Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce’s recent April history in the Championship

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Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has reiterated the importance of the club’s busy April schedule.

Steve Bruce has been in this kind of position before, and as Aston Villa continue their push for promotion, many supporters will point to his experience in the Championship as a major bonus for the Midlands club.

While his promotion record is certainly impressive, Bruce’s recent comments to BBC Sport regarding the importance of April were interesting given how he’s fared in the month in recent years.

“For me, April is always the defining month,” Bruce told BBC Sport.

“The stupid international weekend doesn’t help. But, after that, we’ve got six games. And we have that big weekend after Easter. Let’s see where are then.”

Ahead of a crucial month for Aston Villa, let’s see how their manager has performed in April in years gone by…

2016/17 Aston Villa – Won 3, Drew 1, Lost 3

When Steve Bruce came to Villa Park in the early stages of the 2016/17 season, it was clear to see that this was a team in recovery mode. As such, they were not able to mount a serious promotion challenge, and because of that, the month of April was an extremely inconsistent one. Victories over the likes of Norwich and Birmingham provided hope for the future, although defeats to Fulham, Reading and Blackburn left Villa supporters wondering whether or not Bruce was the right man to lead them forward.

2015/16 Hull City – Won 4, Drew 2, Lost 2

Hull City’s schedule towards the back-end of the campaign in question was always going to test their durability, but despite a few hiccups, they were still able to secure their place in the top six come the end of the final day. Four big wins helped them on their way towards the playoffs, and thankfully for Bruce, they were able to secure promotion at Wembley.

2012/13 Hull City – Won 2, Drew 1, Lost 3

The Tigers had been leading contenders for promotion throughout the 2012/13 season, and their hard work finally paid off after sealing 2^nd place on the final day – but they came extremely close to dropping into the playoffs. Just two wins in a busy April period left many wondering whether or not they’d be able to hold off Watford, but thankfully for Bruce, results elsewhere helped their cause.