This article is part of Football FanCast's Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers...

Although former Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce’s time in B6 ended in somewhat acrimonious circumstances - with a cabbage being thrown at the 58-year-old prior to his sacking - the current Newcastle boss has been reflecting on his time with the West Midlands outfit.

What did he say?

Speaking ahead of the clash between his current and former employers, Bruce (via Birmingham Live) said:

"I feel I should have got longer. The team that got up is the team we practically put together. New owners came in, it’s a different ball game now. Without them Villa would be in a real dark place."

Did Bruce deserve more time at Villa?

Having spent just under two years with at the club whilst managing over 90 league games, Bruce’s achievement in taking Villa to the play-off final - despite defeat to Fulham - was an impressive feat.

Villa lost to a better side at Wembley in 2018 - with Slaviša Jokanović’s men displaying considerably more consistency over the course of the season to clinch five more points - but the decline that proceeded meant that Bruce’s sacking was more than justified from the club’s hierarchy. At the time, Villa were 13th and had managed to win only three of 11 Championship games. 

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And while he claims the promotion team was the one he forged, Villa's rise to the top six was built upon a vastly improved defence which hinged on the January arrivals of Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause on loan - both being so fundamental to promotion that they were signed permanently during the summer.

Villa finished the season with a run of five clean sheets in the final twelve games, while Smith also oversaw a run of ten consecutive victories; Bruce's longest winning run that season was a mere two games.