This was on the Sky website Wednesday evening.
Steve Bruce was forced to cut short a "feisty" Aston Villa training ahead of Saturday's Sky Bet Championship play-off final with Fulham, live on Sky Sports Football.
A mini-match during Tuesday's session was in danger of getting overly competitive, with four days still to go before Villa's Wembley showdown.
Bruce pulled the plug on the encounter but it was a pleasing sight to a man well versed in what happens in the build-up to important matches.
"I used to say when you can smell the hot dogs there's a big occasion around the corner. On Tuesday I had to stop training early because they were champing at the bit - too early. It got a bit feisty to say the least," said Bruce.
"It was very, very interesting. It's not a bad sign. I'm not against it at all. It's normal.
"We just stepped in and cut it a little short - shall we put it that way. And I hadn't even revealed the team then."
Bruce has since picked his starting line-up, going against protocol due to the magnitude of Saturday's match.
"Usually in the past if you're preparing for a big game and you know the team on a Tuesday - if I wasn't in it then on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I'd have a face like a slapped a***. So for preparation in a one-off, it's important in the preparation," he said.
"But the substitutes can be match-winners too and I think the players have understood that. That's why we've done it this time."
I believe he's laying it on about how eager and physical his players are to get going on Saturday. Hope we can show him and his team where they can shove his plan.
COYW
Yes he definitely is. I think we're supposed to be scared now!
Joca hasn't said much. I think he's saving that for when we get on the pitch Saturday! COYW!
If it got to the point where he had to call training early and name the teamsheet to keep players from being at each other's throats fighting for spots (which is how I interpret this), then you can imagine there's probably some bitterness bubbling under the surface. May come back to bite him.
Matches can be won and lost in the tunnel, our manager and players need to be aware of the need to psychologicaly front up and let Bruce and his players know who the Guvenors are with plenty of verbals, because that's exactly what they will be trying to do to us.
Must say I like how the club generally keeps quiet about what's going on. Yes its nice to read about our club stuff but some other clubs just spew out media stuff to the point that it all gets quite boring. I'm sure the internal spy networks between clubs works quite effectively and we won't ever get to know any of that but I do favour our approach. My mate called us a "stealth club", we come in under the enemy radar.
I love all this. Every time they feel the need to come out with some b*llocks it shows that they're worried
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 24, 2018, 07:51:05 AM
Matches can be won and lost in the tunnel, our manager and players need to be aware of the need to psychologicaly front up and let Bruce and his players know who the Guvenors are with plenty of verbals, because that's exactly what they will be trying to do to us.
That is exactly what Wimbledon done when they beat Liverpool in cup final, it started by out psyching them in the tunnel.
Quote from: alfie on May 24, 2018, 09:18:41 AM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 24, 2018, 07:51:05 AM
Matches can be won and lost in the tunnel, our manager and players need to be aware of the need to psychologicaly front up and let Bruce and his players know who the Guvenors are with plenty of verbals, because that's exactly what they will be trying to do to us.
That is exactly what Wimbledon done when they beat Liverpool in cup final, it started by out psyching them in the tunnel.
Precisely
Shame the villa payers weren't up for it the rest of the season they might have had a chance of automatic promotion, good to see the players are falling out with each other as well as there fans a truly harmonious club, they where probably arguing who's turn was to fix Ross' gate
Slav looked happy , relaxed and confident in his press conf
In reality nothing much changes but whatever a manager says two days before a match of this magnitude will be reported in the press
I think it's great even more chance of John Terry losing it on the pitch when Mitro puts him on his backside for the 2nd time :005:
Quote from: alfie on May 24, 2018, 09:18:41 AM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on May 24, 2018, 07:51:05 AM
Matches can be won and lost in the tunnel, our manager and players need to be aware of the need to psychologicaly front up and let Bruce and his players know who the Guvenors are with plenty of verbals, because that's exactly what they will be trying to do to us.
That is exactly what Wimbledon done when they beat Liverpool in cup final, it started by out psyching them in the tunnel.
+1
He is trying to get us worried, we are not worried as a team, as a fan I am petrified
Quote from: FirstCoastFulham on May 24, 2018, 06:04:31 AM
If it got to the point where he had to call training early and name the teamsheet to keep players from being at each other's throats fighting for spots (which is how I interpret this), then you can imagine there's probably some bitterness bubbling under the surface. May come back to bite him.
That's what I was thinking, you don't just end a training session like that. His comments are clearly a cover for something else
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Could be construed as Prem league player egos in team surfacing right at the crunch...
Enough to leave the rest of the team bitter and cause rifts?
Imagine for a second that the news came from Fulham. What would we as Fulham fans think? Personally I would be slightly concerned that the coach had lost control of the players and the smooth training sessions had developed into a vast ego boost for some of the players. If they are out of control now what are they going to be like when the game comes around? Not sure why any coach would admit to being unable to control a training game and admitting that some players can't be controlled not to dial it back in a practice match. I am sure it was supposed to be a mind game tactic. At least hopefully it was. Otherwise it makes me feel very happy that the professionalism of some players at Villa has dropped.
Steve Bruce is a football dinosaur and the sooner he loses his job and disappears from football the better.
Strikes me as usual over-enthusiastic simpleton behaviour you would expect from a team where John Terry and Jack Grealish are the 'stars'.
What happens and why..
Whilst it's important to be in right frame of mind for the game.. volatility in preparation isn't healthy.
Bruce knows this and intervened. But mentally it looks like his team may be struggling to cope with the build up if they're getting so worked up in training because of what it means there's a likelihood that players will be obsessing about it and ruining the important routines like sleep and rest.
If they're mentally overworked, come game day and they find themselves struggling it could become dangerous and could see them with players risking being on the pitch. Plus if they dont calm down they may tire themselves out or throw their preparation on the day off.
Quote from: General on May 24, 2018, 02:04:29 PM
What happens and why..
Whilst it's important to be in right frame of mind for the game.. volatility in preparation isn't healthy.
Bruce knows this and intervened. But mentally it looks like his team may be struggling to cope with the build up if they're getting so worked up in training because of what it means there's a likelihood that players will be obsessing about it and ruining the important routines like sleep and rest.
If they're mentally overworked, come game day and they find themselves struggling it could become dangerous and could see them with players risking being on the pitch. Plus if they dont calm down they may tire themselves out or throw their preparation on the day off.
Villa players probably know if they don't win they are stuck in the Championship as no one in the premier league wants to buy them there been there and haven't performed they are a team on the decline, whilst Fulham are a team on team on the up and haven't got the monkey on there back that its poop or bust for there players to get back into the big time and the pressure seems to be telling
All the pressure is on Villa, they are the so called big club with all that history. The expectations from their fan base is enormous, we are only there to make up the numbers so they tell us.
They also tell us that they are real fans because they can swear and drink more than us, and break wind in public better than us, and talk bolox better than us, so that makes them real fans.
Also there are are more of them than us, because that's what they tell us, so they think that makes them better.
But on the field of play there are 11 v 11 at any time, unless one of their players gets dismissed from the field of play. If that happens they really are in trouble, and they will be really on their own.
Quote from: Fulham 442 on May 24, 2018, 05:34:21 AM
Joca hasn't said much. I think he's saving that for when we get on the pitch Saturday! COYW!
The lads will just let their football do all the talking.
That was reported in the Telegraph this morning along with a response from Jocanovic.
Jocanovic said that he is targeting Terry with pace which he used to be able to handle but that was some time ago.
Sounds as if we may be seeing Kamara and Mitrovic leading our attack.
The Vanilla fans seem to set a lot on the fact that when they, narrowly, beat us up there our team is only two different from that game......big mistake.....Targett, Mitro, Bettinelli off the top of my head and Cairney nursed back in for the final 30 minutes...........
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Quote from: Stevieboy on May 24, 2018, 04:54:01 PM
The Vanilla fans seem to set a lot on the fact that when they, narrowly, beat us up there our team is only two different from that game......big mistake.....Targett, Mitro, Bettinelli off the top of my head and Cairney nursed back in for the final 30 minutes...........
049:gif 049:gif 049:gif 049:gif ALWAYS BELIEVING 049:gif 049:gif 049:gif 049:gif
Plus sessegnon was lb then.. not left wing.
Sorry for re posting an thread from a few days ago. But Bruce and Villas first half performance. Then their whining and complaining during the game if a Fulham player came near them. Proved what a stupid Psych job Bruce tried to make telling us how ready and tough his team were and training had to be halted because they were all so up for it. Clearly not up for it at all.
They couldn't get near us in the first half. We were far too slick for the old dinosaurs. Odoi being sent off obviously made the second half a grind but we still had too much skill.
Bruce got it totally wrong. Slavisa got it totally right. We played how we have done all season. Bruce had no plan to change things. Slavisa didn´t have to change anything.
Bruce is done at Villa, he's a relic and football has moved on, much like Mourinho really.
It's a new day, we must be due some more excuses that he claims aren't excuses.
On a serious point, someone who cares about him should help him look after himself better, he looks like a heart attack waiting to happen.
