I've been off line (for holidays) since I went to the Mönchengladbach friendly - seen who's top of the Bundesliga right now? - and of course am upset at what is happening with my beloved team. I haven't seen any highlights of the matches in the Cup and League but my ominous feelings are being reinforced from reading the posts on here. I can only say my opinion goes along with those expressed on this thread.
I feel things are urgent after the Brighton fiasco but fear it is too late.
I have thought since about April that Bruce had to go as he is out of his depth at this level. He has brought us on but can not take us any higher. He just does not seem to have the tactics, the nous, the charisma, the intelligence to get the good players he has had under him for the past two years to perform up to (and certainly not beyond) their abilities.
As always, he has performed admirably in the transfer market getting some excellent players. We have a glaring need for a goalscorer and when this was the case in the past, he provided, with B£nt and Gyan. Outstanding! Now? What's different? The market? Not sure. Many posts here have talked of players available. Is it just that Bruce deep down doesn't feel we really need another striker? Can he really believe that? Was that the message from Tuesday?
As we know, he got it horribly wrong and I think his "tactics" (antics?) will not have gone unnoticed to prospective players. Who would want to come and play for someone who buys players and then doesn't use them or plays them in wrong positions? This is evident to us and I'm sure the message is going around the players network too. ("Hey, (name of friend playing for Sunderland), I've been contacted by Bruce to come and play for you. What do you think?" "Steer well clear, pal. Go and sign for a team that will play you, unless we want to pay crazy money for you!")
I honestly think we are beyond the point of no return with Bruce. If we can replace him today (six days before the deadline) with someone (O'Neill, Hughes, Holloway, A.N.Other?), we may have time to get the quality players we need AND get the players already here playing to their potential. (The players we have would not lose to Newcastle at home and Brighton away if they were playing to their potential.)
However, I know I'm being as delusional as Gaddafi if I think this is going to happen. We'll possibly get something at Swansea (and of course I hope we do) but it's all papering over cracks, running around blindly hoping for success rather than planning actively for it.)
Doom and gloom. Sadly, that's what I feel.
[On two other points, I was very saddened by Cest's decision to leave the board. Obviously, I agree with his take on Bruce but he was a positive element here, I thought, just as there are many (a majority of) positive elements on here that I don't agree with. Losing Cest, we've lost a bit of coulour.
I also want to say that I appreciate Chappaz's contribution to our board. I find his comments generally well thought out and above all respectful and do not warrant some of the treatment they get.]
I'm not a happy bunny but I certainly love coming on here and reading the threads. Only wish I could have the same smile on my face when the Lads are playing.
...As I've said previously, there would be some of our fans who would look for negatives such as this even if we ever managed to win the league by winning every single game!