Welcome back Cest.
Damn fine read, I am split 50/50 on agreeing and disagreeing with you though.
So I will only comment on the Bruce situation.
I was one of the ones not sure about bringing Bruce to our club, like a lot of other supporters!
Any mention of Bruce not cutting it was met with a lot of unnecessary venom form fellow fans.
(I have complained about this before when we attack fellow supporters, for not toeing the line, having a different opinion does not automatically mean one party is right and the other is wrong!)
I managed to question his managing ability without too many trying to rip me a new arsehole last year, others posting similar thoughts were savaged.
I have often questioned his tactical nous this season, because lets be fair apart from Chelsea we have won games where we were lucky to do so. Or scraped draws.
When people were already thinking of Europe I was sitting reading and thinking do they not know this is Sunderland?
Bruce seems like a thoroughly decent man.
He came up the hard way through football till Fergie took him to Utd, he was a strong tough defender who's face is testament to that.
I get the feeling his management style is arm round the shoulder, when actually it should be tea throwing and boot kicking that is needed.
And to be totally blunt tactically he is clearly ****e!
Games where we had teams on the rack and backed off, instead of going for the jugular!
I lost faith completely after losing to the Mags if he can't gee up a Mackem to up his game against them I don't think he could with the foreigners.
I have said this before too we go out and it looks like the lads haven't played together before. There's no cohesion at all, our set plays are dire they look like a Sunday league team al hit and rush.
I deliberately set out to respond with out naming players, as we all have our favourites who we will defend against attack.
Whatever your thoughts on individuals on the whole we have a damn fine squad right now, that should have consolidated us top ten already this season.
The reason they haven't is very evident WE DON'T PLAY LIKE A TEAM!
We rely on individual bits of skill or hard graft.
When I see players walk off the pitch without a bead of sweat on their brow quite frankly it angers me!
I suggested a couple of weeks ago maybe Bruce should bring in a Coach to help him out. But what does that say about Bruce, if he needs help on the coaching side quite frankly he needs replacing.
Now? I don't really know.
Who with? No idea.