Steve Bruce confident of Aston Villa promotion push
Steve Bruce remains confident of engineering a promotion challenge at Villa this season – if he is given time to turn things around.
Just seven points from the opening seven matches has left Villa 18th in the table and piled pressure on the manager.
Villa’s start mirrors that achieved last season under Roberto Di Matteo, who was axed and replaced by Bruce after 11 games.
Bruce said: “I can understand the hysteria which surrounds us because of all the expectation this club brings. The way I feel is that we are decent and a good side in this division. It will turn. Whether I am given time for it to turn, that is the big question.”
Asked whether he expects to be given more time, Bruce replied: “You will have to ask them (the board) that.
“I don’t really ask that question. I just get on with my job. On Tuesday night, I could not have asked for more apart from to stick the ball in the back of the net.”
He continued: “I know for a fact we will climb the table. I know for a fact we will mount a challenge.
“We have to stay with it, stay positive. We had a poor performance on Saturday against Brentford. The frustration is we have not scored again. Then the negativity comes out, that we are unattractive.
“We have had 19 chances on Tuesday and couldn’t score. That has been the problem since I have been here.”
Bruce praised the performance of new boy Robert Snodgrass in the draw with Boro. “I thought he gave us a bit of quality,” said Bruce. “He did well. He will be a good player for us.”
