Both of the manager’s parents have died this year beating Fulham in the Championship play-off final might provide a little respiteWhen Steve Bruce is asked whether work on strengthening the team will start immediately if Aston Villa win promotion to the Premier League on Saturday, the first thought that comes into his head has nothing to do with new signings. “The one thing I need this year, more than any other year, is a holiday,” he says.The Championship can be a grind at the best of times with all those Saturday-Tuesday fixtures and all the more so when a 46-game season is extended by another three weeks because of the play-offs, but Bruce is looking forward to a break for reasons that transcend football. Related: Aston Villa survive late Stewart Downing scare to reach Wembley final Continue readingread full article
