Ipswich vs Aston Villa: Steve Bruce has chance to re-write history

August 25, 1962, was the last time a Villa team won their opening three league games; second-half goals from Bobby Thomson and Harry Burrows earning a 2-0 success at Manchester City which extended a perfect start for Joe Mercer’s team.

Plenty of history has been made in the intervening 56 years, some glorious, some markedly less so.

Yet it’s fair to say that, even in the very good years, Villa have frequently been slow starters.

This is just the eighth time since 1962 they have won their opening two league fixtures and the first occasion since John Gregory’s team, which featured current assistant boss Colin Calderwood, beat Newcastle and Everton in the first week.

On that occasion, they were denied a third win by a last-minute Trevor Sinclair strike which salvaged West Ham a 2-2 draw at Villa Park.

Steve Bruce will be aiming to go one better than Gregory when his team come up against an Ipswich outfit still finding their feet under new manager Paul Hurst.

There is no ignoring the fact Villa’s good start was much-needed by Bruce.

For one thing, last season proved the importance of getting out of the blocks quickly. Villa didn’t, taking just seven points from their opening seven games. It ultimately cost them automatic promotion. More pertinently, the wins over Hull and Wigan have eased a little of the pressure on the boss, after a summer where his position was, for long periods, under scrutiny.

Bruce might have the backing of new majority shareholders Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, yet while their arrival undoubtedly lifted the club’s mood, it also heightened the need for the team to record positive early results.

Until now it has been a case of so far, so good, though Bruce has been honest enough to admit there remains considerable room for improvement where performances are concerned. The manager is experienced enough to know his team won’t continue to churn out results unless there is progress on that front.

Hurst, who like Bruce suffered play-off heartbreak last season when he experienced defeat in the League One play-offs with Shrewsbury, delivered some ‘home truths’ to his team after this week’s Carabao Cup exit at Exeter.

“It’s a big fixture for anyone in the Championship when you play Aston Villa,” he said.

“We know it is going to be a tough game, nothing else. For me it is another game when I am going to learn new things.

“Ultimately, these are the games you must look forward to. There is no point fearing them. You have to embrace the challenge.”

Should Villa win, Bruce is unlikely to waste too much time getting caught up in the history.

Mercer’s men faded badly after their bright start to finish 15th. Repeating that statistic is certainly not in the plan.

Likely line-up:

Aston Villa (4-1-4-1): Nyland, Hutton, Chester, Tuanzebe, Elmohamady, Bjarnason, McGinn, Grealish, Adomah, Green, Kodjia.

Subs: Whelan, Taylor, Elphick, Jedinak, Hepburn-Murphy, Hourihane, Moreira (gk).

Ipswich (4-5-1): Bialkowski, Donacien, Chambers, Nsiala, Knudsen,

Edwards, Chalobah, Nolan, Skuse, Ward, Jackson.