Steve Bruce spoke to the media ahead of our Boxing Day meeting with Burton Albion.
Check out his thoughts below.
On our Boxing Day match crowd…
I think that’s testament to the club that we work for and the supporters and what the club means to them too.
To have 40-odd thousand is quite remarkable, considering we’re about half way up in the Championship.
And Burton aren’t the biggest of draws. I don’t mean that disrespectfully. It’s quite remarkable.
We’re expecting a big crowd against Leeds too and that could depend on if we turn over Burton which is testament to the club we work for, the size of the club, the magnitude of it and the expectation that goes with playing for this football club. It’s wonderful.
Well done the supporters.
On Nathan Baker…
It’s fair to say that he has had to be patient.
He does give us a natural balance with his left foot.
He played very very well before he got injured.
It was a big, big call because Tommy Elphick’s the captain and hadn’t let us down.
But I think for the benefit of the team, the natural left foot of Nathan and the prowess that he has in the air has helped the team and he has played very very well and long may it continue.
We need to eradicate this injury problem that he seems to pick up now and again. He now’s in full maturity.
He’s 25 now.
Let’s hope now the future’s good for him.
I certainly have been quietly impressed with him.
I hope that continues.
On the Christmas period...
It is a busy time because we play four games in a matter of 10 days.
But for me I’m a huge traditionalist.
Boxing Day is a time that all supporters enjoy.
They enjoy coming out.
After Christmas everybody is laden with turkey, drink and all the rest of it.
They come and it’s usually a jovial occasion, a Boxing Day game.
A wonderful occasion and to come to Villa Park - we haven’t put back-to-back wins together for a long time.
Can we go and win back-to-back, can we then take it into the Leeds game and really start mounting a challenge in the second half of the season?
We’ve got two or three games coming up thick and fast.
We’ve got to be there or there abouts where we want to be.
Let’s hope we can be.
On playing in home games…
The last four teams who have been to Villa Park have left one up front, packed the midfield and made it very difficult for us.
You have to expect that.
It might be a bit different ahead of Leeds.
They’ll come to us and I don’t think Gary will change but most teams will park the bus if that’s the right quote.
But it’s something we have to overcome and something we’ve been working at on the training ground to make sure that we can be a bit more offensive.
On the impact of losing Jonathan Kodjia to the Africa Cup of Nations in January….
I don’t think it’ll force me into the market because the one place in the team where we’re overloaded with players is strikers.
At the moment it’s very very quiet as you expect.
The media and agents are fuelling everything, we all know the game.
Jonathan Kodjia has been excellent, in the 11 games I’ve been here he’s scored eight goals which is crucial.
We always knew he was going to the Africa Cup of Nations.
This is why we needed to get Gabby in some sort of shape which he is now, quietly and efficiently over the last three months he’s got back into condition.
I look at the young boys too who are playing.
On Rushian Hepburn-Murphy….
We need him to commit because he’s a big talent.
If he does commit to the club then he will come right into contention because of what he has done with the U23s.
He’s been here since he was eight years old and I’m sure this is the right place for him.
He is a Villa fan, as are his family so we hope to get it over the line.
He’s out of contract in the summer.
We’ve done our bit and made him a great offer, it’s now up to the boy to decide where he sees his future.
On Burton…
They’ve done very well. Very very well.
I’ve got the highest respect for Nigel.
In the past they’ve had some very good managers.
They’re a very well-run club.
As I said, 10 years ago you wouldn’t have thought Burton Albion would be in the Championship.
It just shows you with a bit of hard work, endeavour, a bit of stability and good management that they’ve succeeded and gone past everybody’s expectations.
Their expectation is to stay in the league, ours is to get out of it.
That’s the difference in the two clubs.
On injuries...
We’ve got no problems since last week.
Everybody should be okay, apart from the long-term ones where there is no change.
