There has already been and will be to come no doubt, much discussion about Bruce, his replacement (if at all) and where the club go from here. One thing is for certain, the next appointment has to be 100% right. Since Peter Reid was appointed in March 1995, we have had 6 managers and 2 caretakers in 16 years. That in itself is pretty poor but when you look a bit harder its worse. Reid was manager for 7.5 years of those 16, so from October 2002, we have had 5 managers in 8.5 years, plus 2 caretakers. Little wonder then that its been turmoil, with relegations, promotions and 2 seasons of 19 points and 15 points thrown in there too. That said, when you make the hideous decision to appoint Howard Wilkinson you get what you ask for. Mick McCarthy was given a 9 year old schoolboys pocket money to try and keep us up in his failed regime but when Murray sold up and Niall came on board I really thought we had turned the corner. However, Keane, Sbragia and now it would seem Bruce have passed through his brief stewardship of the club in 5 short years and we find ourselves tonight on the brink of a 4th appointment in 5.5 years, firmly in the relegation shake up and with only 3 wins at home in almost a full calendar year. Ellis Short will in the next 24 to 48 hours have to make 2 of the most crucial decisions of his brief ownership of our club. 1) To sack Bruce or confound all the critics and tell us all he is staying till the end of the season, and telling us that the cheque book will open in January. 2) If he sacks Bruce, he has to find a replacement that will not be a stop gap or another 2 or 3 year one. The next appointment could make or break everything Quinn and Short have built up so far, so they simply have to get it right this time. Many names have been thrown into the hat but I honestly believe it will boil down to 2. Mark Hughes and Martin O Neill. Both are acceptable for me and both are available to start now. Of the others, the big name foreign coaches many have mentioned are just pie in the sky dreams and wouldnt be any use to us even if they came. We need a down to earth manager that can operate with the current squad and bring in maybe 2 or 3 new faces in the January transfer window. We have decent players. Now we just need a man who can manage them much better. Its going to be an interesting, fascinating and nervous few days imo and I have a sneaky feeling that there are a few twists and turns left in this story yet to come.
Down to earth managers... Malcolm Crosby ??? No ??? Errr Viv Busby ?? No... Err wot about the reserve team coach or academy director?? If not what about a former Man U player with a poor record of achievement--- Paul Scholes or Giggsy Sunlun is waiting for yous
Much as I appreciate the clamour for change and it's very worthy perspective here, I believe that Steve Bruce may have to keep his job til the end of the season. At the start of this year, I predicted Sunderland and Stoke to be surprise strugglers. Far from being informed by any rivalry induced prejudice, my reasoning followed that the former had lost every good-great player they had and were bringing in Bendtner... Stoke, meanwhile, had spent £16 million, or more, on the least competent finisher in history (Jerome), and the usually useless Beanpole Crouch... What is lucky for the latter, is that Jon Walters is fecking incredible, wheras Sunderland are left relying on Larsson (usually fecking incredible too, mind), a more defensive-type player, to bring them goals (who Sunderland signed under Bruce, probably using Bruce's clout). Now... If these struggles continue for you guys, avoiding relegation rapidly becomes the objective right? I know, we've been there. So you need an experienced boss who has managed under these situations... Who is more qualified than Bruce in this department? Bringing in a fancy foreign manager is dangerous/risky in these circumstances, while bringing someone like Hughes in will never say "we're going places next season"... The draw specialist would need wins to climb you up the table... Martin O'Neill, definitely a better manager, but is he really the 4+ year coach the OP was after? Any other option you have is a wild punt, unless you want ****ing twating arseholing Joe **** Prick Kinnear :/ I think Bruce would be a decent bet til the end of the season, it saves compensation, avoids Larsson getting the hump and gives any new guy a much bigger chance of immediately stamping his authority on a team... Sack him then, get in your sexy-footballing coach and forget the nail-biter of last season... On the other hand, I pegged us to seriously struggle all year too, so forget everything I just typed...
I honestly believe if Bruce was to keep his Job in any shape or form we will struggle keep it passed Xmas and we will be relegated.
Bruce has had 2 winnable home games, Fulham and Wigan. People say he has 2 games to save his Job, but i cant see what he can change in the next 2 games that he couldnt of done in the last 2. If he has the club at heart, he has to go. I fear he knows the inevitable is coming, and he wont go until he has been sacked, that way he gets a bumper pay off.
If you cant beat Wigan at home then whats the point. In the previous 10 games they had lost 9 and drawn 1. 1 point form 30 and only 2 away goals all season. They are the whipping boys of the EPL and they beat us at home. A bigger disgraceful home result I cant imagine we have had for many a decade. Even if by some miracle we beat Wolves next week, its all too late now. We are severely holed benneath the waterline and we are simply drifting along with the current. If Bruce is not replaced then this good ship SAFC is going to sink without a trace. Relegation is all we can look forward to at the moment and Bruce is 100% to blame for that. This is his team now, his buys, his formations, tactics and substitutions. There is absolutley no excuse for winning only 8 games in the last 26 EPL home fixtures. None whatsoever. Its not that far from the 19 and 15 pointers this and considering we have a far better squad and settled boardroom to operate with, its an even bigger disgrace. MoN in now and the season may well yet be saved. Keep him and the atmosphere and abuse is just going to intensify.