Pressure on as Steve Bruce faces Aston Villa test

When the fixture list was released in mid-June, the visit of Norwich to Villa Park looked set to be an early-season clash between two teams most expected to be at the top end of the table from the very start.

Things haven’t quite panned out that way, however, with both experiencing their problems in an opening fortnight which has fallen some way below expectations.

Norwich at least got their season up and running on Wednesday night with a 2-0 win over QPR, a result which eased the worries for new head coach Daniel Farke after the German, appointed during the summer, had watched the Canaries comfortably beaten 3-1 at home by Sunderland last weekend.

For Villa boss Steve Bruce, in post much longer, the pressure weighs far heavier with tomorrow representing the chance to kick-start a campaign in which so far little has gone right.

Convincing back-to-back defeats on the road at Cardiff and Reading saw the optimism of the summer evaporate in the course of just a few days, leaving Bruce urgently searching for a solution and the club’s hierarchy scratching their heads as to what precisely has gone wrong.

Despite growing disenchantment among sections of the fanbase, tomorrow is unlikely to be make-or-break for the manager.

The message from within Villa Park is one of unity, with the board convinced Bruce remains the right man for the job, possessing the experience to turn things round.

Such support however, as Bruce well knows, will be finite should he fail to engineer a swift reversal of fortunes.

A week which also contains a Carabao Cup tie with Wigan and trip to Bristol City ahead of a fortnight international break feels like being a significant one.

As poor as Villa have been in the league since the first half of the opening-day 1-1 draw with Hull City, there is also a sense they are failing to grasp the big moments which might spark a reversal of fortune.

Andre Green missed a glorious chance to take all three points against the Tigers when he headed wide from close range, while the teenage winger also found himself through on goal in the opening minutes at Reading, only to shoot straight at goalkeeper Vito Mannone.

At Cardiff, meanwhile, it was Scott Hogan who found himself one-on-one with Neil Etheridge but was unable to beat the former Walsall keeper.

Such chances, if taken, could have significantly altered the course of the past two weeks. Bruce must hope another opportunity soon arrives and is converted to halt the slide and once more get Villa moving in the right direction.

Winger Ahmed Elmohamady could be back in contention for tomorrow’s game, having missed the defeat at Reading with a mouth injury, sustained against Cardiff, which required 30 stitches.