havent been on here for a while, but looks like the Bruce out brigade is out in force? I challenge anyone who is on the Bruce Out brigade to name me one manager who would of coped well with the scope of injuries we have had this season. No squad or manager outside of the top 4 teams would have coped. Unless you think we could attract "The special One" to the SoL, Bruce should not be shown the door.
In fairness, the Bruce In Brigade has also been out in force. They just don't get labelled. I agree with you, that no manager would have coped, either with this season's injuries or with losing Bent. If was just that, I'd be on your side. But he didn't have such a devastating list of injuries last season. Nor did he lose Bent last season. My reason for wanting Bruce to be gone next Monday morning is that, if we hit a problem, he has proven over TWO seasons that he hasn't the imagination to solve them. (O.k., we had a few injuries last season, too, but no more than anyone else, and while loads of other Prem managers dealt with it, it proved simply too much for him). You're right that any manager can have an unfortunate season - I'm right with you there. But this is becoming a habit.
last season it was the whole defence that was crocked wasnt it? thats why we signed Kilgallon, who just never really made it if truth be told, this season its been everywhere lol
We have almost as many injuries as you (and had the same for a while) and we've managed to cope alright. So yeah, Alan Pardew.
There can be no doubt that the injuries have played a huge part in our demise since January and that is always acknowledged by both sides of the debate, however, you havent addressed the other things that have attributed to the slump. 1) Allowing Bent to be sold without any planning for what that woudl actually mean 2) Are the actual injuries or breakdowns from injury attributable in any way to SB's training methods? 3) We have had 2 such slumps now in exactly the same time and the first one was not injury affected in any way. 4) We are not the only club to suffer huge injuries but the one club that seems to have sufferd most. In an article on the BBC NCL radio phone in yesterday, it was revealed that Everton were the most effected club with injuries followed by us and then Noocarsel. Everton have coped much better (good manager who'd be a big hit with a few bob to spend) and so have Noocasrsel and both have had much less investment and one also sold their star striker in Jan as well? The injuries have saved Bruce from closer scrutiny IMO from fans and owner alike. Its been been a huge let off for him. Had we not had as many injuries but still flopped again, as we did the previous year, I think it is safe to presume that he would have been sacked back in March with the same set of results?
Just counted we have a squad of 21 (not including the reserves). The following 11 are all out. Show me the mags injury list then? Gordon Turner Bramble Ferdinand Gyan Welbeck Cattermole Campbell Mensah Meyler Richardson
To be fair though Mr SAFC, not all of these have been out all season, or indeed all at the same time. If they had all been out at the same time AND for the same length of time your argument to save SB would carry much more gravitas. Other clubs have had injuries but we are the biggest loser on the field of play. Does Bruce take no blame at all for that?
Gordon = been out since january and even before that didnt play that much Turner = been out for quite a while was rushed back and out again Bramble = been out since march i think Ferdinand = not 1st choice anyway Gyan been out for a month, but our only fit striker since january Welbeck = out since january, back for a couple of games but not many Cattermole = in and out of the team all season really with injuries and getting sent off. Campbell out all season and most of next Mensah = just injury prone full stop Meyler = seems to have been out for ages, again had a couple of games then out again Richardson = been out for at least 2 months i believe. So most have been out for about the same amount of time and at the same times, some have come back, but got crocked again not long after.
J Perch S Harper K Nolan - Our captain M Williamson T Kadar L Best - Our top striker D Gosling - Played once for us this season H Ben Arfa - One of our best players, played four times this season D Guthrie - A CM we really need, because we now have to play Ryan Taylor out of position H Vuckic J Gutierrez That's 11. I think Alan Smith has just returned from a long injury, so he might be fit for Sunday. Not sure yet, so it could be 12. We've also had bad injury problems all season, so you're certainly not alone.
The next game after Carroll's departure (Fulham Away) Shola broke his cheekbone, so we lost both our main strikers together. Similar to you losing Bent and Wellbeck being injured.
I'm not blaming our season on injuries but it has obviously played a part. Bruce surely has to take some of the blame IMO due to the fact that so many players have seemingly been rushed back and got crocked again. Take sunday for instance. Gyan could play. He got a hamstring just a couple of weeks ago and Bruce want's him to play in a game where it isn't that important. Sure we'll get money for finishing higher and we still have a slight chance of top 10 however slim that chance is but to risk your top striker seems ridiculous. But saying that I'm not one who want's Bruce out. For me he has til Christmas. We'll get through this summer and we'll see how the season is going. If we look decent in the run up to Christmas then keep him on. If we go into freefall after that then he needs to go. Three seasons of building our hopes up and then wasting our chance would be criminal and no matter who the manager is, the majority of fans would be on his back. Bruce in...for now
J Perch = thats a relief isnt it S Harper = Give you that one K Nolan - Our captain = for how long though? pretty sure it hasnt been 6 months M Williamson = 1st choice? i dont know T Kadar = not 1st choice anyway L Best - Our top striker = at least you have others D Gosling - Played once for us this season = so not really a miss then H Ben Arfa - One of our best players, played four times this season = granted D Guthrie - A CM we really need, because we now have to play Ryan Taylor out of position H Vuckic = again not 1st choice J Gutierrez = must be recent he only scored the other week That's 11. I think Alan Smith has just returned from a long injury, so he might be fit for Sunday. Not sure yet, so it could be 12. We've also had bad injury problems all season, so you're certainly not alone. again lucky for you with Allan Smith
In my opinion Bruce should have got at least another striker in January to compensate for Bent. Not a like for like replacement because that would have been impossible. To be honest as well, i think the reason that we have so many injurie's is because they are brought back far to soon, it happended last season as well so Bruce has to take some repsonsibility for that.
This is just currently though. Our squad has been constantly depleted of different people at different times for months. Taylor has been injured, Shola, Ireland, Enrique, Carroll when we had him... The only thing we've had up on you lot in this respect is that we've had a few extra championship quality strikers to fill the gap whereas you've had to make do with playing a top quality versatile midfielder upfront instead. Injuries have swayed the season but leaning on it as an excuse for everything that went wrong is Bruce's job.
Why are you nit-picking through them to order them in-terms of importance? Haway man get a grip. I'll admit that your injury list has probably caused more of an issue for your team than our list has for us. However, we're not far behind at all with injuries, so it isn't the be all and end all of excuses.
J Perch - God awful player. S Harper - Fair one. K Nolan - Your captain, but not a great player, seems a bit 'lost' without Carrolls knockdowns. M Williamson - Started well, but found out, you will replace him. T Kadar - Dunno to comment, far from first 11. L Best - Your top striker, which is a real ****ing worry for you. D Gosling - Played once for you this season, but you knew this was likely when he signed, doesn't count. H Ben Arfa - Absolutely a class act, you can have this one. D Guthrie - Wasn't first choice. H Vuckic -Erm.... J Gutierrez - Good player, hasn't missed loads to be fair. This is not me assasinating your team Chappaz, it's me pointing out that the players we have had out are absolutely first 11 players, and have been long term injuries, at the same time. That said, i don't see the injuries as an excuse anyway, as a team heading for 5 years in the top league, we should have the quality to cope. As i say, just pointing out that our injuries aren't 'current, to certain player', they are 'long term, to bona fide first 11'
it is when its your whole 1st team thats out, you have a squad of players so you can cope with 1-4 injuries, not 11. I am surprised the FA hasnt charged us for fielding a weekened side for the past 6 months lol
As I've said, your injury list is probably worse than ours, but we've also had key players out throughout the season. In fact I think our entire starting 11 have been out at some point this season. Some of our key players like Harper, Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Best and even Carroll had some fairly long spells out during critical games. And I know some mackems don't think it's an excuse for their teams bad run of form, but Bruce does, and it's a lame ass excuse, because we've suffered quite a bit too. PS: Just noticed the updated Physioroom injury list. http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php. We're top again.
