Steve Bruce’s regime at the Villa Park has done more harm than good. Aston Villa have infamously earned the tag of perennial underachievers but then, they have been sliding into the swamps of new lows in the Championship lately. Under the tutelage of Bruce, Aston Villa are yet to register a win in 2017 and in 22 games with his new employers, he has picked up merely 7 wins, losing 9 and drawing 5 so far. With a five-game losing streak, voices have started to erupt against the former Hull City boss. But then, should Tony Xia be impatient with the relatively new manager who has failed miserably so far?
Bruce is undergoing a torrid spell, but there is an air of helplessness blowing the club which has an illustrious history. Roberto Di Matteo could exist only for ten games, which implies that the managerial hot seat at Aston Villa is indeed a difficult endeavour to venture on. Nonetheless, the season is far from over and Bruce has ample of amount of time to turn the fortunes of the club a bit or so in their stride. But then, a word from the top level at the club holds paramount importance as well.
The January transfer window went pretty good for Aston Villa, for they have acquired a creative midfielder in the form of Henri Lansbury, a decent winger in Birkir Bjarnason, a sensational goal-getter in Scott Hogan and veterans like Conor Hourihane and Neil Taylor. The new faces will need some time to set the wheels in motion and having roped in the players he wanted, Bruce should be entrusted with the responsibility, and maybe a few more chances, to get the best of the players who are household names in English football. And importantly, it isn’t like Bruce hasn’t done the homework to meet his goals.
In the outings Aston Villa have managed under the 56-year-old, he has altered his tactics many times, and arguably, they have fared the best when a lone striker is engineered ahead of a no. 10 and with wingers on either side. He isn’t afraid of aiming to operate the game on the front foot, and despite the play-off spots being a far cry for his outfit, there is a paramount need to involve the element of continuity ahead of making whimsically unwarranted decisions in haste. Every good thing takes time to blossom, and Bruce should be given the same to prove his mettle one again.
