Following the recent changes at Fulham and Sheff Wednesday (amongst other) Bruce is now up to 29th in the list. http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/longest-current.html For someone who has only just past the 18 months in the job mark it's amazing to think that at least 63 managers have moved on since he joined us (that's without any double ups like Blackburn have had). With the double ups it'll probably work out as one a week.
I'm amazed that only 8 league managers have been with the same club for 3 or more years. Makes Wenger's record even more impressive in the pressure cooker at the top of the Prem. Just hope we can keep Bruce and build the team around him for a few years.
I hope Bruce stays as long as possible, but if he could at least see us safe this season and do the same in 2013-14 I reckon we'll be strong enough to lose the relegation tag and push on.
No one is safe from relegation though until you become as good as the likes of Villa and Swansea. The likes of Stoke, West Ham and Norwich who are all established could easily go down this year. Wigan and Fulham fought relegation off for years but were never really able to push on, and in English football you can't stand still because someone always overtakes you eventually. I worry about Allam's comments to the effect that we won't need to spend next year if we stay up because we'll already have a PL squad.
You can't ever stand still. Arsene Wenger is an absolute master at re inventing the style of football and the squad at Arsenal. The 'invincibles' were tall, powerful and aggressive in play. The team now is much less physical but quick, interchangeable, skilful and comfortable in one touch passing to feet. Very different from the team that included Viera and Henry.
He said we wouldn't need to spend as much, because having a PL standard squad meant we'd just need to tweak it and make minor changes rather than completely rebuilding it like we did this summer. I'd still expect 4 or 5 signings to replace the players we let go.
But to tweak it with 3 or 4 players of a better standard you'll probably have to spend what we did in the summer on 7 or 8, so spend the same (roughly) amount.
You're able to attract better free transfers and earlier in the year, as well as being more attractive to foreign players which are generally cheaper, which means we shouldn't need to spend too much on fees.
Probably none because they try to make headline signings, but the principal that you could target your signings to the better free agents (who wouldn't join a newly promoted club) and get foreign players that want to play in England and would have lower demands of a mid table side than one they could go down with. If you're seen as a safer club then there's less chance of being held to ransom by the players.
He hasn't won anything for eight years now..... Its hardly a great track records of reinventing the style of team. I agree they could easily win something this year, but its only December, long way to go yet.
If you click on the 'historical' button on that web-site it lists ALL long serving managers (not just current) Longest is 46 years !! Edit: Fred Everiss at WBA. Served 46 seasons from 1902. I don't know if that includes 10 years of war-time as well ?
Another Champ manager on his way out if he cannot arrest a run of defeats on the hurry up.A big club aswell
Am surprised Pardew is up there. We have a derby soon so expect the Mackems will have another new manager for then.
