Steve Bruce

[Demitri_C]

6 minutes ago, omariqy said:

I'd like to see one example of him saying what a good quality squad he has or how we have an expensively assembled squad or even mention the calibre of players we have. 

Have you seen todays press conference by any chance? As he praises the loans and how well they have done well here.

I wouldnt want him saying "yes we have a quality group of players and a great team" its like boasting your the best. I am sure privately he is saying that to them but publicly he doesnt need to.

Nuno doesnt do this at wolves and we know how good they are.

[Demitri_C]

1 minute ago, vreitti said:

What is, and has been the spine of current squad during Bruce's tenure? 

Chester

Adomah

Jedinak

&

Kodjia

It's mainly Bruce's rebuild job alright, because he's signed a dozen or more players, but where would we be without these inherited players?

 

13th like last season when all those were playing. The new players have helped massively

[Demitri_C]

6 minutes ago, omariqy said:

Yeah for £12m-£15m. He has also signed two of the best midfielders in the Champ in Lansbury and Hourihane who we could get because of the wages we can afford. Also players like Snodgrass and Terry who I don't think anyone else could have got in reality. Maybe Boro. Again because of their wages. This also ignores the squad he already had at his disposal. A squad that had £60m spent on it in the summer. Which is huge money for the Champ. 

I dont think it was all because of the wages. I do think bruce played a role in them wanting to play him. Esp terry.

[TRO]

11 minutes ago, omariqy said:

A fair wedge @TRO? It is one of if not the most expensively assembled squads in Championship history.  Like I said I don't mind Bruce that much and I wanted him from the beginning but he is doing exactly the same thing Sherwood got lambasted for. He is in the game of self-preservation and making sure he will be made out to look good if we fail. I guarantee the usual reporters will be out in force if we fail saying Bruce had no money and no luck with injuries ignoring the fact that he still had an amazing squad to call upon. 

I just hate lying. After the Brentford game he said that was the worst he has seen us (I think he has said that at least 6 different times), the week after it was a bad 45 minutes in the last 3 months, today it is a bad 30 minute spell. Next week it will be a bad 5 minutes. 

I think the squad is decent.....amazing, not for me.

"self preservation"........do you think there is a manager in the whole of the football league, that ignores that aspect.......There is an element of that in all managers make up.

I say it and I say it again.......the defensive comments from Steve Bruce would be absent if certain critical comments were equally so.

Criticism can be healthy if its positive and constructive......but some of the stuff is just downright tedious and in some cases desperate.

If we don't get promotion, the decision will be made that will please his critics.....in the meantime lets let him get on with it unhindered from mental cruelty......and judge him at the end of the season.

[bannedfromHandV]

8 minutes ago, TRO said:

Sadly, you are spot on.....but we live in an age, where everything has to be controlled.....god save the weather as the last bastion of mans frustration.

you are equally right in your example, but the more dedicated players.....practice, practice, practice the personal skills and lower the odds of slicing one of the outside of their foot.....as the saying goes the harder you work the luckier you get.

It amazes me how a player like Ronaldo, feels its necessary put in so much time to hone his personal skills, Dave Beckham coming back in the afternoons to practice free kicks and the like......but players like ours just go home after training( i imagine)

Its the hard work that I am dubious about ,with our lot.

Absolutely Tro, and I'm not saying it's all luck or all random, of course skill levels, tactics etc play a part, a significant part, all I'm saying is that the best laid plans can go to shit because of elements outside of control.

 

If it was all luck, there'd be no point in training, or buying decent players, that's not what I'm saying but the reality is that there are many many factors in determining results and one of those factors, on occasion is luck.

 

Unfortunately that doesn't fit for those who think every little thing can be mapped and predicted.

[vreitti]

9 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

Each one of his pre match press conferences makes we want to slit my wrists.

Bloke is hardly Winston Churchill.

I was just about to watch it... more of the usual tripe I suppose... probably better to refrain altogether.

[TRO]

14 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Excellent point bringing up this clown. Bruce is doing exactly the same deflection.

His journo pals will definitely be out defending him when we fail. "Mad foreign owner" I'm sure will be circulated as well.

Your level of cynicism holds no bounds.

Edited January 12, 2018 by TRO

[bannedfromHandV]

4 minutes ago, omariqy said:

Of course luck is massive in football but @bannedfromHandV made a point that made it seem that tactics didn't really matter in football. I implore you to read Xavi's recent interview about Pep. We are living in the dark ages compared to what he does. I don't expect us to be like that but at least for some detail and thought to go into some form of strategy. I am hoping Bristol City is the start of that. 

No, I didn't.

I made a single line comment which was picked up and ran with by a group of people who like to pick apart everything I write as it often goes against their own opinion, which is fine, I'm old enough and ugly enough to take it but don't start representing my views for me ("tactics didn't really matter in football" - show me where I've written that), particularly when you're misrepresenting them in an effort to score points with your friends.

[TRO]

12 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

Each one of his pre match press conferences makes we want to slit my wrists.

Bloke is hardly Winston Churchill.

Winston Churchill had the support of the country, to give him confidence.

[vreitti]

6 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

13th like last season when all those were playing. The new players have helped massively

Of course they have. My point was we'd probably be in league one if it wasn't for what Bruce inherited, which also is a major factor in keeping our net spend on the negative.

[omariqy]

6 minutes ago, bannedfromHandV said:

No, I didn't.

I made a single line comment which was picked up and ran with by a group of people who like to pick apart everything I write as it often goes against their own opinion, which is fine, I'm old enough and ugly enough to take it but don't start representing my views for me ("tactics didn't really matter in football" - show me where I've written that), particularly when you're misrepresenting them in an effort to score points with your friends.

Friends? I don't know any of them. I have just put forward my opinions. I try and be balanced and say it as I see it. 

I have defended Bruce on here plenty as well and I am sure I have agreed with you plenty. I was talking about your original post which was the one liner and where you did make out that tactics didn't matter. Obviously I know you don't believe that as it would be silly too but both you and @TRO both downplay tactics. I get it. I have played football as well and at that level it's different. At the professional level, I have spoken to top class players as part of my job day in and day out. The amount of planning, tactics, strategy needed is crazy. Even Sam Allardyce who gets slated on here is meticulous with everything. It's not as simple as buying the best players and putting them on a pitch. That doesn't work anymore. At least not consistently. 

[vreitti]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

What a statement.....now that tells me everything.

so you've made your mind up way before the man has uttered a word.

OK

Wasn't it like an hour ago? 

I actually used to love these prematch interviews, it always got me excited for the weekend and the upcoming games. Nowadays (under Bruce) it mostly gets me upset and depressed. He just isn't likable. Too much talking, mainly excuses, and not enough action. 

[omariqy]

I implore people to read this twitter thread https://twitter.com/DianaKristinne/status/950313882349899776

[Stevo985]

37 minutes ago, omariqy said:

I'd like to see one example of him saying what a good quality squad he has or how we have an expensively assembled squad or even mention the calibre of players we have. 

Well I don't think he'd refer to how expensive the squad is. That would be quite unusual.

I'm sure there are examples of him bigging up the squad and the players, but I can't say I'm bothered enough to go and find any quotes.

[romavillan]

10 minutes ago, omariqy said:

I implore people to read this twitter thread https://twitter.com/DianaKristinne/status/950313882349899776

This is awesome thanks

[bobzy]

12 hours ago, omariqy said:

I never said he has said those words but he implies we can't compete financially. No one else can get a player like Terry and pay him what we pay. Not even Wolves.

Wasn't JT deciding between us and Blues before joining us?

Any team who can spend £25m+ (Wolves) can afford JT on a £100k/wk deal for a season (I don't think he's on this amount).  Don't kid yourself.

[vreitti]

I'm tired of hearing the same old excuses, same old phrases repeated, week in, week out. I'd really love to hear him make a real statement of intent once at least, but it's never gonna happen. He's weak and sacred shitless, one of the main reasons we still, after 15 months keep seeing these inconsistent displays (IN MY OPINION).

[TRO]

53 minutes ago, omariqy said:

Of course luck is massive in football but @bannedfromHandV made a point that made it seem that tactics didn't really matter in football. I implore you to read Xavi's recent interview about Pep. We are living in the dark ages compared to what he does. I don't expect us to be like that but at least for some detail and thought to go into some form of strategy. I am hoping Bristol City is the start of that. 

Look, you make legitimate claims.

Pepe is amazing, difficult for any of us to use him as a benchmank and avoid derision.....He is simply the best.

just remember Ron S had criticisms about his style of football too and was forever defending himself with 110% work rate, it was only us Villa fans that listened to him.....the rest of football just tried to discredit his ways.

I don't know BFH, but I doubt he would think tactics are irrelevant.....I don't think any poster on here thinks that......and despite his dissmissive remarks ( which can be mistakenly taken literally) i don't think for one minute, Steve Bruce thinks tactics are irrelevant either. He may have thought too much is made of tactics at the expense of other important relevances, but that is entirely different.

We all read in to things, what we want to read......we would all( including me) do well to employ an open mind.

Edited January 12, 2018 by TRO

[bobzy]

2 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

Priorities for Bruce every single time he speaks to any member of the press. Whether midweek or pre/post match.

#1 Self-preservation. Levels of truth irrelevant.

#2 Everything else.

This is true for literally every other manager in professional football.  I'm not sure I've heard a manager, who wants to keep his job, come out and say "yeah, I'm doing a bad job for what I've got to work with".

I have no idea what our fans are after from Bruce anymore tbh.

[vreitti]

3 minutes ago, bobzy said:

I have no idea what our fans are after from Bruce anymore tbh.

Better performances. Promotion.