We can work it out says Bruce
STEVE BRUCE says his Aston Villa side cannot wait to get back to work after a chaotic close season.
Bruce and his men have been consumed by so much off-the-field heartache that it has been hard to see the light.
But he takes his men to former club Hull tonight convinced that good times are around the corner.
He has warned anyone thinking that Villa have had their heart ripped out to think again.
Bruce endured the pain of seeing his side fall at the final hurdle and miss out on promotion with defeat in the play-off final by Fulham, while he was still reeling from the death of both his parents.
Then came the fallout of the club going to the brink of financial meltdown, as the full impact of missing out on the Premier League sank in.
Jobs were lost, administration beckoned and it looked like they would have to sell their best players.
New investment sees Bruce going into the season opener with a brighter outlook and a warning for those who think Villa are a spent force.
“We’ve still got some good players you know!” said Bruce. “Now we are about to go back to work – we haven’t been at work for the past month or so. We’re looking forward to it. The players that are here have done really well and are in good shape.
“At the end of the day we’ve some good players here who nearly got us over the line last year.
“Hopefully with some shrewd investment and some shrewd signings over the next four to five weeks we’ll be in a better place.
“We would love to be in a better place right now and have them on board for the beginning of the season.”