OPINION
It is fair to say that Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce is not the most popular manager in the Championship.
There are many Villa fans who believe that the experienced Bruce is not the right man for the job at Villa Park, and many who would gladly see him leave the club in the near future.
Wherever you stand on that debate, Bruce is now set to make an unforgivable error which may scupper Villa’s whole season, if the reports are true.
Australian outlet The World Game report that Villa defender Ritchie De Laet is set to leave the club and head on loan to A-League side Melbourne City.
In the process, De Laet will be reuniting with former boss Warren Joyce, who managed Royal Antwerp when he was there as a youngster, before they worked together again in the Manchester United youth set-up.
The Belgian right-back has featured just twice for Villa this season, with both of those appearances coming in the Carabao Cup, so you may think that he is expendable for the club.
That is however not the case, with De Laet representing one of the more experienced heads at the club, while also showing that he is in great form with a scintillating pre-season.
If you look at the other options that Bruce has at his disposal, it is not as though Villa can afford to be letting any defenders leave the club at this point in the season, with little prospect of signing a replacement.
Even if the club did go on to sign John Terry as rumoured, the veteran is hardly a like-for-like swap with De Laet, who operates on the right flank.
Whatever the reasons behind Bruce’s potential decision to let De Laet leave, this would be a monumental error from the Villa boss which could scupper their whole season.
All that needs to happen is for a couple of injuries to strike and De Laet will be badly needed, meaning if he is not there then Villa will be forced into drastic action at the back which will no doubt leave them exposed.
Furthermore, the Championship season is so long that De Laet will no doubt be needed even if that does not happen.
And, if Bruce does make this decision, then the 57-year-old will well and truly prove that he is not the right man for the job at Villa Park.