Steve Bruce appointment: Aston Villa have made the right choice

Isn't it funny how, more often than not, the obvious turns out to be the best?

That is certainly the belief and hope among many supporters and certainly the club's board, who quickly identified Bruce as the right man to lead the Villa back to the Premier League.

Too often in the recent past the hierarchy at Villa Park have tried to be too clever by half when it came to appointing managers, most notably this time last year when they ignored the likes of Nigel Pearson in favour of appointing Remi Garde. But with this particular chase being led by new chief executive Keith Wyness and Steve Round, the club's recently appointed technical director, there was very little chance of history being repeated.

Caretaker boss Steve Clarke was seriously considered and retained a chance of landing the role when he was formally interviewed by Wyness on Monday. Villa also sounded out Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner and Burnley's Sean Dyche. The latter, hugely admired by Round, was of particular interest yet it quickly became apparent he would not be prepared to drop down into the Championship, at least on the terms Villa were prepared to offer.

All the while, there was Bruce, sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb.

The fact he was available and resides less than 25 miles from Villa Park were largely irrelevant. What really appealed to Wyness and Round was his record in the Championship. Over the past 15 seasons, Bruce has spent four campaigns as a manager in the second tier. All four have ended in promotion. No other manager can lay claim to such a record over the same period and, for a club still adapting to their new surroundings after three decades in the top flight, the opportunity to acquire his services ultimately proved too much to resist.

There will be talk, naturally, about his previous association with Villa's city rivals, despite a growing suspicion it remains more of an issue for the media than supporters. And even if there are still those among the fanbase who believe nothing from the other side of Windsor Street Gas Works should be trusted, Bruce's record at St Andrews should surely be another reason to look on him favourably.

The team he inherited from Trevor Francis in October 2001 was widely considered worn-out and on the decline, bumbling around in mid-table after several years of play-off near-misses. Bruce not only revitalised them, he got them up just seven months later through the play-offs and then kept them up for four seasons in the Premier League. For every job he has taken since, with the possible exception of Sunderland, Bruce can lay claim to some level of success.

That said, Villa would appear his toughest challenge yet. The Villa Park managerial hotseat has been particularly uncomfortable for its most recent incumbents, with Garde, Tim Sherwood and Roberto Di Matteo all lasting for an average of less than six months.

The demands meanwhile from a board who still see a play-off place as more than realistic, means the pressure is already on the newcomer.

For a manager of Bruce's experience, however, it should hold no fears. For all Villa's flounderings under Di Matteo, there remained a suspicion the Italian had at least assembled the components of a successful team. Bruce is surely the man who can now put them in the right order.