Mike Phelan

Although a big admirer of Fergie's. Does anybody else feel we have become worse since Phelan arrived?

The players have said in the past that the training Is alot more intense and we seem to now play alot slower almost tired looking. I'm just putting it out there for discussion.

 

No.

 

I doubt Bruce changed all his methods when phelan came in - we'd been ****e for a while.

We just seem to have a lack of tactics - we have a midfield of crabs which doesn't help.

 

Hopefully huddlestone leaves, and we can get a semi larker in return

 

Why is it Phelan's fault, or Huddlestone's fault, or Jelavic's fault, but not Bruce's fault?

The way we play has barely changed since last season from the two games I've watched, and the other that I've listened to live. We're now the big fish in the pond, we should be playing attacking, aggressive football, not this tentative, pass around the back waiting for a slip up from one of our defenders ****. I was genuinely shocked when we scored that late winner against Fulham, and seeing the highlights it was more a **** up and lapse of concentration from their defence - albeit with a good bit of determination from Hayden - than anything in particular we did.

Has anyone else noticed how players have cracking starts to their City careers than degress rapidly? Jelavic seems to be the only one who has had a relatively consistent formline under Bruce, everyone else's form bounces around erratically, and strikers seem to struggle to score after good starts to their careers.

His negative, dour, cautious tactics won't see us promoted.

When we were looking like staying up, in my mind we just needed a new keeper to go again. That was clearly the most crucial position to strengthen.

After relegation it was still a position we needed to strengthen with Harper leaving. Instead we've now spent (if reports are to be believed) almost 3.5m on two left wingers, one of whom sounds like Bruce has given up on already, and another RB/RM for 3.5m.

If we'd offered Rosenior and Harper new contracts, as they have repeatedly indicated they were happy to stay, we'd have a LB/RB who could have done the job Odubajo/Clucas are going to be required to do now, we would have had a keeper who at least provided decent back up/another option to McGregor - especially as he was being favoured over McGregor for the run in, and we'd have 7m more to spend on more pressing areas of the squad.

I'm baffled by Rosenior and McShane's culling, as well as Harper's, and he seemed to be as well. The players wanted to stay, they were cheap as chips, actually cared about the club, but were ruthlessly cut in the name of cost saving.. and yet we replaced them with more expensive options!

 

The main reason it's Steve Bruce's fault is because he's fat, dishonest and a liar.

 

Well so far, I don't rate any of Brucies signings this summer, clucas is absolutely useless, Akpom has looked poor in last 2 games, Odobajo looks like a poor rosie and Hayden is similar to Livermore. It's early days but not great so far Brucie

 

We signed Odubajo as well, so arguably we spent two players wages plus £3.5m on replacing him.

Anyway, no I don't think it's Phelan. I always said he wouldn't have a massive impact and the 'Phelan factor' was bollocks. We're as **** as we were before he came.

 

McShane's relationship with Bruce made his departure inevitable. Other than that, it is very hard to see any real sense in anything other than Maloney and Akpom.

 

I think it is all so bloody confused, and has been for a long time, that it is as hard to us to make a judgment as it is for them; which is exactly why I wanted SB to leave and a fresh brain to take stock.

 

To you, me and many others Lambo, clearly not to Bruce & Co.

 

Unless Clucas gets his arse in the gym and bulks up he'll never have the same strength that Brady had, he currently looks far too lightweight to be a serious threat.

 

With Maloney on Bruce's radar and the violins out for Livermore, I think Gray was far more of a priority, as we also have Diame coming back soon, Snodgrass sometime later (we are almost in September!). I agree, Clucas is meant to be a replacement for Brady, but he isn't, is he. It is what it is, a couple of stand-out signings, holding on to Dawson, Davies, Diame, Elmo and Hernandez will sort it, but I think my socks will be staying put.

 

It's a strange one, isn't it!

 

Since Odubajo is playing at RB, and he cost 3.5m, and Rosenior would have been fine for this division, with Taylor as back up, I'd say that was an unnecessary expense, particularly since I reckon a large part of it was trying to woo Gray over.

 

I think it is fair to try and look for whether or not Phelan has brought something to the table and I would say he hasn't, if anything, I think that since Agnew left we lost some sparkle. Who has influenced that is another matter, but there is no doubting the fact that we have gone backwards.

 

Indeed, so clearly obvious to all but Bruce.