Bruce will show who’s boss to revitalise Villa
WHEN Steve Bruce was appointed as manager of Aston Villa the buzzword was ‘old-school’.
Much was made of his traditional no-nonsense approach and how he knew the Championship inside out.
The honeymoon period is over for the players now, and that means the sternest aspects of the Bruce style of management will be in full effect.
Visibly annoyed after Tuesday’s deflating 1-0 defeat at Norwich City, Bruce used words like ‘pathetic’ and ‘poor’. He stated his team lacked the basics and didn’t take part in the game.
Changing the mentality at the club was always going to be his toughest challenge and once again Villa’s fragility has surfaced.
The crest-of-a-wave mentality of the first handful of games under Bruce is now in the past. Villa’s league placing isn’t that good and the team will be firmly out of their comfort zone.
I recall the words of Martin O’Connor when Bruce was installed as successor to Roberto di Matteo at Villa Park, as he recalled playing alongside the him at Blues.
He stated: “He has as an school approach, trust me, he get the best out of those players. Geordie and under oldwill
“He demands a work ethic, when I was at Blues he was at me straight away telling me what to do and if I didn’t do it he would sort me out.”
That approach will now be in full force and who knows how many teacups went flying at Norwich or how many hairdryer moments may have taken place in that dressing room. One thing for sure is the players will have been left under no illusions that if they don’t turn in better performances, they will be pulling the shirt on for the Under-23s in future.
Bruce can accept limitations, he is a fair and realistic manager. After the game at Carrow Road, he stated: “We didn’t put our boots on.”
The tough-talking Geordie won’t accept that, he won’t tolerate players not putting in an enormous amount of graft or failing to follow the game-plan he set out.
The coming weeks will see the characteristics of the manager come into force with some gusto.
Bruce has always been widely regarded as a good man-manager and a popular figure, this has been evident so far at Villa.
He is equally as demanding the best tough taskmaster.
There will be no hiding place for anyone donning claret and blue regarded for and being a shirts in the coming weeks. Back-toback away losses have left Villa languishing in mid-table and now some distance away from the playoff places.
At best they will be mid-table at Christmas and the onus will then be on the side to transform their form in the new year to propel them up the table.
Curing the travel sickness bug is of paramount importance ahead of the QPR trip this Sunday,
Four of the next six games are on the road and unless Villa start winning they won’t be able to put the pack under any significant pressure.
Teams are no longer scared of Villa, especially on their own patch, but Bruce will be keen to change that.
And with every passing week the need for the January transfer window becomes greater.
Villa are in a difficult moment right now, having lost two of the last three games and under-performed on each occasion.
Bruce will issue a rallying cry whether his players respond question only they can answer.
There will be no hiding place for anyone donning claret and blue shirts in the coming weeks.
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