SkyBet 2017-18 Championship Thread - The Steve Bruce Pension Scheme

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Tue 01 Aug 2017, 3:34 am

First topic message reminder :

Days away now, excitement building.

by Duty281 Tue 15 May 2018, 9:41 pm

Utterly bizarre decision to not give a red card to the Villa keeper - in truth, the game was refereed pretty appallingly throughout the 90.

Middlesbrough, like Derby last night, exit in a very tepid fashion.

Fulham will gobble up Villa at Wemb-er-lee.

by **owen10ozzy** Tue 15 May 2018, 9:42 pm

Well done Villa...congrats West....did everything you needed too do to perfection. Big fan of Steve Bruce and showed his tactical intelligence over the 2 legs.

I hope you turn up and have a go at Wembley...if not the football fan in me will have to cheer on Fulham.

Could be a long road to nowhere for Boro now...we failed to return at 1st time of asking last time and ended up in the doldrums for 7 years. Could be worse this go around.

by GSC Tue 15 May 2018, 9:47 pm

Hope Fulham win but suspect Bruce will mourinho the **** out of this final.

by westisbest Tue 15 May 2018, 9:49 pm

Delighted we are at Wembley, but very frustrating as it as lot of times watching villa. Bit to defensive for me.

Fans told not to run onto the pitch, but Fck it we’ve not had much to shout about lately.

One game to go till return to the prem, hopefully.
Now to get a ticket.

On a day we lost an ex player.
Holtender in the sky.

RIP Jlloyd

UTV

by westisbest Tue 15 May 2018, 9:52 pm

Cheers Owen. Good luck next season buddy

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Tue 15 May 2018, 10:02 pm

Boro were utterly awful, just no attempt to go for it, you’d have thought that was a meaningless mid February game!

by Fernando Tue 15 May 2018, 10:15 pm

Fulham vs Villa is good just for atleast it will be nice to have a well supported team back in the PL rather then Boro who turn up every now and again or Derby cos their Poopie.

by **owen10ozzy** Tue 15 May 2018, 10:36 pm

Boro is one of the poorest areas in the country with shocking unemployment rates. Its a wonder we average over 15,000 a week. Id love to see more fans turning up but sadly thats the position the town is in. As for our away fans....youd be hard pressed to find better in England both in terms of numbers and passion for the club.

by Guest Tue 15 May 2018, 11:48 pm

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Boro were utterly awful, just no attempt to go for it, you’d have thought that was a meaningless mid February game!

Like the whole of their last PL campaign.

by GSC Mon 21 May 2018, 10:37 am

Stoke have made an approach for Rowett apparently

by GSC Tue 22 May 2018, 10:48 pm

Stoke take the sensible choice in Rowett while Swansea seem to have closed in on Graham Potter somehow.

by westisbest Wed 23 May 2018, 7:50 am

Gutted, couldn’t get a ticket for Saturday.
Only needed to get a ticket for either semi final game and I would have got one, but was away on holiday.

Fulham are a good side, confident we can win though.
Bruce has been there done it before, the experience will hopefully play a part.

Think it will be close, onnbiously gonna day we’ll do it.

by Guest Sat 26 May 2018, 6:50 pm

That was a great throwback final with meaty tackles galore and Jack Grealish going full Chris Waddle. Congrats to Fulham.

What now for Bruce? Think Villa need a real overhaul.

by No name Bertie Sat 26 May 2018, 6:59 pm

I have the impression that Wolves and Fulham have billionaire owners and are likely to survive next year in the Premiership. Cardiff seem to be the odd side out - doing far better than expected.

There are quite a lot of large clubs in the Championship - presumably the key is having billionaire owners willing to invest.

by GSC Sat 26 May 2018, 7:11 pm

Not really. Wolves have Mendes using them as a vehicle to get talented players into English football as well. Doesn't really apply to Cardiff or Fulham

FFP matters.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 27 May 2018, 9:55 am

I think the neutral will be happier Fulham got up than if Villa had.

Sounds like there’s a financial Armageddon coming for Villa now. I was reasonably neutral, but we all cheered when we saw Terry’s face at the end.

by westisbest Sun 27 May 2018, 10:45 am

Why’s that Dolph???

Very disappointing, but not surprising.
I think we will stick with Bruce.
It really is third time lucky. If we don’t go up next season, then we will be in the championship for a long time.

What players that played yesterday will have to take the feeling of that loss and use it next season.

I’m gutted. The joys of being a villa fan.
Wouldn’t have it any other way.

We will rise again

by GSC Sun 27 May 2018, 10:53 am

No offense mysti but most would rather see Fulham in the PL than another Bruce team.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 27 May 2018, 11:16 am

They’re a popular club that away fans always enjoy going to and have played good and fast attacking football all season under a manager trying positive things and with youth coming through.

Villa have spent a lot of money and put together the kind of team you sign on football manager when you’ve been relegated. I like Bruce, but he’s one of those that’s been around the block a lot and isn’t exciting.

Further to that, Fulham were comfortably third.

by Guest Sun 27 May 2018, 11:23 am

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Villa have spent a lot of money and put together the kind of team you sign on football manager when you’ve been relegated

Newcastle admit they took a "financial gamble" to win promotion back to the Premier League, with their wage bill in the 2016-17 season, the highest in Football League history. I'd imagine Villa's is in the same ball park, especially with the arrival of Terry.

"An immediate return to the Premier League was vital to restore the financial stability and future prospects of the club," managing director Lee Charnley said.

by GSC Tue 29 May 2018, 1:56 pm

Derby about to hire Lampard as manager. Kinda interesting given Rowett left because he had to sell players and slash the wage bill this summer (vs Stoke armed with parachute payments)

by Guest Tue 29 May 2018, 2:38 pm

He'll probably get the pick of Chelsea's 3256 fringe players.

by GSC Tue 29 May 2018, 3:03 pm

I kinda think that's a reason guys with Chelsea connections get favoured for jobs at this level.

Also kinda doubt the best ones are that cheap though.

by westisbest Tue 29 May 2018, 3:04 pm

Terry to Derby then Wink

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Tue 29 May 2018, 3:17 pm

Westi, whats the latest of Villa and FFP situation? Seen a lot saying they'll need to slash budgets and the squad this summer?

by westisbest Tue 29 May 2018, 8:57 pm

Yeah, it’s an issue alright.
Have to stay within FFP regulations.
Squad will be broken up now.

Read an article players like Hogan have been disappointing are on staggering wages.

Then you take McCormack another waste on god knows how much
Our average wage bill was 30k a week.
Basically teams can take their pick on players.
Young Jack could be first to go sadly.

Our u23’s won the league, some good young guys there, O’Hare, Doyle-Hayes, RHM. These guys have to be brought in.

Andre Green was quality before his injury, Bruce decided not to play him.

With a good chunk of the squad going, these youngsters could well step up.

Big decision for the owners is to stick with Bruce. Essentially he’s failed to do what he set out.
On Bruce, he took a lot of slating from fans by his choices of players and tactics. He’s to defensive.

Paying big money for players and big wages.

All in all pretty worrying times.

by GSC Wed 30 May 2018, 8:32 pm

I'm not above emotional bribery by bringing in former players

by GSC Tue 05 Jun 2018, 8:49 pm

Looks like Villa put everything on returning to the PL and now facing a fair amount of issues.

by GSC Wed 06 Jun 2018, 4:41 pm

Owner was injecting 5m a month into Villa to keep them neutral. That money didn't show up last month and Villa are now facing administration.

That's a hell if a failed gamble

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Wed 06 Jun 2018, 5:09 pm

GSC wrote:Owner was injecting 5m a month into Villa to keep them neutral. That money didn't show up last month and Villa are now facing administration.

That's a hell if a failed gamble

Genuinely mad that a business was run like that - they’re are very much up a creek now

by GSC Wed 06 Jun 2018, 6:46 pm

Not only that but they have 100m to pay out over the next 2 years and 15m parachute payments

by Guest Wed 06 Jun 2018, 7:27 pm

I'd forgot Micah Richards was a thing until today. Saying that, every club probably has one.

by GSC Wed 06 Jun 2018, 7:47 pm

They also have Ross McCormack earning massive Wonga to sit around. In addition to Kodija and Hogan who came in for big fees. Terry earned what 60k a week last year.

Insane wage bill. Stuck it all on black and the playoff final was their final chance.

by Guest Wed 06 Jun 2018, 7:52 pm

Apparently Terry cut his contract a month short because every little helps and he's not the Kumquat we all think he is.

But yeah, massive gamble.

by GSC Fri 22 Jun 2018, 7:35 pm

Looks like we're Mendes' next project club to get his clients into English football.

This won't end nearly as well as it did for Wolves.

by GSC Sat 23 Jun 2018, 7:40 pm

Thats 3 Jorge Mendes clients in now

by GSC Fri 06 Jul 2018, 10:10 pm

Boltons players have gone on strike after they decided to pay players they don't want anymore either late or not at all.

by dyrewolfe Wed 25 Jul 2018, 3:40 pm

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Boro were utterly awful, just no attempt to go for it, you’d have thought that was a meaningless mid February game!

Never mind though, we're going up this season. For certain... Wink

by Sponsored content