Steve Bruce: Aston Villa know what it takes now in the Championship

Bruce admits some players were perhaps guilty of thinking the division would be a ‘stroll in the park’ last season, when Villa finished a disappointing 13th following relegation from the Premier League.

A run of nine wins in 12 games has seen them climb to fourth in the table and raised hope of a return to the top flight via the automatic promotion places.

Bruce said: “There’s a long way to go and we can’t get carried away but we’re starting to look OK.

“All credit to the players because it hasn’t been easy for them. They’ve found a resilience and a team ethic.

“They know what it takes now to win a game in the Championship. Maybe this time last year they thought it was going to be a stroll in the park and it isn’t.”

Villa resume their campaign at Leeds on Friday night, kicking off a month when they face a number of promotion contenders including Derby, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough.

“Wolves are steamrolling everybody at the moment,” said Bruce. “They are the ones to catch but we’re not even halfway through yet.

“December is usually a big month and we’ve got some big games. The programme is ridiculous, and I can say that now because we’ve just won three games but it is ridiculous.

“It’s not right really because you are just asking people to play tired but that’s another debate.”