Now we don't sack managers under Quinn's chairmanship, however I feel he must be close to pulling the trigger. I'm not saying Bruce should go before people get on my back. However when we went 2-0 down the lack of a response from the players was frightening. Now Bruce IS under pressure. I'd suggest 1 bad result away from big pressure. So Quinn and Short must know this and this is what I mean about true intent. The last time we sacked a manager mid season I'm thinking was Peter Ried (correct me if I'm wrong) Let's take a look at his replacement.........shudder..........maybe not but it was an appalling appointment. Fast forward to KEANE another big name charlie who dumped us in the **** the minute he didn't fancy it (It's not just the players you know when it comes to us!) is ther only other one I think we've lost mid season and Ricky filled the void and we only just stayed up. This time they must have an inkling all is not well. I feel they also shoulder some blame for the fiasco of us not having a genuine striker on our books and allowing Bruce to not bother with this area. So IF he is to be sacked CAN/WILL we bring better in. If not I feel that would indicate if Short want's to push on.
This totally!! If he walks he gets nothing - if he stays and tries to ride it out and they sack him, he makes a few million quid!! Sad reality of the game nowadays though
Morning mackems I thought that I would stay off your board for a couple of days as emotions have, understandably, been running high. Now that people are a bit calmer I hope that you don't mind putting in my ten penneth. Do you think that Short now regrets not sacking Bruce at the end of last season? Many of the fans wanted him out, remember all the threads and discussions on here about it? It must have entered his mind and I am sure that he would have discussed it with Quinn. Had Bruce gone in May, the new manager would have had the whole of the summer, and the transfer window, to settle into the job and bring in his own players. Short was left with the choice of bringing someone new in when the season finished or backing Bruce in the transfer window and giving him time to bed his new players in and get the team to gel. If Short sacks Bruce now (after Saturday if things go against you) it may seem like he has done neither as he will only have given Bruce's new team 7 Premiership games together. I know that from January onwards things were bad, but with so many players coming and going, this is now a new team. For this reason I feel that Short will give Bruce more time. As I don't rate Bruce, obviously I hope that he does get more time. (not trying to be antagonistic, just telling it from a NUFC fan's point of view) Personally I think that he should have got rid of Bruce in May. It would have cost him a few £million in compensation but it is far less risky than replacing a manager mid season with 3 months until the transfer windo opens. Message for Syd I hope that you son's mate thoroughly enjoys the match on Saturday.
The split in the fan base will go along way in making up Shorts mind, and if attendances continue to drop which IMO will continue as long as Bruce is in charge leaves him with a hard choice to make. Even if Bruce/Sunderland go on a good run I think the damage is already done and the seed of doubt will always be there ready to surface when a bad result comes. I'm no and never have been a Bruce fan, but like most was willing to give him a chance. The only sensible choice I can see now is to clear the decks and start a fresh hopefully appointing someone who can unite the fans and fill the SOL.
Some remarked that Keane walked but Bruce wants the cash. Keane got a pay off which surprised me at the time as he resigned. I remember Quinn commenting on that. I would be surprised and Ellis Short would be a fool (and that's the last thing this man is), if he was not already sounding out a replacement for Bruce. Bruce deserves to be sacked but it's only that we have endured even worse ****e than we currently have on our plates which make some people want to stick with him. However the conditions have changed and what we are putting up with is just unacceptable. When Keane walked it seemed to be a bolt from the blue to Messrs Quinn and Short. Bruce's departure even if he walked would shock nobody. Bruce would actually come out of this mess with some reputation and dignity if he did resign, but he won't. For those reasons I suspect that the sorts of guys they would be interested in will already have had a call talking about a "What if..............?" situation were to appear. My money would be on Hughes and O'Neill, although I think that the latter may have the longer odds. I think that Hughes would fancy the job, and would be a much better manager than Bruce. He's done pretty well wherever he's been. I wouldn't want to see us in a deja vu position with Bally taking over as a caretaker etc. Much as we love KB he isn't the right answer. We would need to have somebody ready and primed for the hot seat immediately.
I don't think attendances will drop below 30k purely due to season ticket holders. I'm a season ticket holder and I would never miss a home game if I could help it no matter how bad things got. I think if the fans want him out they have to be vocal not vote with their feet. I just hope the vocals are saved for ft and not when there's a game to be won. If we are losing and not on a position to get a result on Monday I expect the Bruce out and ya don't know what ya doing chants to ring out. Ground hog day prior to Stoke
I think SB is fighting a losing battle i feel he has lost the dressing room. Whatever happens on Saturday we have just got to trust NQ & ES KTF
Ive been a Brucie man since he came but i fear the seeds among the fans have already been sowed, he is fighting a losing battle as the BoB are now over the 50% mark i reckon. The worrying thing for me on Monday was the lack of fight after 1 goal never mind the second The week has just got worse for Bruce With bramble's arrest today and if he is found guilty may just finish bruce, after all he brought him to the club and although bruce can't be blamed for Bramble being a complete idiot if he has taken drugs he should have some idea of what he gets upto outside the club. I can't believe he would be stupid enough to do this after just being accused of the same thing with his brother. Question as i don't know If he is found guilty and is banned from the game surely the club are insured so that they will get compensation. Makes selling ferdinand a bit premature. The players morale must be low the fans morale is definately low. Quinns face on Monday says he is Low. we all want bruce to do well but if he loses Saturday things will really start to roll Just please please if he goes get someone decent and not a part timer for a year. I also agree that if he goes we will know what Shorts ambition for the club is
The rot has well and truly set in mate and you are right its a losing battle form here on in. I can only remember one manager who was this close to the sack and had the fans calling for his head but then turned it round with an FA Cup run. SAF. Unfortunately for SB and us, our man is not anywhere in the calibre of the top man in British football Oh how Bruce must dream of having his Mark Robbins moment this Saturday? Quinny and Short WILL have had the discussion by now and if they haven't, they are negligent. If we lose Saturday he must be dismissed that night and an alternative brought in. If he wins comfortably and the performance suggests the players are with him then he will be given more time to play his hand out. The sad thing is that its 1 step forward and 2 back now and thats not a healthy position for us to be in imo.
Yeah, Cest, this SAF thing keeps coming up. But the Man. U. board had every right to ignore the calls for SAF's dismissal - he'd already won a major European trophy with Aberdeen (a club little bigger than Barnsley). SAF was a proven winner, Bruce isn't, and he can't expect the same patience as Alex had earned.
