@pmacca15 I could be here all night retweeting everyone but I've gotta get some sleep for U/21 training tomoz. Cheers for the love, keep the faith! That'll confirm the bust up rumour then!
The spirit was good at Chelsea. There are always going to be players critical of the manager. McShane must have done something.
Correct, infact you'd be forgiven for thinking SB might be losing the dressing room. Players gobbing off in the media is the last thing that should be happening.
Phil Brown got crucified for casting out players to his naughty step, yet no one gives a **** about Bruce doing it. Phil Brown got crucified for his tragic start to the 2009/10 season, yet no one gives a **** that Bruce is doing worse. Phil Brown got crucified for his dour defensive football and constantly sticking square pegs in round holes, yet no one gives a **** about Bruce doing it. Criticising Steve Bruce is taboo to many on here. He could come out in his post match interview that he's a jihadist *****phile and all his poodles on here would kick off if anyone slated him. (I'm not accusing Bruce of being a jihadist or a *****phile, before any of the resident poodles pipe up on their brown nosing agenda, it was just a particularly extreme hypothetical example)
thing is that's actually f**ing spot on and what's this spirit thing that's come about with the chelsea game? cause we passed the ball a bit? seems beating boro, southend, brighton sheff utd in the fa cup despite two being under the championship is akin to sir alex fergie to these lot
I'm not quite agreeing with you but in my mind I have drawn a few parallels with PB's Premier League years.....ie 1st season PB had an amazing start that then descended alarmingly. SB had a very good start that faded. 2nd season - well they seem to be about the same so far - bad end to the previous season that has not improved since. I think the difference is a lot of fans, (me included) rightly or wrongly expected a lot more this season than we did in 2009/10. However, despite these speculations I do think Brucey is a better man manager than Brownie and has a better chance of turning it around than we had in 09/10.
True, we're three points worse off now than we were after 16 games in 09/10. However, we've already played most of our most difficult (on paper) matches this season which was not the case at this stage in 09/10. But I still think Bruce is a better man manager and far more likely to turn it around than Brown ever was. But no guarantees of course.
most difficult fixtures? we played arsenal liverpool and chelsea away in the first half of that season atleast, from i remember infact man city too.. pretty sure we played man utd away too before xmas.. plus bruce spent a lot more..
most difficult fixtures? we played arsenal liverpool and chelsea away in the first half of that season atleast, from i remember infact man city too.. the bullard celebration.. pretty sure we played man utd away too before xmas.. plus bruce spent a lot more.. bruce is all about the name
We played Man U. at home in the Boxing day match that season and played them away in January. Other matches correct so not a bad memory.
Can people stop going on about Bruce spending more? Considering the revenue streams in 09/10 were ridiculously less than they are now the actual dollar sums being spent are incomparable.
Players look at what they see in training and then make their own selection decisions. They can and do live with disappointment, as it is a part of true squad football. What I mean by true squad football is when all of the squad can be selected on merit because they fit with tactics and are good enough to compete. When players see others being given starts they don't believe they deserve,or played in a way that they believe is wrong, then they will inevitably express that opinion. Some managers will speak the truth when they say they expect players to be banging on their doors when not selected, but some say that when the reality is they can't tolerate the implied criticism. I think Bruce does not like criticism. I have regularly defended Paul McShane on here and, earlier, on the HDM site. I believe he is a decent CB and a half decent RB. I believe he has a passion for the game, a passion to win, that I would wish to see in every squad member, but, unfortunately, I don't. This falling out with Bruce has been coming for a long time; why wouldn't it? He is dropped for long periods, he is then brought in and gives MotM performances, he wins praise and is then dropped. I said it six months ago and I'll repeat it again, Paul McShane should leave and enjoy the remainder of his playing years elsewhere. Steve Bruce is impressing me less with each game that is played. The cry of injuries and suspensions is masking his strange need to tinker and reinvent players as something they are not. Changing his team selection to match the opposition is fine, many managers do it, it does not mean they don't know what their best eleven is. Losing the majority of games, picking starting elevens that need early, half-time subs (which then leaves us vulnerable to playing with ten men or eleven including walking wounded), making subs to defend a lead that loses that lead because he changes a positive attacking attitude to a negative defending struggle, all of this is poor management, poor coaching. Paul McShane is a symptom, not the real problem; Alex Bruce and him are of an ilk, but I prefer Macca as a CB. I always find it a sad state of affairs when, to explain why one player should play, the options have to be slated. This malady we have with Macca is a deeper thing and it is why a squad of decent players just can't seem to turn the corner to where they should be, they lack the direction they should be getting from the manager. The Burnley game was a watershed of negativity. Players didn't turn up against a team they knew they could and should have beat at home; they were sent onto the pitch with no confidence, no passion, no idea what it is they are expected to do. We watch the games and we, if we are honest, are all too frequently left in the same mind set. But Bruce knows, doesn't he, so that's alright then, it will turn around, won't it? After all, it's only been a short blip, hasn't it? In Bruce We Trust.
Remind me where those three stalwarts of the team, two years ago, are playing now...............................?
