The players are behind Bruce, so why arnt the fans?

[One Chance Asamoah]

Bruce is certainly not the most popular with calls for his head every week, probably down too the fact that we were awful against newcastle and he was born a Geordie (Its a conspiracy ) however on the whole he seems, in the players mind too be the right man for the job. Just a quote from our player of the year bardo reflecting this;

Sunderland’s double player of the year Phil Bardsley has urged club owner Ellis Short to keep faith in Bruce after a promising season petered out.

Bardsley, named fans and players’ player of the season, said Bruce had helped transform his career, and deserved credit for the improvements he has made at the Stadium of Light.

He said: 'He has had some stick but he has done a great job. He is the perfect manager, a great manager. He has bundles of respect for the players and the players respect him for what he has done in the game.

'The last few months have been difficult and have not worked out as he would have wanted but he has dug in and made sure the players have done the same. I think he has done a brilliant job and we can only get better in the coming seasons.

'I owe everything to him. I went through a period asking if I loved the game anymore. I had a chat with the manager, got my head down, came back in decent shape last summer. He showed me he had faith in me and that was so important.'

So why cant the fans get behind Bruce, discuss...

 

[Commachio]

Not everyone is against him, i certainly am not and will stand by him as long as ellis short does.

 

[One Chance Asamoah]

Not everyone is against him, i certainly am not and will stand by him as long as ellis short does.

just too clarify i wasnt talking about ALL the fans just the bruce out brigade who are also the Oneill in brigade

 

[Teessidemackem]

Somtimes the Sunderland fans annoy me with their fickleness! They slated Bruce when he signed Bramble and Wellbeck because they wanted big name signings!
If it wasnt for injury these two wouldve competed with Bardo for player of the season!

With 10 players out injured what do they expect from Bruce? His one and only mistake this year is assuming Campbell was gona return from injury and 3 strikers would see us through till the end of the season!

 

[talcnturnip]

just too clarify i wasnt talking about ALL the fans just the bruce out brigade who are also the Oneill in brigade

I'm for Bruce out mate but don't want O'Neill which group am I in?
The players think he's great because he plays them and he is probably a bit of a mate with them, he does strike me as a very likeable bloke honest and straight talking. If the players do think he's the man for the job why week in week out do they play like a bunch of headless chickens who don't give a toss? However the players are not paying good money to watch for the majority a load of crap home and away this season. I go to a few away games and the crowd you get at those games tend to expect it. However the fans at SOL expect a bit more, they expect the team to play out of their skins as they did last season and beat the likes of West Brom, Fulham etc (no disrespect to them).

 

[Disco]

I wish the players would play like they're behind him.

 

[Dorset]

Somtimes the Sunderland fans annoy me with their fickleness! They slated Bruce when he signed Bramble and Wellbeck because they wanted big name signings!
If it wasnt for injury these two wouldve competed with Bardo for player of the season!

With 10 players out injured what do they expect from Bruce? His one and only mistake this year is assuming Campbell was gona return from injury and 3 strikers would see us through till the end of the season!

....and that has got to be the understatement of the year Teeside.

There has been a catalogue of errors from Bruce this season, from the sale of Bent in January to playing Onuoha as a striker in May. His training methods have been found wanting, hence all of the injuries. Rushing players back to soon from injury, Playing Hendo in central midfield for weeks when he was clearly not up to the job. Bruce admitted in the press only yesterday that with hindsight, he should have played Zenden during that period, but he didn't. I can go on, but it is all recorded in other threads, so I'm not going to go any further, accept to say that for a so called 'experienced' manager, he has got it badly wrong not only this season, but last season as well.

That is why so many fans are not behind him and want him gone.

 

[Wherewereyou]

Can you picture this? Reporter to Bardsley - what do you think of Bruce, Phil? Bardsley to reporter - well I think he's a ****. Brought in Hutton to replace me last year. Bought some Argie to replace me this year. Didn't even look like I'd get a squad number. Played me out of position all season. You've seen us play - hardly full of spirit are we? He's a dead man walking.

No, of course not, because no matter what a player thinks, if he's half sensible he's going to say the right things - knowing what side his bread is buttered.