Bruce has to stay

The start of the season a top 10 would have been acceptable without our injury situation i am sure we would have achieved that comfortably.
It is no good changing managers every 2 years as the clubs at the top have proven.
A manger needs time to build a team and i still think bruce will get there given the money.
Everton have had Moyes who although has not won anything has had Everton at the top have for most of his reign on very little to spend.
Si i say give Bruce a chance and if next season we are not top 10 then maybe it is time to change

 

I think that history shows that teams that don't change their managers at the drop of a hat do better than teams that do. The best example of this is Man U who have won more titles than Chelsea despite the fact that Chelsea have spent far more on players over the same period.
In every walk of life people learn by their mistakes, and football is no exception to this rule.

 

Sunderland 1958 - 1972 shows why we shouldn't keep a bad manager.

 

After 3 years then judge you can't judge a manager before that.
Look at our progress and what we had before with K.Kyle to Gyan
We can't be a top side over night and we need to prove we can stay in the Prmeier which at the moment we are doing.
As long as the money goes into the transfer kitty i am sure we are improving every year.

 

I agree with the OP Bruce needs time, If he goes we are back to square 1. He is building a young team which will not peak for a couple more years, but could be outstanding in the future.

 

Are you trying to say that Alan brown was manager all that time, because if you are you are wrong.

 

and 1974 to 1995 shows why we should not have a merry go round of managers .................

 

After a period of reflection I feel that Bruce should be given the benefit of the doubt this season. In the recent poll I was all for Bruce going as I felt that he had lost the dressing room as players didnt seem motivated and his tactics and team selections were questionable . So let's put this season to bed, get in some quality signings in the summer and come back refreshed and injury free next season. But Bruce needs to show some real progress next season or I would think the majority would feel it's time for him to go

 

NO,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Fifty years of heartbreak is enough,,,,,,,,, Bruce has no pedigree, only chum, he is not the man, just taking the very good wages, no plan. no tactics, for me no way.

 

In my opinion he had a decent enough plan against Chelsea away.

 

All but two years around '64 and '65 when he left for Sheffield Wednesday, and then he came back.

 

Agreed. Let's get a GOOD manager and stick with him. But I don't think we've got one.

 

As I said: he wasn't there all the time from 1958-72.

 

Let's put it this way - we were loyal enough to him to bring him back, and it didn't work.

 

2 years is not enough time to determine whether a manager is any good, I know Ferguson has been used as an example before however it proves the point in my book.

Alan Brown broke the cardinal rule, never return to a club where you had been successful........

 

But a manager about Bruce's standing is the most we can realistically sign at the moment, as an average mid-table club. Chopping and changing doesn't usually mean a world of good. And this topic's been done to death!

 

Alan Brown (1957-64)
Alan Brown managed Sunderland on two separate occasions. He was regarded as a strict disciplinarian - on and off the field. His style, however, could not halt the club's decline and they were relegated. He left to join Sheffield Wednesday after guiding Sunderland to promotion in 1964.
George Hardwick (1964-65)
George Hardwick was manager for one season and never found life easy at Roker Park. He led the side to a 15th place finish in the top-flight before Ian McColl took over.
Ian McColl (1965-68)
Ian McColl became Sunderland's third manager in three years and is remembered as the boss who brought "Slim" Jim Baxter to the club. McColl was eventually sacked and former boss Alan Brown returned to Wearside.
Alan Brown (1968-72)
Alan Brown steered the club away from danger in his first season back at Sunderland but was unable to stop them dropping into the Second Division for the second time under his leadership. Brown left at the start of the 1972-73 season and was replaced by caretaker-boss Billy Elliot.

 

Bob Stokoe (1972-76)

It is a rare man, let alone manager, who can straddle the great divide in north-east football and still retain near universal affection, but Bob Stokoe was one such individual. Synonymous as a player with the famous Newcastle United FA Cup-winning side of the 1950s, Stokoe would lift the same trophy in 1973 and this time, in remarkable circumstances, the triumph had a deep red and white hue.

Football throws up some indelible images; Gazza's tears, the Hand of God, the Cruyff turn, David Beckham frozen at the moment when his last-minute free-kick was curling towards Greece's goal. Stokoe's celebration at Wembley, hat perched on his head, his macintosh flapping as he ran onto the pitch after victory over mighty Leeds United is one which will forever be associated with Sunderland. The moment is immortalised in a wonderful statue which now stands proudly outside the Stadium of Light.

That 1-0 win remains one of the most famous in the competition's long and marvellous history. Consider the context: Leeds were the Cup-holders. They were also, well, Leeds - one of the dominant teams of the era, managed by the great Don Revie and crammed with illustrious players like Billy Bremner, Peter Lorimer and Johnny Giles. By contrast, Sunderland were representing the second tier and, at the time, none of their players had been capped at international level (although that would change afterwards).

The tale of the match is well-known. Sunderland were determined and committed from the first whistle, grasping the lead through Ian Porterfield in the 31st minute. Leeds responded with vigour, but could find no route past Jimmy Montgomery, Stokoe's inspirational goalkeeper, whose incredible double save from Trevor Cherry and Lorimer is rightly regarded as one of the truly pivotal moments in the club's past. Sunderland held firm to become the first Second Division club to win the cup for 40 years.

Glory brought Sunderland a brief, glamorous taste of European football, while Stokoe would proceed to lead the club to promotion in 1976. Amid some difficult results and citing ill-health, Stokoe left the club that October, but his achievements had been enormous; given the circumstances, they verge on the unparalleled. Stokoe died in 2004 at the age of 73, with supporters of Sunderland and Newcastle uniting to pay their respects at his funeral in Northumberland. It was a fitting tribute to a genuine legend.

Ian MacFarlane (1976, caretaker)

Stokoe's departure heralded a period of instability at Roker Park. The great man was initially replaced by the Scot Ian MacFarlane, but only for seven games, four of which were lost.

Jimmy Adamson (1976-78)

Jimmy Adamson, a former Footballer of the Year and Championship-winning right-half, had enjoyed a long playing career with Burnley, before managing the club with some success for six years. After a brief spell with Sparta Rotterdam, he returned to his native north east - he had been born in Ashington and worked there as a miner - to take charge at Sunderland.

Relegation was looking likely, a prospect which early results under Adamson did little to deflect. He presided over a strong recovery, however, with Sunderland losing just three of their final 19 games of the season, but it was not enough for them to retain their status. The following season, he was unable to propel the club to an immediate return to the First Division and left for Leeds United in November 1978.

Dave Merrington (1978, caretaker)

Dave Merrington, a Geordie, was another Burnley old boy who stepped into the breach for eight matches when Adamson departed for Elland Road. Merrington would go on to manage Southampton in the Premiership for the 1995-96 season.

Billy Elliott (1978-79)

Billy Elliott was no stranger to Sunderland, having made more than 200 appearances for the club as a left-winger in the 1950s, before a brief spell as caretaker manager in 1972. Elliott remained on the coaching staff under Bob Stokoe until the following year and would then spend four years in Norway with Brann. Initially appointed by the Roker Park board on a temporary basis, he only narrowly failed to guide the club to promotion, missing out on a top-three place on the final day of the season. That heartache was enough to persuade directors to look to

 

Ken Knighton (1979-81)

Having been brought to the club in a coaching capacity by Jimmy Adamson in the summer of 1978, Ken Knighton was installed as manager within a year. Initially at least, the move appeared a master-stroke. Sunderland were promoted at the first time of asking, playing some delicious football along the way, with their return to the elite confirmed by goals from Cummins and Arnott against West Ham at Roker Park. Thousands of fans were locked out.

Knighton, who had played under some fine managers including Stan Cullis, Terry Neill and Tommy Docherty, was the man who signed Claudio Marangoni, the Argentinian, for more than £300,000, a transfer which offered exotic promise but ultimately failed to deliver. Knighton's managerial partnership with Frank Clark, his assistant, was well-regarded, however, and there was disappointment when a series of disagreements with directors prompted the duo's departure four games before the end of their second season.

Mick Docherty (1981, caretaker)

A former full-back at the club and a coach under Knighton, Mick Docherty was asked to guide the club to safety. He was successful in his task, with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on the last day of the season ensuring that Sunderland finished in 17th position, two points clear of relegation.

Alan Durban (1981-84)

Sunderland were still in the First Division, but staying there was hardly a straightforward proposition and the 1980s would transpire to be another testing, traumatic decade for the club. Alan Durban, the ex-Wales international, had managed at Shrewsbury Town for four years and for another three at Stoke City before he arrived at Roker Park, and while his skill at developing young players was appreciated, his reign was largely one of struggle and he left before the 1983-84 season was out. "Anyone seeking entertainment should go to a circus," Durban once said, a philosophy reflected in the dwindling size of Sunderland's attendances.

Bryan Robson (1984, caretaker)

Bryan 'Pop' Robson was in his third stint as a Sunderland player when Durban was sacked, but it was not for his single game in caretaker charge of the team for which he is perhaps remembered most fondly by supporters. At the age of 38, Robson was subsequently recalled to the side by Len Ashurst, the incoming manager, and it was his last-ever goal for the club which ultimately saved Sunderland from the ignominy of relegation. Bizarrely, that victory over Leicester City saw the club finish thirteenth, their highest position since 1956.

Len Ashurst (1984-85)

While those 13 matches in the spring of 1984 saw Sunderland secure their safety - they won five, lost five and drew three - the respite was short-lived. The team had been weak in many areas, while an average crowd of around 16,000 demonstrated eloquently what supporters had made of their team's efforts. Ashurt, who had spent 14 years at Roker Park as a player, now began the task of re-moulding the club as he saw fit. Out went the likes of Gary Rowell, Paul Bracewell, Lee Chapman and Pop Robson and in came many more.

The following season, Sunderland were to excel in the League Cup, beating luminaries such as Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford and Chelsea to reach the final, but defeat to Norwich City was followed by more lingering disappointment and the last 12 league games of the season brought eight defeats and just a single victory. The club were relegated and Ashurst was sacked. Typical Sunderland.

 

Lawrie McMenemy (1985-1987)
Relegation to the second tier of English football brought about another managerial change at Roker Park, but this time, hopes were high. Having guided Southampton into the First Division, won the FA Cup and attracted some big names to the club, Lawrie McMenemy was a substantive, authoritative, charismatic figure in the game. His north east roots were another selling point; surely there could be no better candidate to revive slumbering Sunderland and achieve promotion at the first attempt?

McMenemy's appointment was greeted warmly by supporters; few begrudged the former guardsman a contract which was reported to be the most lucrative in the country. And yet, from the start, his tenure proved disastrous. Experienced players were drafted into the side - the likes of Eric Gates, Alan Kennedy and George Burley - but the start of the 1985-86 season brought five consecutive defeats, after which Sunderland were bottom of the league. It was the lowest position in the club's history, although worse - much worse - was to follow.

Exits from the League Cup - at the hands of Swindon Town, then in the Fourth Division - and the FA Cup, coincided with a miserable league campaign and a sixth consecutive relegation battle. Four successive home wins, including a final-day victory over Stoke, saw Sunderland finish fifth-bottom and while safety was hailed as a potential turning point in the club's fortunes, it merely delayed further disappointment.

Off the field, the club were faced with growing debts and falling crowds - in the boardroom, Tom Cowie was replaced by Bob Murray as chairman - and on it, results refused to turn. November and December 1986 brought a single victory, while five out of six games were lost in March. After a 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United on April 11, McMenemy finally agreed it was time to go. The big name had been an even bigger let-down.

Bob Stokoe (1987, caretaker)
With only seven games of the season left to play and relegation to the old Third Division now looking like a calamitous formality, a miracle was called for. Bob Stokoe, the FA Cup winning legend of 1973, agreed to make an emotional return to Roker Park, but even Sunderland's 'messiah' was unable to reverse the club's steep decline.

Victories over Shrewsbury and Crystal Palace were not sufficient to prevent the Black Cats from slipping into the play-offs, where defeat on away goals followed at the hands of Gillingham. With demotion confirmed, Stokoe retired from football.

Denis Smith (1987-1991)
Sunderland's existence was now deeply sobering. Playing at a level of which they had no prior experience, the club were also edging close to financial meltdown, a scenario only avoided when Bob Murray personally guaranteed debts. Denis Smith's arrival as manager was largely unheralded - in stark contract to McMenemy's unveiling - but his knowledge of lower-league football, where he had worked with York City, was extensive, whilst his honest, no-nonsense, committed and self-confident approach was necessary. Crucially, he had an eye for a bargain in the transfer market.

Following Smith from York was a man who would transpire to be a talismanic player for Sunderland. Marco Gabbiadini's attacking partnership with Eric Gates was instrumental in the club's re-birth, with their 40 goals proving the solid foundation in the run to the Championship. The team were dominant, the tears dried up.

The Second Division, as expected, was less straightforward, but while a lack of victories in the opening six games briefly brought back some traumatic memories, Sunderland consolidated under Smith's leadership and, for the first time in two decades, a campaign concluded without promotion beckoning or relegation looming. In 1989-90, the club reverted to type, finishing sixth in the table, overcoming third-placed Newcastle United in the play-off semi-final, before losing to Swindon Town at Wembley. For once, however, Lady Luck was wearing a red-and-white scarf and Sunderland were promoted to the highest level after Swindon were found guilty of financial irregularities.

In truly difficult circumstances, Smith had excelled, but the First Division was a step too far. Some good performances won the club many friends, but brought too few wins and while, at times, safety appeared a real possibility, Sunderland were again relegated on the final day of the season, losing 3-2 at Manchester City, who were then managed by a certain Peter Reid. Remarkably, 15,000 Sunderland supporters had travelled to Maine Road. "Unbelievable," Smith said afterwards. "How can you be relegated and have people chanting for you like that?"

After a testing five months back in the second tier, in which Sunderland struggled for motivation and victories and Gabbiadini was sold to Crystal Palace for the significant sum of £1.8m, Smith was sacked before the New Year. As with many managers, his reign had ended in sadness, but he remains a fondly-regarded figure in the club's folklore.

Malcolm Crosby (1991-1993)
After a period of relative stability, at least in matters of management, Sunderland quickly found themselves in a maelstrom. While the club endured a frustrating search for a permanent replacement for Smith, Malcolm Crosby, who had previously been serving as assistant manager (a position he had also filled during Smith's tenure at York), assumed the job on a caretaker business. Well-liked and a respected coach, the South Shields-born Crosby immediately presided over an upturn in results and while Sunderland's league form soon dipped again, the FA Cup was an unlikely source of triumph.

A run to Wembley, where the team would proceed to be well beaten by Liverpool, was enough for Crosby to be awarded the role full-time, but as with Smith the previous year, lifting the side the following season was not easy. With relegation again looking like a probability, Crosby departed in January 1993.

Terry Butcher (1993)
Directors again found it difficult to tempt an experienced manager to Wearside - Dave Bassett was amongst the candidates to turn the role down - leading to another internal appointment. Terry Butcher, who had been a lion of a player in the heart of England's defence, had been signed by Crosby on a free transfer in August 1992 and it was to him that the board finally turned to serve as his replacement. Butcher would manage the club for only 38 league matches, winning just 10 of them, with Sunderland finishing only one place and a single point away from demotion to the old third division - their second-lowest placing of all time - and then failing to be inspired by a £2m spending spree the following summer. The new season began with an opening-day club record 5-0 hammering at Derby and by November Butcher was himself chopped.

Mick Buxton (1993-1995)
Coinciding with further turmoil off the field, Sunderland once more looked within for Butcher's successor. Mick Buxton, the coach, was an experienced manager, having brought some success to Huddersfield and Scunthorpe in lengthy spells at both clubs, and he set about tightening the team's defence and persuading the players to work more effectively as a unit. A twelfth-place finish may not have been stupendous, but it represented a form of bliss after the mayhem which preceded it and Buxton, with his north east pedigree and firm attitude, had encouraged stability.

Stability, however, is a relative concept and 1994-95 began with Sunderland led by their fourth manager in as many season. The initial prognosis was positive, with the team remaining unbeaten for their opening eight games - their best sequence for 84 years - but there were too many draws and sterility soon became a severe downward slope. In March 1995, Sunderland lost six of their seven games and found themselves in trouble with Football League after selecting Dominic Matteo at Barnsley when his loan move from Liverpool had not been registered. Buxton was subsequently relieved of his duties. Sunderland again found themselves teetering on a precipice.