Aston Villa and Middlesbrough played out a stalemate earlier this week.
Aston Villa fans would have seen Adama Traore’s fourth-minute sending off for Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening as the ideal opportunity for his side to get a vital three points on the board. However, despite having plenty of chances to break the deadlock, the Villans could not find a way through.
When the full time whistle blew, Villa were left to digest another 0-0 draw – their second in a week – and Bruce was left wondering where his next victory was coming from.
The problem for Villa is that for all their big-name players, they are not performing as an effective team and their boss has to change that before it is too late.
The return of the previously injured Jonathan Kodjia should help in that regard, as should the return to the fold of the previously overlooked Albert Adomah, but one wonders just how long the Villa gaffer has left.
After all, there is no way they will want to spend a third straight season in the second tier of English football, but the longer their struggles go on, the more likely that seems.
Next up for Villa is a trip to Barnsley and they need to win that one or the pressure on Bruce could become unbearable.
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