Steve Bruce

[bobzy]

Just now, DCJonah said:

I think it's one of the strongest in the league. Full of players the vast majority of teams in this league would love to have. 

"One of" the?  THE best?  Where does it rank?

[DCJonah]

2 minutes ago, bobzy said:

"One of" the?  THE best?  Where does it rank?

It's a top 2 squad IMO. 

[bobzy]

1 minute ago, DCJonah said:

It's a top 2 squad IMO. 

I'm assuming you think Wolves have a better team.

I think the 3 best teams in the league are Wolves, Fulham and us - potentially in that order.  I had bets on 2 teams winning the league - Fulham and then Wolves.  Cardiff are the huge outliers; other than that, I think it's much of a muchness.

As such, Bruce isn't doing a bad job at all IMO.

[Dr_Pangloss]

Bruce is falling short, automatic promotion is the goal and he won't deliver that, we have it all to do in the playoffs.

[DCJonah]

4 minutes ago, bobzy said:

I'm assuming you think Wolves have a better team.

I think the 3 best teams in the league are Wolves, Fulham and us - potentially in that order.  I had bets on 2 teams winning the league - Fulham and then Wolves.  Cardiff are the huge outliers; other than that, I think it's much of a muchness.

As such, Bruce isn't doing a bad job at all IMO.

I think Bruce is doing a decent job, my opinion of him has changed massively over the course of the season. However, if we fail to achieve promotion then IMO he has failed and has to take the blame for it. 

[terrytini]

Got selection and approach right and it showed. Good stuff

[Demitri_C]

Solid win shame he could not do that in other three

[Farlz]

Was nice to not see any ridiculous subs today 

[tonyh29]

1 hour ago, Farlz said:

Was nice to not see any ridiculous subs today 

Other than Onomah you mean  

[srsmithusa]

5 hours ago, terrytini said:

Got selection and approach right and it showed. Good stuff

Honestly, I agree with you, but those who said our last three were down to the players not stepping up with any fight and it wasn’t really his fault MUST be thinking the players finally stepped up and Bruce gets no credit for this right?   

IMO our failures are his responsibility and the wins he gets credit for.  Of course other folks pls roles, but the fact that other factors are involved (in success and failure) does not relieve him of responsibility.  (Or credit)

today, he picked players, formation, and tactics that fit together. (Except all the high crosses over Hogan’s head were frustrating. )  but enough was right, and our talent was so much higher, that it never felt in doubt. 

[Eastie]

9 hours ago, terrytini said:

Got selection and approach right and it showed. Good stuff

This . Hogan looks a better player when Grealish is on the team , snoddy looks a better player in c ombo with Elmo and barney gives  us far more than jedi in midfield - makes the recent team selection at hull so frustrating .

Edited April 4, 2018 by Eastie

[Demitri_C]

Not sure why but since grabban came in and played the lone striker we went down hill. he brings hogan back and we beat reading very easily. we didnt really have much to do. terry and chester was more like a rest game. there should be absolutely no fatigue for norwich game 

Edited April 4, 2018 by Demitri_C

[lapal_fan]

Wouldn't mind seeing Grabban on the left with Taylor, Hogan in the middle with Snodgrass and Elmo on the right.

Good balance of in swinging crosses/out swinging crosses and potentially 2 strikers in the box - it also gives Albert a much needed rest I think.  Only need to see how it does in the game on Saturday before Tuesday's big game against Cardiff. 

[TRO]

17 hours ago, DCJonah said:

Would nearly 2 years not be a reasonable period of time?

What if Xia sacks him if we fail to go up? Will you judge xia for making that decision?

No.....because he knows more than me thay happens at BMH.I would just hope he has a builder in mind, because i don't think we are the finished article by a long chalk.

No....not Balfour Beatty

In normal circumstances it is, our circumstances, when he took over was far from normal....In reality this is his first full season ,first pre season.....his first task was stop the haemhorraging of goals.....we had a team spirit like blues under cotterill and Albion.that first season was a blockade job imo, not promotion challengers.....but thats just opinions again.

I genuinelly don't know how long these things should take, it varies on starting point and how much wreckage to salvage.

Injuries have been particulary unkind, especially the longer term ones, perhaps that has to be factored in too.

Its took Pepe much the same time as Bruce to get an impact and he had a much better canvas and paints to work with.....everything is relative of course.

Edited April 4, 2018 by TRO

[TRO]

4 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

Not sure why but since grabban came in and played the lone striker we went down hill. he brings hogan back and we beat reading very easily. we didnt really have much to do. terry and chester was more like a rest game. there should be absolutely no fatigue for norwich game 

I think its more about Reading, than our formation......The under 23's would have given them a game.

[terrytini]

16 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think its more about Reading, than our formation......The under 23's would have given them a game.

I’m beginning to suspect you phrase your arguments to back the Manager  .....yet by doing so achieve the opposite !

So you don’t recognise Bruce chopped out the lumbering deadwood and picked a more athletic side, dropped the deep sitting plan and told the players to make forward runs wherever possible, got us on the front foot right from the off ?

You just think the players did better because Reading were poor ?

Reading ran rings round us in August when we stood off them and tried to hit them on the break. Last night we went for the jugular and they ( yes they were poor) didn’t know what hit them.

Game after game after game I see the selection, watch the approach, and inside fifteen minutes have a good idea whether we will give someone a real game. Just re- read the line ups in that Winning run, then look at the line ups recently. Then look at Jack on Saturday compared to last night. 

We did so well for the same reason we’d previously done well, the right players playing in the right places with the right approach. Second comes their individual contributions, Third, by a long way, comes how Reading were.

In my humble opinion.

[Demitri_C]

9 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I’m beginning to suspect you phrase your arguments to back the Manager  .....yet by doing so achieve the opposite !

So you don’t recognise Bruce chopped out the lumbering deadwood and picked a more athletic side, dropped the deep sitting plan and told the players to make forward runs wherever possible, got us on the front foot right from the off ?

You just think the players did better because Reading were poor ?

Reading ran rings round us in August when we stood off them and tried to hit them on the break. Last night we went for the jugular and they ( yes they were poor) didn’t know what hit them.

Game after game after game I see the selection, watch the approach, and inside fifteen minutes have a good idea whether we will give someone a real game. Just re- read the line ups in that Winning run, then look at the line ups recently. Then look at Jack on Saturday compared to last night. 

We did so well for the same reason we’d previously done well, the right players playing in the right places with the right approach. Second comes their individual contributions, Third, by a long way, comes how Reading were.

In my humble opinion.

We look so better when we take the game to teams as opposed to defending and being negative. its like when bruce played that 5-3-2 rubbish a few times. its failed every time yet he tried it a few times 

[TRO]

5 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I’m beginning to suspect you phrase your arguments to back the Manager  .....yet by doing so achieve the opposite !

So you don’t recognise Bruce chopped out the lumbering deadwood and picked a more athletic side, dropped the deep sitting plan and told the players to make forward runs wherever possible, got us on the front foot right from the off ?

You just think the players did better because Reading were poor ?

Reading ran rings round us in August when we stood off them and tried to hit them on the break. Last night we went for the jugular and they ( yes they were poor) didn’t know what hit them.

Game after game after game I see the selection, watch the approach, and inside fifteen minutes have a good idea whether we will give someone a real game. Just re- read the line ups in that Winning run, then look at the line ups recently. Then look at Jack on Saturday compared to last night. 

We did so well for the same reason we’d previously done well, the right players playing in the right places with the right approach. Second comes their individual contributions, Third, by a long way, comes how Reading were.

In my humble opinion.

Well.....We will see in the next few games.

I don't dispute your theories and yes the changes did make us more mobile and I guess he does have to consider whether leaving players in when we get a good resultis right , even though the next game may require a different approach....and vice versa.

I back the manager on what he does over a season, not from game to game.....I look at the players for that.....otherwise, i could be changing my mind like the weather.

I was actually screaming on one occasion in the second half for players to get in the box to support Hogan....He was on his own on some /many occasions when we went forward ( most congregating on the outside of the box)only when Kodjia came on did we resemble a forward line.....with him coming in from wide.

I respect the fact, we see things differently, thats no big deal.

I actually want YOU to be right and me wrong.

[KSV]

42 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think its more about Reading, than our formation......The under 23's would have given them a game.

100%. They were soooo poor. One of the worst ive seen this season. Barely wanted to take it to us.. even before the sending off. They just came and rolled over for us. No fight at all. 

[TRO]

6 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

We look so better when we take the game to teams as opposed to defending and being negative. its like when bruce played that 5-3-2 rubbish a few times. its failed every time yet he tried it a few times 

Do you not think that these times you mention about us being negative is a direct result of the opposition closing us down and winning the duels.....that didn't happen to us last night.

Do you not think, we want to play like we did last night in every game......but other teams don't let you.....they compete.

Reading really didn't compete last night.....hardly surprising with one of our cast offs in the middle.