Steve Bruce

[andym]

We are playing dire football, our passing is amongst the worst in the league, and movement and support for the player on the ball is non existant

Our main tactic appears to be hoof it to Kodjia and hope he does something.

However, we at least seem to have a great resilience now and a bit of luck to keep grinding out the points.

[Woodytom]

A few posters mentioning 'luck'. Interesting.

[Brumstopdogs]

Leeds had won 3 in a row so this game was never going to be easy.

Also, although the starting 11 wasn't the one I would have picked Bruce made decent attacking substitutions that I felt helped us create some good chances.

Certainly lots to improve on but some positives as well including our unbeaten home record which is something we don't often have!

[villianusa]

First half we had it right and if we had a goal scorer we would have been in the lead. Second half he left it too late to make changes. Overall, still a B+ so far.

If he gets the signing right then we will make the play offs.

[terrytini]

I think we played some decent stuff at times, especially first twenty minutes and when Adomah came on.

Ive been unhappy with the performances recently but thought this was okay.

Thought he was slow to get Jedi off though, and introduced Adomah twenty minutes too late.

And what a huge plus that he had instilled confidence and spirit into the side.... not long ago we used to lose if we went behind, full stop... not now, could've won it at the death against an in form side.

Overall a B for SB for me for 2016, even a B+ given what January to October was like.

[darrenm]

I think we should actually try to be a bit less direct and keep possession more.

We have the better players but they get a bit panicky and don't get enough of a feel for the ball.

We used to probe and pass around the opposition when Lambert was here. When we were doing well we were happy in possession.

Now we need to not be afraid to slow it down, turn around and go backwards if it means keeping the ball. If you keep shifting it around, probing, you can gradually push them back and keep pressure on. We now have players who are very dangerous in the box but because we bypass midfield and then fight for knockdowns we never compress the opposition.

 

[Jareth]

I get the feeling that Bruce does not instruct pretty football, but provide a bit of self belief. When we get a better class of player in 4 key positions we will see better football, because of those players.

[vreitti]

Why, oh why does he keep tinkering so much with the first 11? It's beginning to feel like he simply picks half the team at random.

 

[AVTuco]

Saved a point with his subs. Still doing very well for me.

[Farlz]

Didn't agree with his team tonight. Dropping McCormack and Adomah was an odd one.

[macandally]

I think we have good players, just a poor mix that doesn't work as a team.  Think SB changes are him trying to work out what his best team is.

Still poor at the basics, we cannot take or defend a throw in which bewilders me!  Support to man in possession is poor, until Adomah came on all we did was hit channels and rely on Kodjia to make something of it.  We are reliant on Jedinak to win headers otherwise the ball comes straight back at us.  We are picking up points based on individual moments of quality, but a poor team.

[sne]

I kinda get why Bruce keeps rotating the squad since it is a long season and bar our CB's not one of the players seem to be able to string 2 straight solid performances together.

But all this rotating is hampering our chances at building any consistent attacking play.

Half the season gone (almost) and they players doesn't seen to know each other on the field. Very little structure or organized play.

[Dodgyknees]

3 players away from being a brilliant side in this league.

6 away from a decent mid table Orem side.

9 away from a top 6 prem side.

[Dodgyknees]

53 minutes ago, darrenm said:

I think we should actually try to be a bit less direct and keep possession more.

We have the better players but they get a bit panicky and don't get enough of a feel for the ball.

We used to probe and pass around the opposition when Lambert was here. When we were doing well we were happy in possession.

Now we need to not be afraid to slow it down, turn around and go backwards if it means keeping the ball. If you keep shifting it around, probing, you can gradually push them back and keep pressure on. We now have players who are very dangerous in the box but because we bypass midfield and then fight for knockdowns we never compress the opposition.

 

I think the losers (Westwood, Bacuna, Hutton) all panic when teams come at us, because they were part of one of the worst prem teams ever and will likely never recover from the mental destruction it caused. Thus they panic and the team follows suit. 

[sidcow]

50 minutes ago, vreitti said:

Why, oh why does he keep tinkering so much with the first 11? It's beginning to feel like he simply picks half the team at random.

 

Or he picks the team according to the tactics he wants to employ,  to fit the situation against whom we are playing and according to who is in form. 

Also to rest certain players when we have a run of games close together in this busy busy league. 

I am sure if making random team selections for the hell of it was all it takes to get out of this league 4 times pretty much anyone could do it. 

I might apply for a vacant managers job,  I can pick a team at random too. 

 

[Stevo985]

My problem with Bruce at the moment is the delay in his subs.

Happened against Norwich too. He seems to decide what subs he's making, and then take AGES to actually make them.

Adomah was warming up for about 15 minutes tonight, ready to come on. He changed the game when he did, and credit to Bruce for making that sub. BUt he coudl have made it 10 minutes earlier.

[Keener window-cleaner]

I was thinking the same thing. He doesn't need to throw everything up front already in the 60th minute, but why always wait until the 75th minute before making the change...

[MikeMcKenna]

 Clearly SB has improved us. But we do not have a 'team', whereas Leeds, Burton and others before them do. Too many of our players are 'fancy dans' acting as individuals when a simple ball to a team mate would be more effective. Our lack of teamwork allowed Burton to outplay us at times even though we got a result.

In the first half tonight I thought our passing improved significantly compared to the Burton game. But in the 2nd half we reverted to type again as 'individuals' either tried to dribble their way out or made stupid wayward passes.  At times it looked like Leeds had 1/2 extra players. They knew we were rattled, their confidence increased and so did their team play. 

We are not an affective 'team' but given the nature of some of our players I don't know whether SB can do anything about it. 

Edited December 30, 2016 by MikeMcKenna

[Zatman]

Bruce has performed a miracle in the results he has got with these players. this is a team with a shit central midfield, dodgy goalkeeping, poor right back and a collection of inconsistent attackers

Di Matteo deserves all the criticism in the world but Bruce has cleaned his mess up which would have got us relegated to the verge of the play-offs

[kurtsimonw]

7 hours ago, AVTuco said:

Saved a point with his subs. Still doing very well for me.

Isn't it nice to have a manager who changes things in a positive way to grab points, rather than just gifting them away?