please log in to view this image STEVE Bruce is a creature of habit, and for the third July in succession, he will begin a campaign as Hull City manager in the Algarve sunshine tomorrow. These traditional training camps are what he knows and what he likes. Formally marking an end to the excesses of summer with intense sessions through morning and night, Bruce learns where he and City find themselves ahead of a return to business in August. Past years have not always been as bright as their surroundings. In 2012 it was in Portugal where he discovered the limitations of a Championship squad inherited a month earlier, while in 2013 there was the daunting reality his newly-promoted side still needed improvements ahead of a Premier League return. The next week, however, should see Bruce in a far more relaxed mood. Adding Robert Snodgrass and Tom Ince to a squad that earned FA Cup runners-up medals in May, not to mention tying up a permanent move for last season's loan star Jake Livermore, the City boss has acted early to improve an already distinguished group. More new faces are needed ahead of the new season beginning in the Europa League in 22 days, with a central defender and left-back still sought, but Bruce can feel a sense of gratification when surrounded by his improving squad over the coming days. He and City have never had it so good. Where two years ago the likes of Paul McKenna, Seyi Olofinjana and Mark Cullen were trying to win over their new boss on the very same pitches, Bruce returns to a base on the outskirts of Portimao to work with a squad that now boasts 18 full internationals and eight players with experience of European football. Those figures could yet be embellished by the arrival of Michael Dawson from Spurs and Dundee United's Andy Robertson if Bruce has his way in the transfer market, but a promising squad is already taking shape. Portugal will provide the yardstick. This time last summer City had strengthened like the Premier League newcomers they were. Recruitment was astute but modest until Tom Huddlestone's late arrival for £5.25m and the first seven signings through the door cost little more than £6m. As well as the free transfers of George Boyd, Maynor Figueroa and Steve Harper, there was Ahmed Elmohamady (£2m), Curtis Davies (£2.25m) and Allan McGregor (£1.8m) all added to Bruce's ranks in time to feature in the Portugal camp. Danny Graham, the disastrous loan signing from Sunderland, also arrived to join his team-mates on the Algarve. Yannick Sagbo followed soon after before Huddlestone and Livermore signed up in the week of the curtain raiser at Chelsea in a summer where it was all about the numbers. Almost every new face played a part in staving off relegation back to the Championship, justifying their recruitment, but there is little question that shopping has been done at a much higher level 12 months on. Following the trend first set in January with the £14m capture of Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long, Bruce has raised the bar dramatically in the course of a year. With Livermore signed up for good at £8m, Snodgrass brought in at £7m and Ince for a sum still to be decided, the last five new faces into the KC will eventually come with cheques written for over £30m. City are no longer the little fish in the Premier League's pond. Only Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have shelled out more so far this summer, meaning the £67m earned through TV revenue last season has not been allowed to gather dust. The frugal will worry City have overpaid in 2014 but money talks louder than ever. Ross McCormack's £11m move from Leeds to Fulham yesterday was timely proof of that. City are certainly stronger than the side that finished 2013-14 with a cruel defeat to Arsenal at Wembley. Snodgrass and Ince have effectively replaced Robert Koren and Matty Fryatt. Both of the former favourites will be missed by supporters but few could argue with the calibre of their replacements. Get Dawson to fill the void left by Abdoulaye Faye and City will almost be good to go if left-back Robertson can also be persuaded to flee south of the border. Supporters will inevitably want one more signing right up until the transfer deadline has passed on September 1, but Bruce can get down to work tomorrow knowing his squad is already nearing completion. http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-City-boss-Steve-Bruce-ready-work-strongest/story-21347208-detail/story.html
Outstanding article by PB and illustrates the amazing change in our prospects since Steve Bruce took over. For those of us who've been through the ups and downs and the many dark days over the past 60+ years I still find it hard to believe that we are now being seriously mentioned as a potential Top-10 Premiership team, played in the Cup Final in May, and are going into Europe.!!!
Standard close season column filler, glossing over the name-change fiasco, poor season-ticket sales and lack of sponsor.
Thats a separate matter all together.. He's talking about how far we've come since Bruce has been here..
No it's not, just a column filler to divert attention away from what he should really be reporting on.
I appreciate that but nature abhors a news-vacuum. The Elephant in the Room is the name change but the local media are afraid of losing access, so they minimise the issue so as not to upset the present owners. Steve Bruce is proving to be a great manager for us but the fear remains that we are a castle built on sand due to the eccentricity and financial power of our owners over us.
Yada Yada Yada!!! Give it a rest Blampey. Your fixation with the Allams and the name change is the "castle built on sand". How much longer are you going to be blithering on about this.
Go take a look at the new kit thread, still no shirt, still no sponsor, only a new badge with nowt to put it on. Oh and " i wont change the badge without consultation ". Marketing at primary school level. The F A said no to the name change, it should have ended there but the old man won't stop, now changing the name by stealth. Mickey Mouse wears an Assam Allam watch, who wrote that on here ? great line
I understand that if you're an exile it's great to be able to see City on tv wherever you are in the globe and to see us playing and competing at the highest level, but believe me somethings are more important. Standing up to petulant bullies who have no regard for us or our history is just one of them.
The powers that be at City are expecting that any opposition will gradually fade away, the constant eroding of the past is shameful. I don't always agree with Stuart Blampey but on this issue he speaks the thoughts of many.
I also agree with Chazz on many things he posts. This is just another reason why this one issue that is unbelievably dividing fans of a football club should never have arisen. The article is indeed a close season page filler, and massages the egos of club and fans alike. Nothing wrong with that. However, we all know that there are questions that the HDM will never publicly ask.
I presume you are talking about yourself. "Petulant bullies" describes you and your fellow travellers perfectly.
