After the last couple of weeks of relative peace and calm on here regarding our managers future, has the clamour for a new manager abated now, or is it still just bubbling away under the surface, waiting for an opportunity to pounce? I think Short has been quite clever since his succession to the chairmans position, in so far as he has been completely anonymous to be fair and has let Bruce front the club completely. Our 11 game point tally isn't very impressive imo and despite 2 or 3 good performances against the likes of arsenal and man utd for instance (after all that they were pointless games) we are still only a game away from the trapdoor. With 2 of the bottom 3 playing today, the gap could be far too close for my comfort by 6pm and I still have little faith that the man in charge is the one to keep us up above the relegation zone this season. However, I do concede that I am perhaps still in a minority in my thoughts, although there are more and more converts in recent weeks and there is a very important 4 match run now where we simply have to ignite the season. A target of 3 wins and a draw should be the absolute minimum over these 4 games, if Bruce is to build some momentum and dispell these revolutionary murmurings. With Martin o Neill turning down a move to the championship and a return back to leicester city, my hopes were renewed that he is hanging on for the SOL. However, with blackburn, wolves, Bolton and maybe wigan all discussing their managers position, I'd hate us to miss this opportunity now. So, with this in mind, what would other fans deem a reasonable points return in the next 4 games to save Bruce from more BiB and BoB discussions in December?
we will never be where we should be with him at the helm, but there are better cv out there than M.ON
Cest I'd say a minimum of 8 points from the next 4 games and I'd be back firmly in the BIB camp instead of sitting on the fence. This is a very realistic tally IMO. If we achieve this it should kick start our season.
Like who? Please don't start to quote the likes of van Gaal, Ancelotti and Hiddink etc. That calibre of manager simply won't come to Sunderland as we can't offer them the level of competition they crave. They are all champions league quality managers and we aren't even regular top half premiership yet. MoN is a proven winner of trophies at similar sized clubs of our stature and standing. A trophy would do for me.
Already in the few replies we see what to me is one of the problems, but first the question, how many points? I hope for 10 points minium but if we dont get them that would not mean the end of Bruce, I think the managers future is far more complex than that. We are, IMO, improving over the past few games and my hope is we continue over the season, not just the next few games. On Bruces future I remain a follower rather than a fan until Short says its over. We have had, in 3 comments, MON is the only realistic choice, MON is not the option, how about Mark Hughs, that tells me, sack bruce and within a short time we will have a ?oB to take its place. The answer to me is in Cests reply to Roger, right now we need a manager who can take us and keep us in the top 10, then and only then do we look at bringing in that next level manager. Again just my opinion but Bruce got us there last season and I think will get us there this, if not Short will replace him in the summer.
O'Neil is the last man I want to see managing Sunderland. His teams play long ball stuff, Aston Villa has Young and Agbonlahor using their speed to pick up the hopeful punts down the park not the sort of football that I'd wish to see on a regular basis. If he doesn't get his own way the dummy is spat out and he eventually will walk, potentially leaving the club in the mire as he did with Villa and Bent did to us. Who do we go for in the event that Bruce departs, that's a fair question Cest, and not an easy one to answer. Hughes may be a candidate but I'm not too keen on him; Moyes would be my choice but I can't see him leaving Everton.
As long as the lads perform and not roll over as in years gone by im happy, whilst it beggars belief at some of the decisions made by Bruce in matches, my heart will always follow the lads, there lies the problem, i want us to succeed in my lifetime, so when stupid subs and tactics are used, my blame for it lies at the door of the person responsible for the decision. Cest the board may well have put out the feelers, in case of failure, who knows, but i bet there is a short list on Ellis desk
Yep, next 4 games are going to be vital to our season. I don't care if we play **** as long as we pick up the points, our performances have been decent but we are not getting the rub of the green. I am still right on the fence, playing two up top and having a go in the last couple of games has kept me there. If there is any more of the Sess upfront by himself bollocks I will be back off. Twatingly unluckly with Connor, another knee injury, can it possibly be just bad luck or do serious questions need to be asked about the training regime. We just can't afford anymore injuries to key players. We must see a new striker in January.
TBH, I think that will tell us a lot about what Short is thinking, will it be that big signing or just a fill in until the summer? A fill in would say to me, I'm backing Bruce for now but the summer will tell.
Its all well and good complaining about MONs teams style of play when you are in a position to do so. Are we playing sexy football? How far has it got us? As for Bruce, I can't see him bettering last seasons top ten at any point, unless we Man City like funding. Also I'm not sure how anyone can have a pop at MONs cv, its better than any recent manager of Sunderland that I can think of. But then an other problem arises, do we need someone with a good cv, AVB achieved great things at Sporting Braga etc. No one has a good cv until that achieve something worthwhile. Its more important to get the right person whether they are a 'big' name or not doesn't matter. I have no idea who this could be, but I don't think we will push on with Bruce.
As always my thoughts on Bruce will be based on what happens on the pitch. Do I think he can take us forward? Nope, never have, probably never will. The 10th place last season gets rolled out, to try and beat down anyone questioning Bruce. Totally ignoring the fact we were there by good fortune and results going for us elsewhere. Last season was the last straw for me, as I thought we should have been a comfortable top half team with the money spent! My feelings on Bruce are based on his whole time at SAFC, and he has never ever showed he is a good manager, since he walked through the door. (He wasn't a good manager before he walked through it either.) Never been a BOB or a BIB, just a SAFC supporter that wants the best for his club.
8 points. 4 clean sheets. I still see bruce as the manager put in to get us respectable mid-table, but not as a manager who can take us further than that. The problem with this is it only takes 1 bad season and we are back in the clarts. x
Good post mate,and where this BiB / BoB sh.t come from is a load rubbish. Like you say we are all Sunlan supporters wanting the best for our club
Dead issue for me, Cest. I'll go to my next game when Bruce is out of here. My heart turns up every game, but my head says enough is enough. I've better things to do with my pension than waste it on Steve Bruce.
I think the general concensus of opinion is that bruce should go.... should already be gone in my opinion..... but when he eventually goes, the fact remains we have a billionaire in charge who won't put a penny into the club more than he has to... for me, that is just as big a problem... all this rubbish about going to korea to try and get investment, a smokescreen for the weak minded and gullible fans.. we've never heard another word about that.. i think we should be told by short what most of us already know... that he is just happy for us to be in the top flight and has no more ambition than that.. at least then we won't feel like we're, once again, being taken for fools by those in charge of s.a.f.c. ....
A small minority on here were calling anyone with valid concerns on Bruce's lack of tactical nous, the Bruce out Brigade. Usually posted with abuse and derision on their loyalties to SAFC and telling us we should go glory hunt somewhere else.
