http://www.safc.com/news/20110526/bruce-striker-wait-was-correct_2256213_2367176 Interesting, he still says that he was right in not getting the striker. In hindsight we should have signed somebody, but in his position at that time I would have done the same thing.
I agree that the decision not to be held to ransom was the correct one. I also don't think anyone could have then predicted our dreadful run of injuries.
Well we now know that it was the wrong decision, but at the time? Steve Bruce still believes he was correct in not being held to ransom for a striker in January. The Sunderland boss was active in the transfer market at the turn of the year following the departure of Darren Bent to Aston Villa. But he opted against bringing in reinforcements after being quoted unrealistic sums to acquire potential striking targets. Of course, Bruce didn't know the injury crisis was about to hit but remains certain that his decision to explore better options in the summer was still the best course of action. "At the time we couldn't really bring in a striker who would have made a difference," he said. "We were quoted astronomical money, stupid things. "In the end we decided to keep a bit back for the summer when we can get value for money. "Of course I didn't know we were going to collapse like we did but I still think it was the right decision
At the time I remember we were all happy on here saying Gyan & Welbeck would be fine until May and then fill Bent's gap in the summer. Unfortunately what followed was Welbeck's injury for 3 months, which left us short and then the coinciding injury crisis. Look at the people we had to chose from in January, Fuller, Piquionne etc, they may have only contributed 2 or 3 goals and they would have cost about £4-6 million and now we would have been stuck with them. However now we have not wasted the Bent money and can concentrate fully on getting the right man to fill Bent's boots, so I personally believe Bruce made the right choice, which will work out better for the club in the long term.
I have to admit that i believed we should not sign a striker unless he really was the right man. Getting the right players in is 95% of the job, for me. I don't care what the circumstances, never sign poor players for large sums of money. We need to look after the club for years to come, not just the here and now. If Bruce only ever tries to sign top quality players, he'll have my backing.
No we were not all agreed about not bringing in a replacement, the least that should have been done when letting the best player and best goal scorer go, was a temp loan. If Villa were that keen on Bent and were doubling his wages we could have taken Agbonlahor or Carew on temp loan until the end of the season. Obviously with hindsight letting Bent and no back was a very stupid thing to do FFS
We couldnt get anyone from the PL in on loan though we already had our quota from the PL and couldnt get anyone else in. And we already had Welbeck in on loan as a striker, but he got crocked
Football manager, dammed if you do, dammed if you dont, of course many use hindsight to forget what was said and become all knowing experts, most I'm pleased to say admit, yes, I thought he did right, at the time.
Well if someone said, we should have brought a striker in on loan from Europe instead of Muntari, then i could see their point, but was there anyone out there, and Muntari is a good player, and was available at the time, it just never really worked.
If he hadn't used the loans up he could have gone down that route. Debate about that here; http://salutsunderland.com/2011/05/...ren-bents-goals/comment-page-1/#comment-32916
Well... Bents going and no goals from him because he left did hamper us, but tbh i dont think it hampered us as much as some make out. I think he scored 7 goals up to his leaving, but we had 10 clean sheets in that time as well (i think, may have even been more), when he left, gyan was still scoring, but we were letting goals in left right and center. For me it wasnt so much his goals we missed, it was letting them in at the other end, and if you havnt got a 20 goal a season stiker playing up top, its hard to claw your way back if you are letting in 2-3 every game (lets be honest we have never really been prolific scorers)
Its all in the past now and we progressed to tenth and got money left over for a good striker this summer. Lets just pray it all works out for the best.
If we had been relegated, not an unrealistic proposition, we would have been saying differently. Certainly makes you appreciate what a gamble it was and the bottom line is we have to maintain Premiership status. Anyway we got through it and finished in a respectable position but I would have hoped Bruce would have learned from it and would not do the same thing again. Irrespective of what he says in public.
Good point Pontsafc. People are going easy on Bruce it seems, because we managed to beat an already relegated and disinterested West Ham side at the weekend. That result is to some degree an irrelevance. We may have finished 10th but the issue is about the points differential between us and (not those who were relegated) but those who could have done down with a game to play. Not replacing Bent was ridiculous, or more pointedly getting someone in at the window BEFORE he was sold. That's what a good manager would do!
This makes my piss boil! How the ****ing hell can he come out with that statement after the total colapse of our season after the January transfer window closed? On the 29th January I posted this....... I simply cannot believe that SB will risk going into the next 5-6 games with only Gyan fit. God forbid, but what do we do if Gyan gets injured on Tuesday night? Go with Healy up front on his own against the likes of Spurs, Arsenal and Everton? I don't think so! IMHO It would be utter madness to even consider it! If he is trying to get wavering fans back on side, this is definitely not the way to go about it.
But considering the availability (Fuller for 3 mil, a crock anyway), there wasn't really a lot we could do. It was our defence that went to **** anyway, as somebody else said Gyan was still knocking a couple in.
Re: What Dorset said. DB had asked for a transfer or at least intimated he wanted to be away the previous summer. Therefore I think both SB & SNQ were remiss in at least not having options & being prepared for this.
Remember, we did get Welbeck on loan, and bought gyan for 14 million and everyone was sayng when we got gyan he was a waste of money (he was worth 9 but the parent club knew we were desperate so held out for the highest bid), they also thought Campbell would be back and maybe even Noble would break through as well. When Bent left us, Gyan was still fit, Campbell was due back and so was Welbeck, again hidsight is a wonderful thing, and btw Everton never had any strikers for the 1st 2 months of the season, and they let yakubu go out on loan as well, and they were bottom 4 for most of that. at the time we didnt need a replacement, 3 weeks later we did, but by then it was too late to do sod all about it.
