Villarocker

Shouldn't be ditching the 352 as we will be far worse with a midfield two of Lansbury and Hourihane.

I find it a bit strange when Bruce, in his post-match comments, says that we are finding scoring a bit of a struggle at the moment yet it was him who selected two defensive wing backs against Ipswich. Maybe Bacuna and Amavi would have helped us with our attacking play.

I personally think that Dr Tony made his first mistake last week, when he basically said that this season is now about gelling the players and working towards another push next season - or whatever it was he actually said. I believe that he probably did that to take pressure off Bruce but he may have done him more harm than good because the players may have read that to be "don't worry if you don't make it this season guys, we understand you need time to work at things" and then thought "well it's gonna be tough now so might as well take it easy, stay fit and go again in August". I'd have preferred if he did have a word in quiet with Bruce but then tell him he doesn't want the players to know because he wants to see what they're like under pressure. Who knows how it all happened? I'm clutching at straws a bit in order to try to understand what the hell is going on right now because just when you thought thing could only get better - they have gotten worse!

Michael 118, what exactly do you think we should do to in order to get back in the Premier League. I'm not having a go, just intrigued as to how you would change things?

I get playing the 352 but it should have been Amavi and Bacuna at wing back not Taylor and Hutton. His changes were wrong too! With moving Chester to right back he left a hack two of Baker and Elphick and that's recipe for disaster.

Is it pure coincidence that we lost our first home game of the season and it being the game following the owner suggesting that the play-offs are out of reach this season? I really do reckon this is just going to peter out with Villa finishing in the bottom 7 or 8.

Once he moved Chester to right back he left Elphick in a flat back four so we were always going to gift them a chance at some stage of the game. His decisions are beginning to really show him up now and the fans will turn in their droves soon.

Gotta agree with that Hutton/Bacuna comment. In Sherwood's first season Bacuna went a spell where he was assisting in goals on a regular basis. The issue with him was about his defensive side, a but like Amavi. Surely he would be a better option at right wing back at home to Ipswich rather than a very ineffective Hutton?

I'd just like for Dr Tony and his team to be congratulated for the most enjoyable transfer window ever. All the banter, clues, algorithms etc added some fun and entertainment to being a fan of the Villa and that doesn't always have to come from the playing side of the club, so much from me.

I hope not! He's not perfect but at least he knows it and will no doubt work at it. But, he scores goals and that's what strikers are all about.

We need 12 wins, don't we? Possible = yes - probable = no.

Those Twitter responses are real class and shows the humility of the man and that he's no Billy big bollocks. He's at least taken the criticism on board and willing to learn, not thinking he's the real deal even though he is 26-27. I already rated JK highly but he's gone up even further in my estimations after those comments on Twitter. All he needs to do now is form a deadly partnership with Scott Hogan and whoever else plays alongside him. I think that, over time, he could possibly find himself more loved here than the likes of Benteke, JPA, Yorke etc by the time his Villa career is over.

The one thing on Bruce's side was the lack of a midfield. He now has two of the best midfielders in this league playing for him. Add to that the addition of another top striker from this league, a promising young right back, another decent midfielder and, a new left back. With that level of transfer activity the very least we should achieve between now and the end of the season is a settled team that shows cohesion and stability that narrows that gap right down between us and 6th. Anything less than that will make me want to see a managerial change in the summer.

It's an awkward stat that he's improved us in taking us away from the bottom three that we were in when he joined yet, we're now even further away from the top six than we were when he joined. I guess you could look at it as failure if you consider that all said his job was to get us to the play-offs. But, he's only just acquired a midfield. If we'd had a midfield from the start of the season maybe Bruce wouldn't even be here and we'd still be talking about Di Matteo.

I'd like us to go after Alex Smithies in the summer. Whenever I've seen him play he's looked quality and more assured than any of the keepers Villa have had in the last couple of years.

To echo what KSV said previously, it's concerning that Bruce seems tactically inept. For instance, after Saturday's game he said that he likes the 352 formation and has used it in the past at other clubs. He also said he now has the players to play that way. Well, surely Bjarnason at left wing back was a poor decision then because he has the perfect player to play that role in Amavi. How many times have fans said that Amavi is better going forward than defending? With Baker covering behind him surely it would have been better to play Amavi against Forest? Also, knowing Jedinak's injury problems, why not buy another defensive midfielder to cover for him? You simply can't go gung-ho in midfield when playing three at the back with the wing backs pushed right up the pitch, it's suicide. You need a natural defensive minded player that will drop into the middle two at the back so the left or right defender can cover the flank the opposing attack comes down. Surely he can't expect that from Lansbury as that is nullifying the attacking play of the lad, who seems to be a clever footballer and surely we want him further up the pitch? Bruce definitely has me worried right now. I'm not writing him off but he certainly needs to get his act together or we will be finding ourselves in another struggle similar to last season.

We've definitely got to address the keeper situation in the summer. Gollini has burnt too many bridges so won't be back. Johnstone seems to be similar to Gollini in terms of age and mistakes made. Bunn is out of contract. We need to make a good goalkeeper signing that can be a calming influence for the defence.

Totally agree with this! Something has happened to this lad because he looked outstanding for most of the season but cost us a few goals in the last month or so.

Can't argue with this. Watching the game with my Dad I said that he should have changed Grealish before he got his second yellow as he was doing nothing. When Grealish got sent off the first thing I said to me Dad was "Leave it as it is because he had no impact anyway" but he went and changed it for some crazy reason.

"Negative" doesn't sum up that front six tonight. In fact, what we lacked, the same as against Brentford, was cover in front of the defence. He definitely needs to sort things out though. It seems like he changes formation every game and the players are going to get fed up with that at some stage.

Wish I could like this a dozen times!

That team was never set up right BUT, we looked good first half. Grealish was anonymous second half and I was screaming for him to be changed for Adomah but he was left on and we paid the price - due to stupidity I might add! Bruce should have left it as it was. Forest were no real threat and Kodija and Hogan looked dangerous on the break. The changes killed us and Bruce is totally to blame. I said to my Dad that forest would win after those changes,especially when he took our only real defensive midfielder off. Bruce needs to take full responsibility for that or he loses my support.

I won't knock his forward play but defensively he was lightweight. However, given his enthusiasm I'd pursue with him for the run in

Maybe instead of the "It's Happening" gif someone can do an "IT'S NOT HAPPENING" version?

^^ This ^^ is a quality 4-4-2 for this league!