Bruce hits out at ‘huge disrespect’ after cabbage is thrown at Villa boss

A cabbage was thrown at Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce before a chaotic 3-3 draw with Preston as the under-fire manager condemned a lack of respect.

The 57-year-old was clearly upset following the game after Villa blew a 2-0 lead and had James Chester sent off.

Yannick Bolasie rescued a point for the hosts in the 90th minute, but Chris Maxwell saved Glenn Whelan’s penalty deep into stoppage-time to deny Villa victory in the Sky Bet Championship.

Daniel Johnson’s penalty, Paul Gallagher’s free-kick and Louis Moult’s header had put the Lillywhites 3-2 ahead with a stunning second-half comeback.

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“To say it’s disappointing is an understatement for a club like this, (the cabbage was thrown) before we had even started,” said Bruce, after Jonathan Kodjia and Tammy Abraham had given Villa a 2-0 lead.

“The guy who is being questioned…unfortunately, it sums up the society we are in at the moment. There’s no respect for anyone.

“Certainly for someone like him, I’m surprised he knew what a cabbage was. I find the whole thing hugely disrespectful.”

Villa have won just one of their last 10 games in all competitions to sit 12th in the Sky Bet Championship.

Bruce briefly hinted he would consider his position, but remained bullish about his future.

He said: “That’s for others (to decide). You need results.

“The one thing I’ve always had is the determination to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in. I’ll always have a go.

“If I think it affects the team and the morale of the team, then of course…That’s what I’m up against at the moment. I will battle on. That’s always been my philosophy until told otherwise.”

Kodjia and Abraham had Villa in cruise control at the break, but Chester’s 54th-minute dismissal, after he brought down Lukas Nmecha, turned the game.

Former Villa trainee Johnson scored from the spot and, after Nmecha had hit a post, Gallagher bent in a free-kick and Moult crashed in a 86th-minute header.

Everton loanee Bolasie bundled in a leveller, but Maxwell saved Whelan’s spot kick in the fifth minute of stoppage-time when Johnson hauled down Birkir Bjarnason.

Preston, who remain bottom without a league win since the opening day, were denied a first victory at Villa Park for 50 years.

Boss Alex Neil said: “I’ve been involved in football all my life but I’ve never been involved in a game like that.

“For spectators it must be great, but as a manager it’s going to put me in an early grave.”

On Bruce, Neil added: “Fans have got really short memories. Before Steve took over I came here with Norwich and it was poisonous. He took all that poison and changed it and got them to the play-offs.”