Just been having a right old trudge through old memory lane during my lunch break and thinking about whether I am being too demanding of Bruce and the club. Maybe I shouldnât be so miserable when it come to my clubs struggles and should just accept my lot and get on with it. Then I looked at what I have put up with since my first season in 1974/75. 5 different owners 7 Relegations (one of them to the 3rd tier of the English game) 7 Promotions 2 Cup final failures (one with the very first ever penalty miss at Wembley and both completely forgettable) 2 Play off final defeats (albeit with one voted game of the century at the old Wembley and one that turned out okay anyway) Iâve seen the likes of Bob Stokoe (twice), Dave Merrington, Ian McFarlane, Jimmy Adamson, Mick Docherty, Alan Durban, Len Ashurst, Lawrie McMenemy, Denis Smith, Malcolm Crosby, Terry Butcher, Peter Reid, Howard Wilkinson, Kevin Ball, Roy Keane, Ricky Sbragia and now Steve Bruce in the managers chair and in that time, apart from Durban, Smith & Reid, there hasnât been too much positive to shout about. Now, having seen at close hand what 7 relegations look and feel like, I can recognise the symptoms of one long before they actually hit home. So, recognising many of those symptoms in the current set up - panic buys, top players leaving and not being replaced, desperate management decisions, players constantly played out of position, wondering where goals will come from and leaking daft unprofessional goals at the other end, poor form and now the manager having a pop at the fans, the media and everyone but themselves, Iâd say we are well into another relegation threatened season imo. So, knowing this, should I just sit back and allow an 8th relegation to unfold before my eyes without protest? Should I just accept that this is how it is to be for a Sunderland fan and shut up and get on with it? I'm 46 years old (47 in December) and I've witnessed the pain and heartache of 7 (SEVEN) relegations following SAFC. In my 37th season, that equates to a relegation every 5.2 years. Its not good reading is it? So, when Mr Bruce tells me I should be grateful and stop moaning, as we have spent 4 seasons (currently in our 5th) in the top flight, and have finished 10th last season and cant expect much else and should be grateful we have him as manager he probably believes it and looking at the stats he maybe has a point. However, for me, I'm just sick & tired of being promised jam tomorrow from a succession of failed owners and chairman and a host of second rate/3rd rate managers who were on the whole an embarrassment for a professional football club. Do I want to witness an 8th relegation in 37 seasons? Hell no and thatâs why I implore the owner and chairman to do everything in their power to stop it happening again before itâs too late. If there were the slightest doubt that I am wrong and that Bruce is still able I'd happily stay with him but I dont and he isnât. Act now before itâs too late. March or April is too late to mount a rescue act and we wonât attract anyone of any calibre to affect it. Act now, or in 3 games time and we will be able to bring in a quality replacement that may just turn things round. When Bruce said he thought we were terrific on Saturday my alarm bells went haywire. We were awful and played an even more awful team at home and just got back for a 2-2 draw. I was horrified. Bruce was ecstatic. Thatâs why there has to be a change before the above statistics are worsened even further.
Cest a very insightful post Marta makes me think, still not sure if getting rid of Bruce is the right thing to do but..........
You were watching a different game to me! perception, eh? Apart from the Turner horror show (all game), we played well in all other areas imo. We were unlucky not to get a winner, as we pressured them all throughout the 2nd half. A point i made in another thread: Moyes finished 17th in his third season, the board stuck by him and now Everton have finished top 8 every season (with 1 exception) since..... so I agree that patience is a virtue.
Don't take this the wrong way dan, as it's not meant aggressively, but the Moyes situation isn't exactly scientific evidence, mate.
You mentioned only Durban, Smith and Reid gave you something to shout about. What about Roy Keane getting you an against the odds promotion and a (rare) victory over Newcastle. Or how about Bob Stokoe winning the FA Cup?
Moyes never relegated Everton. Bruce relegated Birmingham. Moyes hasn't ever quit a job (he only left Preston to join Everton), Bruce has quit twice and been sacked in previous positions. It's ok sticking with a manager aslong as you have appointed a competent manager however sticking with an incompetent manager is not very wise.
Dont worry mate, i know its not exact science, and doesnt prove **** all, but neither is management..... it was just to point out that backing people in time of difficulty can sometimes work out quite well.
Keane delivered in parts, the derby games being one such event and promotion but he ultimately failed as he gave up on a good job. Stokoe won the FA Cup the previous season to my first campaign so I even missed that. Lol Durban, Smith and Reid took the club onto better things imo and given better financial support (especially Durban and Smith after we were promoted in 1990) and are special managers in my opinion. Bruce has had EVERYTHING. Great owner, chairman, finacial support and 100% control of team matters. He hasnt done much with it imo.
Bruce has quit when no longer enjoying the backing of the chairman, while Moyes has always had his boards backing even if he nearly got them relegated. How many everton fans were shouting for Moyes head when they finished 17th? A fair few imo. How were the board sure that he was a competent manager? I bet the fans would have been able to show the board a few mistakes Moyes was making when they finished 17th.
I see, fair points. I agree Bruce is the worst manager you have had in years, you couldn't ask for anymore. And this "net spend" is something I don't get, he was lucky to get 20 million for Henderson and the fact he has replaced him with total dross is his own fault.
Lets put it like this. If I had to appoint a manager with the intention of retaining his services for the longterm and I had to choose between Moyes or Bruce based upon historical factual performance, I would choose Moyes.
So you think the Blackburn fans are wrong about Kean and that Coyle will be okay at Bolton (even losing 6 out of 7 home games on the trot)? Get real mate. Thats not how the world works and if you're really trying to suggest that Bruce is on par with Moyes, you really are on a losing argument there mate.
You see what happens when you ponder upon the fruits of Steve Bruces tenure? You go all wonky eyed! I doubt neither Moyes or Bruce would be very good in a facial performance We would need to appoint Mourinho for that!
Since 1974/75 So in 36 years we have either been fighting for promotion or staving off relegation unsucessfully in 14 of them. Yep yo-yo club, let's hope them days are behind us.. But when Cest puts it like this, it is frightening...
No i am not saying that... take it in the context of the rest of my posts. Moyes has a great record, a better one than Bruce. But where would Moyes have been now if the board had sacked him in his 3rd season when he finished 17th? Bruce has not lost 6 out of 7 home games, he has drawn away at liverpool. The dire performance at Norwich is countered by the very good performance against Stoke. Also, imo, we played some very good football against WBA even if the first 5 minutes were a nightmare and Turner was **** all game. So the comparison with Bolton and Blackburn are unfair imo. If we hadnt seen the Stoke performance, and other good football we have played at times then i would be saying Bruce out as well. However, I still believe there is potential for us to do well this season (but there is also the potential for us to do badly) - change at the moment, imo, could be just as bad or worse than sacking Bruce at the moment and will not guarantee greater success.
The Stoke game does keep getting brought up, the truth is though that Stoke are dire away from the Britannia, Swansea beat them on Saturday, they also had an away game in Europe the thursday prior to the game. Mr Bruce wants to have a go at us fans for saying things are ****e well look at the stats Brucey and you can go a long way back. I don't feel there is a way back for Bruce and even if we have a good couple of results, the next sign of a dip in form it will be Bruce out again. Niall and Ellis must see the attendance falling and i am very very surprised the ruthless business man (Short not Niall) hasn't acted already.
