Aston Villa released a statement confirming Steve Bruce would be staying on as manager, after rumours the Villans were considering replacing him with Belgium assistant manager Thierry Henry. Bruce held talks with majority owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens and received their support for the new season.
Reaction has been mixed from supporters, as some believe a change in coach was necessary after last season’s failure while others suggest backing Bruce was the sensible decision. After Villa’s investment from Dr Tony Xia ran out this summer, the Midlands club haven’t managed to make a signing, so having the manager stay in charge who knows the players makes sense.
Backing Bruce over appointing Henry is wise
Bruce has come under a lot of criticism after failing to lead Villa to promotion last season. Despite getting the side to the Championship playoff final, questions have been asked why they missed out on a place in the automatic promotion spots given how strong their squad was.
Villa spent more than £70m in 2016/17 and had to curb their spending in 2017/18 to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. Despite this, they came within 90 minutes of returning to the Premier League, but many people want Bruce’s head after he failed.
However, why would Thierry Henry be a better fit? The Belgium assistant is a relative novice in terms of coaching who has no experience of the Football League. Bruce has won promotion to the Premier League four times with two different clubs. He’s failed to deliver his remit but could have more success with another shot at it and would fare better than Henry, no?
Playing style needs improvement
With Sawiris and Edens backing Bruce, the Villa manager now needs to justify the decision. Fans have taken aim at the 57-year-old for the club’s poor playing style in the last 12 months, with Villa opting for a direct style that isn’t easy on the eye – no Championship side made more crosses last season.
Playing too forward too quickly and bypassing the midfield drew the ire of many fans. Despite having players such as Jack Grealish, Henri Lansbury, Robert Snodgrass and Conor Hourihane last season, Villa’s build-up play was predictable and direct.
An experienced manager like Bruce has to tidy up their play if they want to stand a chance of being promoted. He’s likely to be in charge for another year but could lose his job if 2018/19 turns out to be a failed campaign.