Steve Bruce: Progress has been made at Aston Villa
Steve Bruce feels there has been progress made during his first year as Villa boss although he may have done 'one or two things' differently.
The 56-year-old took the reins at Villa Park on October 12 last year.
His first game was against tomorrow's opponents Wolves and they drew 1-1.
Summing up how things have changed over the past 12 months, Bruce said: "(The first game) was against Wolves and I remember driving home and thinking 'we have been lucky there that we didn't lose'.
"Where we are in the league table suggests there has been progress.
"There has been a huge turnaround in staff and players in that year.
"We had to play in a certain way to avoid getting beat and losing matches, we were used to getting beat.
"It was about finding a system that suits everybody, to stabilise the club."
Villa had become accustom to losing matches when Bruce arrived.
He says he had to get rid of 'the fear' of being beaten and now thinks the club is on the right path.
"We were on a downward spiral. I had to stop us from the fear of dropping down a division," said Bruce.
"I think we are starting to get the balance right. The club needs stability, people here have seen too many changes.
"Results have picked up and let's hope that continues. Let's hope next October I am still here and we are talking about the right things."
Bruce insists he has made 'some mistakes' in his Villa tenure though.
One disappointment is how the signing of Ross McCormack did not turn out to be successful.
The £12 million forward struggled for form and fitness and is now on loan at Australian side Melbourne City.
"Hindsight is a wonderful thing and in management you do make some mistakes," Bruce added.
"There are one or two things I would have changed. I was disappointed, for example, with how Ross McCormack transpired.
"Even in the summer, I shook hands with him and said 'let's make a fist of this if we can'.
"Unfortunately it didn't happen so there's one."
