Bruce in? Bruce out? That seems to have been the thread of much discussion for SAFC fans over the past 3 months. There are equally passionate arguments to be had on both sides of the great divide and it wouldn't be a Sunderland fans forum if we didn't all end up debating the current managers status at some point. Ordinarily, it would be right at this point where I normally launch a very passionate and robust defence of the current manager. Bruce was a welcome addition IMO back in the Summer of 2009 and I truly believed we had found our man. He had learned his trade well, had 400 games as a manager behind him and generally was highly regarded in the media and amongst his peers. He started well, clearing out the rubbish without catching breath and recruiting some excellent replacements. After a promising start, we finished a disappointing 14th in his first year after a mid season slump (a common denominator in Bruce's managerial history) but nevertheless looked forward to his second season with some anticipation. It didn't disappoint either to start with. Apart form 'that' game, we looked on course for our first European place challenge since the Reid era and the football we played at times was very good. However, the events of the January transfer window and once again the customary mid season slump, has shown fundamental weaknesses in Bruce's make up and his petulance surrounding the Bent saga (letting him go so easily without a replacement because of personal issues surrounding his daughter) has ultimately led to our sad, pathetic demise in the second half of the campaign. Bruce and Quinn may want to direct the blame at Bents door but I lay it firmly and squarely at both Bruce and Quinn's. Bent didn't decide to let himself go and did not make the decision to do so without a replacement. Thats the managers and chairman's call and they got it very, very wrong indeed. Bruce knew Campbell was out for the season (something the club kept quiet on) and gambled with the hope Gyan and Welbeck would stay fit and perform. We all know the outcome of that now and the gamble has spectacularly back-fired. Now the constant wailing about injuries we hear time after time, after 9 defeats in the last 11 pathetic and woeful games, is to be frank, getting right on my ****ing tits. He bemoans the defensive frailties whist continuing to pick the worst centre half Ive seen for 25 years in a red and white shirt in Turner (bring back Nuggsy for me, who was also extremely crap but not so crap as the hapless donkey Turner). Players are played constantly out of position and square pegs and round holes comes to mind with EVERY Bruce team formation. To cap it all the team formation during the second half display yesterday was for me, the final straw. We had a young striker on the bench but he chose to play a central defender (who Bruce plays right back) as centre forward instead of giving the youngster a chance. Only when the game is lost does Lynch then come on anyway? Clueless management in anyone's book. So to the injuries? You have to ask why? I have been told stories that the physio team keep telling Bruce that players are not fit but he ignores them and plays them half fit, only to see them injured all over again. Then there is Ryan Noble. When we have not one fit striker at the club, why sanction our ONLY striker to play in a totally meaningless youth fixture only to see him injured as well? Clueless and ****ing thick management. As for his motivational abilities? I think we all saw in that 2nd half performance that he has lost the plot completely. This job is too much for Bruce and he needs to go back to a smaller club with no ambition and expectations of improvement. For Wigan fans, survival is the only target. At Sunderland, we want much more. We have been fed a diet of utter ****e for 40 yeas and we need a manager that can stop us being a parcel of ****e every year and develop us into something much better. What I have witnessed recently is no better than the Buxton, Crosby and Sbragia regimes IMO, that meaning we are simply whipping boys in the big league again under Bruce. 9 defeats in 11 games with Bolton (a), Wolves (h) and W Ham (a) to come. Anyone think we will have more than 1 point form those 3 games? Honestly? I think we will be beaten in both away games and will only get a point v Wolves who will be scrapping for their lives at the SOL. We don't have any fight any more. Bruce is finished. To retain his services to keep Quinn happy will only result in a long, painful and embarrassing death next season. We attracted 40,000 for 2 games in a row at the SOL (that's 80,000 people passing through the gates Niall after your ranting and raving) yet ultimately all were left thinking your time is up Bruce. Even v Wigan, it took something extraordinary after going behind to win a game we should have cantered home to victory in. Yesterday we were just an embarrassment to ourselves and the EPL. A sorry excuse for a top flight club. AGAIN. Martin O Neill simply HAS to be contacted and before the likes of West Ham or Blackburn come knocking. I'm finished with Bruce now and can no longer defend the indefensible. He is clueless and out of his comfort zone. He should look towards the top half of the Championship for a small outfit to manage not a club that attracts 80,000 people inside 7 days to watch a struggling pile of ****e. Wigan would take 6 home games to attract that amount of people through the gates and our return this season simply isn't good enough. Ellis Short may well tell Quinny to either find a replacement for Bruce ASAP or he may well find he himself is ousted from office and Short replaces both of them. One thing is absolutely guaranteed. Ellis Shorts cheque book will not be opening for business with unlimited resources for Steve Bruce, with this shambolic campaign now on his c.v. Come in boat Bruce, your time is well and truly up.
I'm no fan of O'Neill, i don't feel he is the right man. Apart from that i universally and unanimously agree with your post
Why not MoN? Who else could we attract? Bruce will cost around ã4m to sack now since the Chairman decided (Christ knows why) to award a new contract to him BEFORE the end of the season so we wont want to be paying compen to get another manager. Oh, and please don't start talking about Van Gall or Hiddink etc. They don't even know where Sunderland is and dont have any connection with the club at all. They would be a disaster for us. Great for Liverpool, Chelsea and Man Utd yes but Sunderland? Get real guys. O Neill would walk in and be ready from the first second, knowing not only the current set up well but the history of the club. As a boy, he followed SAFC because of Charlie Hurley and Billy Bingham's (O Neills boyhood hero) with their obvious Irish connections and knows the everything about the club - that's info straight from the horses mouth as well not something I've read or seen. O Neill is the ONLY credible alternative to the current set up kidda.
You know I like your posts cest and you ar not one, IMO, to work on rumour but are we sure about the Bent thing? How do you know about the Campbell injury? You say its fact that Short wont spend the same with Bruce, how do you know?
Injuries, irrespective of training regime rumours ...bad luck. Players not performing: Henderson, Muntari, Turner, Ferdinand ...have all let the supporters down. New player bought, a lot of very prudent buys and the squad has improved. Enough excuses, is there enough positive? - no - Bruce, **** OFF now please. (2-to-3 weeks ago I was a floating voter on this issue, he's lost the crowd and by the evidence of his half-time motivational speeches, the players too)
The problem that i have with O'Neill mate is that he's one of theses managers that always seems to have a whinge, have a problem and run ins with the board etc. I'll admit i agree we'll struggle to appou=int anyone of a higher calibre, but my gut feeling is that O'Neill ain't the man. That said, if he was appointed, he'd have my full backing and i'd be delighted if i was proved wrong. And he is 'one of us' of course.
no one does Syd, the majority of our brethren have had enough. Playing people not fully fit (last season as well) and out of position and just not cutting it. **** OFF Bruce!
Syd - its a story that will take time to fully break but there are absolutely no doubts that Bruce's daughter IS shacked up with Bent and that's a matter for which public newspapers have already published photos. She was ion Birmingham, photographed coming out of the hotel where Bent met Villa officials kidda. Why do you think DB suddenly wanted to leave after finally finding a club he loved and was loved in? There has to have been a helluva lot of **** flying about to make DB ask for a transfer in August mate and knowing he wanted away, Bruce and Quinn should have had contingency plans anyway? As for Campbell, only AFTER the transfer window closed was the story that he would be likely to be injured all season broke. Coincidence? I don't think so. We all said at the time that there was no need to panic over Bent as the club were making noises that Campbell was not far from training. They conned us mate. They just thought they could get by but why would they do so? IMO because Short had already begun to distrust SB's decision making. I base the thought that Short will be reticent to invest in Bruce again through level headed thought process mate. Would YOU give the ****er anymore of your hard earned after the 2 consecutive capitulations we have witnessed in the past 2 seasons? Bruce has a reputation for failing second half of the seasons and I don't think he has the mental strength to see the job through at all and the fact that 80,000 people still come to watch it staggers me. What other club can attract that many people after losing so many games off the belt? We need a bigger manager if the club is to progress. Sadly, I have reached the decision Bruce isn't to be that man IMO and I have plenty of evidence to support that stance. His defenders simply don't anymore.
Agree. If what you said about bent leaving is correct that is actually pathetic. I live in London so I didn't go to the game, and when they scored I went to sleep. So did Bruce actually play Onouha up front?! O'Neil would be perfect for me, 6th two seasons running with Villa with a limited budget, he would take us to the next level IMO. However I am not sure that Quinn will sack Bruce and that's what I'm worried about, Short imo won't want to give Bruce lots of money to spend AGAIN when he's done that in the past two seasons just to see us accomplish nothing. I hope for the sake of Sunderland Football Club next year Bruce won't be in charge.
O Neill would 'fit' our club at this current time and ask any of the Villa fans if they would have him back now and I bet he would get 99% support. They were genuine Champions League contenders in the making IMO and way ahead of Spurs who benefited most by Villas demise.
i dont think MON is the right man either, and limited budget lol 2009/2010 19.448.000 ã 15 41.272.000 ã 23 -21.824.000 ã 2008/2009 3.317.600 ã 15 52.184.000 ã 19 -48.866.400 ã if thats limited then..... http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/aston-villa/transferbilanz/verein_405.html
It's a myth that O'Neill's Villa budget was limited. He spent some enourmous sums on players to get them there, but i can't argue that he did get them there. I'm just not convinced by him, i don't know why, but i always go with my gut feeling. I'm sure the majority would be happy with O'Neill, and i can see why, it just doesn't feel like the right move for me. As i said, i wouldn't be mortified if it was him, and i'd be fully behind him, but i'd need convincing.
Whilst this is a tue statement mate, he had a much stronger starting base. Villa did play some great attacking football at times under MON, i'm all for that. Maybe he would go and get Downing, which, again, i'd be all for. Just not convinced.
Ok then, SB goes, one way or another, who do we get in his place?, personally I don't think Martin O'neil is the answer, Luis Van Gaal is available, I would prefer him
