Steve Bruce has got me in a right pickle. On the one hand, I like the guy. I think he has the clubs best interests at heart, it's great that he has such a solid relationship with his chairman and he has brought some cracking players to the SOL like Darrent Bent and Gyan. On the other hand I just despair at how we've got to the point, that after 2 years with him at the helm, we have no squad to speak of. Bruce himself admits we need 8 players and with Hendo now gone, make that 9 and with Gyan on the cusp, we could make that 10, which is an entire team! Building wise, has not built a solid foundation for the squad, despite being the most well backed manager in our history. It seems he's ripping it all up and starting over. I know there are some great pro/anti bruce posters on here, all with good opinions and valuable points of view. For myself I can't quite make my mind up. I like him and dislike him in equal measure! I'm praying we sign some quality players this summer and soon otherwise I may no longer be on the fence, I may well be off it.
Your thread is running pretty much the same as the one below you. http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/53984-Will-Bruce-ever-be-the-right-man-for-some-of-you
Whether we like him or not we are stuck with him so for all our sakes, I hope he actually has a game plan, or we are ****ed next season. At the moment, the club looks like it is making it all up on the hoof and the ship is captainless IMO, right up to the very top I'm afraid.
I know exactly what you mean Spartacus. He's a likeable guy who has managed to bring in some quality players, but the major problem is that he can't hold on to them. One season playing under his leadership appears to be enough for some to say "**** this, I'm off!" I can't think of another PL manager that has managed to screw up his first team as much as Steve Bruce has. It's sad to see.
There may be some confusion about this but I dont hate Steve Bruce the man at all. In fact my impression of him as a bloke remains very positive. i like the bloke too but my thoughts about Steve Bruce the Sunderland manager, is that he is no good and should have been replaced in the summer at the latest. The 2 issues are very far removed.
Its already too late to get rid of him this summer. We need to take the whole sad thing through to whatever end. The pro-Bruce lobby want him to be given more time; the anti want him out straight away. If he goes we then need to bring someone in, trust in them and then start negitiations for whoever they would like to buy. Not enough time because he has the faith of Quinn. Last chance saloon. We are all in it. Good or bad, he is our manager this year - unless he himself walks (and doesn't he just have this in his locker...........) Grab on boys and girls. Hope the ride isn't too bad, but keep the pride. No booing. Support the red and white stripes FTM. x
The Fact is, none of us know what is going on behind the scenes, we are all playing a guessing game, to say Bruce has not got a plan is insane, how the hell do any of us know? He might pull a few amazing signings out of the bag for all we know. Lets just see what happens before chastising him.
I think we'll struggle now regardless of what he does in the transfer market, simply because there are going to be far too many new faces at the same time. This is a far from ideal situation that we've found ourselves in because of the ludicrous over reliance on the loan system. This is the club's fault as well as Bruce for not sticking to signing players that he has a) made his mind up about and b) wants. Even if the players that he brings in over the summer turn out to be long term successes then it may well be too late to save him if we struggle at the beginning of the season. Right now the portents aren't that good for him. I think he has little idea of what his team should look like. The fact is that he can't possibly have any idea because there are far too many changes. This isn't happening at any other club that would not be described as being in some sort of crisis.
He might buy, Ned,Mensah or even Muntari, who have all played for us already so will take no bedding in and if he gets the Man Utd trio, they have all played together for years and again will take no bedding in.
Said more or less the same on another thread. Load of miserable pessimistic tossers on here already who havent got a scooby whats happening in the background. Lets wait until the season or at least pre season to see who has been brought in. If your/ we are not happy then lets moan.
I doubt very much whether we will see either Mensah or Muntari play for us again. Assuming that three players from another club are going to settle necessarily without a problem into our team is stretching it even for the biggest optimist. Gibson is rated very badly in any case, Brown is past it in my view and O"Shea the pick of the three by some order is probably unlikely to come at this point anyway.
