Former Aston Villa ace Paul Merson has slammed the club as ‘an absolute joke’ for their decision to sack manager Steve Bruce.
The Villans let Bruce go after Preston fought back to secure a 3-3 draw which continued their lacklustre start to the season, with the club now on the lookout for a replacement.
Former Villa forward Merson has now launched a scathing attack on the club for their decision to sack Bruce, claiming that there is no one better suited for the job.
In his column for the Daily Star, Merson said: “Steve Bruce getting sacked by Aston Villa is an absolute joke – and the idiot who threw a cabbage at him should be ashamed of himself.
“Villa have made a massive mistake letting Bruce go. This geezer knows the leagues. Who are they going to get who can get them up and play the Villa way? I was shocked I have to be honest. It’s complete panic. There’s no plan at Villa. None. It makes me angry. They’ve just bowed to fan pressure.
“Bruce was doing fine. They should have given him time to see it through. Don’t forget he got them into the play-offs final last year. They should have given him more time. But they missed a penalty against Preston, drew the game and now they’ve sacked him. It’s ridiculous. I love my old club and still look for their results but this makes me angry. He’s a good bloke and a good manager.
“He’s just had to deal with losing his parents and he’s given everything to that club. It just beggars belief.”
OPINION
This is a pretty scathing attack on Aston Villa from former player Merson, who obviously feels very strongly about their decision to sack Bruce. You can see where he is coming from in some ways, with there being very few managers around with the same experience of the Championship as Bruce. He also led them to the play-off final last season after a less-than-ideal start, and there was most definitely time for him to recover the situation this time round. However, there were warning signs at Villa this season, and it did feel like Bruce’s time at the club was coming to an end. His team selections beggared belief on occasion, and you couldn’t help but feel as though he was failing to get the most out of a strong squad. Yes, the new manager will have less experience, but that is not the be all and end all, with there being plenty of young bosses capable of making it in the Championship.