Yep him as well as he was signed before the WC wasn't he? Or the deal was done before teh WC started and he came to the fore so our "****e" scouting network has discovered 2 very good players - albeit one who is also very greedy!
You could be right there, particularly with Bent. If what everyone saw on a Saturday was replicated in training, then they maybe thought the lack of a plan was a hinderence to progress. With Gyan though I think it was all about the money! Hard to turn it down I know but feeling some sort of obligation to your lot and playing in a nothing league should have seen him stick about.
Got him well after the world cup so I don't think our scouts can take too much credit for that. We can take credit for going for a player who looked like he should have been going to Juventus though. Ballsy move. There's a lot of bad feeling towards Gyan here. I don't like the fact that he 'forgot' to give us the 6 figure amount he pledged to the SAFC foundation but aside from that I'd have moved had I been offered what he was.
Bruce? Hardly his fault. If I was a 'mackem' I'd be pointing the finger elsewhere. Bent 10m then sold for £20+m was fantastic business, so credit to Bruce for that no? Didn't think so. Gyan was only after the money so that was hardly Bruce's fault and face it, Welbeck was never going to stay with you guys if Fergie thought he was good enough for first team football at a team consistently playing European football. Bruce started last season with a strike force of Gyan and Bendtner and a couple of youngsters, that's not bad on paper but when your skilful African pulled the rug from under him AFTER the window had closed he was always on a hiding to nothing with that lazy slug Bendtner your best striking option. He made some shocking tactical decisions in his time like playing with no strikers in that cup game, but he fielded a strong side in your 5-1 defeat, Newcastle had the bit between their teeth and wanted to ram a year of hurt down your throats - it's no coincidence they inflicted damage onto Sunderland and Villa considering the pain they went through the previous year. That team you fielded was a strong 11, to say he threw that game is ridiculous. Bruce left you with a very capable side, full of youth and experience. Maybe he couldn't get the best out of them but it was still a vast improvement from the side he inherited from his predecessor.
Bruce brought in some decent players, just his tactics were a piss take, play them in the right positions with the right service we might be ok
Bruce brought in some very good players and definitely improved our squad. His main problem was his inability to manage what he brought in (his tactics were primitive and the departures of cana, bent and gyan were suspicious) or in some cases use what he brought in (McLean and a few others). All in all, he gets a pass from me overall, but I'm glad we have Marty now. It's not Bruce's fault we haven't signed a striker and lb yet. That said, I have no doubt we will get what we need by the end of the month. By the end of the season, nobody will remember whether we got them in before the opener or after 2 games.
Hang on! Did you guys not have one of the best defensive records last season. NMG, get your head out your arse and stop hating on Bruce because he was a Geordie.
Just popped in for a look... Same same utter ****e being spouted... I have a feeling the op has once (or maybe more times) had a bad experience in life of a mag, and has become a wee bit distorted in his opinions.... Also i'm guessing he skipped geography lessons...
Bruce until last season was a good manager, seemed to have control of the dressing room and lets face it, his scouting network and his financial mind was brilliant Bent for 10 and sold for 24, henderson from academy for 20 million....done rather well if you ask me PLUS Since when was O'Shea and Brown average? they both have bags of experience that imo severely helped us last season.... do you think your arguments through NMG?
Steve Bruce would make an amazing director of football. Maybe we should have just moved him upstairs.
In fairness giving Brown and O'Shea massive long term contracts was a risk, one that's yet to pay off they were decent last year but were giving four year deals on about 40 a week. He signed a lot of ****e as well. To say his scouting network and financial mind was brilliant is a gross overstatement. Riveros, Da Silva, Mensah (the second time), Wickham (could come good but until he does is very pricey), Angerlari are amongst a list of failures. I'm not saying he was awful but I don't think he was brilliant at anything, he wouldn't sign Ba, Cisse came out and said he wanted to come to us and we didn't get him.
No, Cisse came out and said he was flattered by our interest while O'Neill was manager. ****e link below but it was reported on Sky Sports at the time also. http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896...-striker-papiss-cisse-flattered-by-sunderland I think he'd said it the summer before as well when we were linked with him then as well though. Demba Ba... We were reported to have had illegal talks with him, were definitely in for him a month or two before Newcastle signed him. He won't have turned us down over money because the mags have a lower wage bill than we do!
Can't blame Bruce for Cisse to be fair, he was out the door by then. Think Newcastle just got there first, and who knows, maybe he wouldn't have performed so well without his pal by his side.
