Steve Bruce has had to endure more than one spell during his reign at Villa Park where his job was in danger. 

The seven-game winning run that propelled Villa up to second - before they dropped five points in their last two games - was really the first time that the former Hull boss settled on a formula to get the best out of his experienced squad.

Speaking to the Times, in a wide-ranging and emotional interview following the recent death of his father, Bruce shed some light on what he has tried to do to turn fortunes around at Villa Park:

He said: "“We’ve done OK. We can’t get carried away. We’ve given ourselves an outstanding chance, which was the remit at the start.

"But there are two clubs in Sunderland and Hull - both of whom I’ve managed - newly relegated and in danger of dropping down again. That was my fear here and it was a real fear. We’d overspent. There was an horrendous wage bill.

"I’d walked away from a Premier League job, but once Villa knocked on my door, it was a no-brainer. Great name, great club, great stadium, great fanbase. It’s a huge privilege to be here but a big challenge.

"The most important thing was to get stabilised. After a horrible few years, the whole club was just so used to getting beat. There was an acceptance of it.

"OK, we haven’t got a lot of money, but I needed leaders, that influence in the dressing room, really good old pros. Somebody like Jack Grealish will look at John Terr at 37 and think ‘Wow, is that what I’ve got to do to get to the top?’

Talking about last season's 13th place finish, he said: "It was tough and there was an element saying, ‘Off with his head.’ Thankfully, there was common sense above me.

"Ultimately there’s only one club that changes managers all the time and has success. That’s Chelsea and they’re on a different level to every bugger else.”

"Slowly but surely, we’ve turned it around. We haven’t achieved anything, but at least we’ve changed the culture."

Robert Snodgrass' late winner at Bramall Lane last month felt like a breakthrough moment and Bruce said: "Everyone is euphoric when you get a last-minute goal, but there was a connection between the supporters and the team.

"They associate with them again. That was the first time I really felt that. We’ve seen it with other big clubs, just because you’re Aston Villa it doesn’t mean anything. If you don’t do things right, if you don’t invest right, you come unstuck."

The Verdict

It is rare to get such an insight into what a manager is trying to do and Bruce should be commended for his honesty, especially at such a testing time.

It sheds light on his approach to bring in experienced players instead of younger ones and the impact on Grealish especially has been profound.

The celebrations that followed last month's winner at Sheffield United felt like a moment that had been a long time in the making for Bruce and if the fans got fully behind what he is trying to do that night, they need to stick with the team throughout the season.

Villa fans - what do you think? Let us know in the comments below...