENTS

  1. He inherited some quality players. He has had 2 transfer windows and spent a hell of a lot of money, especially in wages for a squad of over 30! He has far too big a squad and seems determined to try every permatation of those players. He has 3 games left then he will go because I cannot see him winning any. After the Forest game he wil be rightly sacked. The points don’t lie. He is the most wasteful manager in football. Who do we get in? Will they do any better? God knows but it can only be a couple of points worse.

  2. It isn’t time for hysteria yet, but how long can Villa fans be expected to put up with more of the same terrible results and performances. I work in Thailand, and completely made the correct decision not to stay up to watch another boring disappointment. It’s hard to see us gaining promotion this season at this rate.

  3. the hysteria was predictable . The Dr is the new Messiah and fans want the club to deliver Prem footie & the club failed them last season Some even then were shouting for Bruces head so it’s hardly suprising that their campaign to has started now the window has closed & Villa are not getting the results expected from a Prem club . After all on FM if you buy a new team & on paper it looks good you win matches . And none of the nonsense about the team needing to gel . After all the players get paid enough so it must be the managers fault if he does not get them to perform .

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