Brucie may have got us promoted but any half decent manager would have done the same with the players at there disposal. And I have been to enough home and especially away games to see that although Steve Bruce achieved admirable positions in the premier league with Wigan and Birmingham, his management style has stayed in the dark ages and not progressed with the modern game. We also wouldn't have had to achieve promotion this season if it wasn't for his negative Premier league tactics which resulted in relegation with the most expensive bunch of players we have ever put together. Give me a Gary Monk, Tim Sherwood or Chris Hughton type of manager any day and although we may flirt with relegation, we will be a vastly better team to watch because I for one cannot spend another season travelling to away games to watch us be the most negative awful team to watch!
It was SB that got that squad through the front door. His name and standing got a fair few to sign. He wanted to add other players that took other clubs up, but we couldn't afford them at the time.
Monk and Sherwood were both sacked.
Also, it's simplistic to blame his style for failing to get promotion. We were two wins off it, with a record points total. I can't see the validity of some arguments, although I agree that sometimes a change works, and sometimes it is just a Dowie moment.
Armchair experts are always right, though, and we should employ most of this board who would undoubtedly do better. Like the ones who asked for Diame to be dropped as he was useless.
Managers take the risks, pundits get to second guess.