A HERO ...NOT A VILLAIN

Bruce was a king not a cabbage... and he SAVED us from sinking like Sunderland’

STEVE BRUCE laid the foundations for Aston Villa’s Premier League return – and should be recognised as having done “a great job”.

Those are the views of Keith Wyness, the man who employed the Geordie to steady the ship at Villa Park as the club was sent into a tailspin in the Championship.

In the end, it all turned sour for Bruce – who had to endure a cabbage being thrown at him from the stands – as the supporters gave him an embarrassing send-off.

Integrity

Months previously, the veteran boss had taken Villa to within a whisker of promotion – losing in the play-off final to Fulham.

But murmurs of discontent took hold and his style of play was used as a stick with which to beat him.

Wyness – Villa chief executive at the time – says Bruce was a man of integrity whose part in the revival story must not be overlooked.

He said: “When the club appointed Steve, it needed an experienced hand who understood what was required to win matches in the Championship.

“Villa had been through a lot, what with the relegation, a new owner and a new manager in Roberto Di Matteo and several new signings who, frankly, weren’t gelling.

“What Steve was able to achieve very quickly, through his force of personality, was an upturn in results.

“He brought the players together – his man-management skills were superb – and although the club did not reach the play-offs that season, he undoubtedly put Villa on an upwards path.

“In the summer ahead of his first full season, it was him who courted John Terry – who remains a pivotal figure e as part of Dean Smith’s backroom team now.

“He was also the first to achieve a level of consistency with

Jack Grealish.

“Jack had shown plenty nty of promise but no one had got him to focus and bring out the best of his talent.

“Steve – with John’s input too – was the first to do so.

“In his only full season at the club, he reached the play- off final.

“If a red card had been issued for a stamp on Jack against Fulham, Steve’s story could have ended very differently.

“If he had got Villa promoted, there were people saying he couldn’t cope in the Premier League.

“But I studied his record. He’d done well at Wigan and Sunderland on limited budgets. We would have given him his chance.”

Terry’s retirement as a player and a slow start to the following campaign, following an influx of players, hindered Bruce.

But Wyness says that if Villa fans had been in his shoes and seen what their manager was dealing with off the pitch, with the health issues of both his parents, they would have cut him some slack. Wyness (left) said: “It was an incre incredibly tough situation for an anyone to deal with – let a alone a football manager at a high-profile club.

“He was driving back to Newcastle three or f four times a week – we of offered him the use of a driv driver but he didn’t want that – while his mother and father were struggling.

“But he was keeping it together, and his man-management skills were absolutely at the fore.

“Steve’s manner around people is first-class in my opinion, and I had the pleasure of watching David Moyes grow into becoming a fine manager at Everton.”

It all ended disastrously. Bruce’s final match saw Villa toss away a two-goal half-time lead, James

Chester saw red and then they fell behind before

Glenn Whelan missed an injurytime penalty. ‘ Cabbage- gate’ followed.

Experienced

Wyness said: “We have all seen what has happened to Sunderland and although you would like to think it wouldn’t have been repeated at Villa, who knows what could have taken place in less experienced hands than Steve’s?

“He stopped the rot, brought the players together, got the club moving forward again and even had a net transfer gain.

“I think he did a great job in difficult circumstances.”