Steve Bruce

[ciggiesnbeer]

4 hours ago, TheStagMan said:

How dare you say that about this beauty!

So awesome.

[srsmithusa]

I find it somewhere between amusing and frustrating that, as a Bruce critic, if I post anything critical right now I get a flashback that “this isn’t the right time, the playoffs matter too much and I should give it a rest.”   If I agree and keep silent I get psycoanalyzed, trivialized, and straw man arguments constructed to assert I’m foolish or naive or deluded or unrealistic or scintilated or in some other way to be dismissed.  

Right now, I just wanna focus on getting promoted

so, how do you think Bruce will prepare for Fulham’s strengths?   What weaknesses do you think he’ll try to exploit?   How?

[weedman]

1 minute ago, srsmithusa said:

I find it somewhere between amusing and frustrating that, as a Bruce critic, if I post anything critical right now I get a flashback that “this isn’t the right time, the playoffs matter too much and I should give it a rest.”   If I agree and keep silent I get psycoanalyzed, trivialized, and straw man arguments constructed to assert I’m foolish or naive or deluded or unrealistic or scintilated or in some other way to be dismissed.  

Right now, I just wanna focus on getting promoted

so, how do you think Bruce will prepare for Fulham’s strengths?   What weaknesses do you think he’ll try to exploit?   How?

I reckon he'll do similar to Boro in that Hutton will go up against Sess and be told to pretty much do to him what he did to Adama, I'd say Terry should be able to handle Mitro and Jedinak and Hourihane will buzz around Cairney to pretty much cut out their main supply lines. That should allow Adomah, Snodgrass, Grealish and Grabban to break forward at pace.

 

Boro restricted us somewhat as well, but thats a Tony Pulis team, we'll have more joy attacking against Fulham than Boro. Main problem is they are better going forward and we're highly unlikely to restrict them to no chances like we did Boro, they'll have a few, as will we. It'll be a tight game and I fear for us if we concede first as it'll be harder to counter which is our main strength.

 

I really think that our front 4 (Grabban, Adomah, Snoddy and Jack) should high press them as much as possible and wherever possible force them to play longer, it doesn't suit them and Mile will eat those sort of balls for breakfast - thats pretty much what Blues did and it worked out pretty well for them, obviously some luck will be required but that goes for them as well as us. It'll be a close game, we've both got the ability to hurt the other - arguably them more than us, but we're more solid at the back, if I were a betting man I'd steer well clear of this myself as it really could go either way. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they lost to Blues as the pressure got to them, all they had to do was win against one of the poorest teams in the league to get 2nd place - Wembley pressure will be far more than that, and we have far more experience in that regard which could see us through (I'm forever hopeful!)

[srsmithusa]

your tactics thoughts are pretty much right in line with mine.  I worry that sessegnon is a bit more intelligent than adama and Hutton might not be able to shepherd him into the support quite as consistently.  Also, since the Hutton on Adama worked so well, I fear it might be a little too easy to call and too easy for Fulham to anticipate/counter.   I think that pressing high to force them to put it long will be important.

I would be tempted to switch hourihane for thor.  If we can force them to go over the top, Jedi will have a huge day.  But if they manage to work into the middle, Thor is a bit more active and quick and might help shore up the middle and close down more quickly.  I don't want Grabban, Jack, Albert or Snodders working back too deeply in defense.

[poitier]

I wouldn't want to be the 17 year old standing between Hutton and a juicy new contract...

[sheepyvillian]

On 20/05/2018 at 17:06, TRO said:

Right.....but how many Ronnie O'Sullivans are there?

am I to glean from that no other player is worth watching if they can't do what Ronnie does?

Sheepy, I think you have an Eliteist/Idealistic view of things.....That not a criticism, its an observation.....I think if you could open up your appreciation of lesser mortals, you would be more fulfilled....

Like Steve Bruce ( to get back on topic).

Alex Higgins ?

[sheepyvillian]

On 20/05/2018 at 17:06, TRO said:

Right.....but how many Ronnie O'Sullivans are there?

am I to glean from that no other player is worth watching if they can't do what Ronnie does?

Sheepy, I think you have an Eliteist/Idealistic view of things.....That not a criticism, its an observation.....I think if you could open up your appreciation of lesser mortals, you would be more fulfilled....

Like Steve Bruce ( to get back on topic).

No, I just think you can win football games by playing in an attacking, exciting, manner. Nothing elitist or idealistic about that. 

You don't have to be a genius to adopt that philosophy.

[sheepyvillian]

10 hours ago, srsmithusa said:

your tactics thoughts are pretty much right in line with mine.  I worry that sessegnon is a bit more intelligent than adama and Hutton might not be able to shepherd him into the support quite as consistently.  Also, since the Hutton on Adama worked so well, I fear it might be a little too easy to call and too easy for Fulham to anticipate/counter.   I think that pressing high to force them to put it long will be important.

I would be tempted to switch hourihane for thor.  If we can force them to go over the top, Jedi will have a huge day.  But if they manage to work into the middle, Thor is a bit more active and quick and might help shore up the middle and close down more quickly.  I don't want Grabban, Jack, Albert or Snodders working back too deeply in defense.

" A bit more intelligent ", you're too kind.

[sheepyvillian]

On 20/05/2018 at 16:30, TRO said:

Well said, Terry.

"Winning" football is the the one, that encompasses so many virtues of the game.....but "exciting" is in the eye of the beholder.

I guess, to hear the comments on this, from Rocky Marciano fans, would be a view worth listening to......for the younger fans, here was a guy that was never beaten in a professional fight( probably never won a round too, just joking there).....But they must have gleaned from his fights something worth following him for......He was battered in most of them, but he knew how to win.

They probably gleaned the fact he was of Italian blood. Not to mention the mob maybe had a stake in a few of his fights.

Just a thought.

[Demitri_C]

Mitrovic has a bad temper on him. When he is frustrated he could quite easily get sent off.

Tbh its crucial fulham dont score first we end up losing and dropping our heads when that happens. I suspect thats what jonkavic will be instructing his side.  

Fulham showed they couldn't handle the pressure against the blosers. Let's hope for the same Saturday.

[Woody1000]

While I’ve had my doubts about Bruce as manager (tactics/selections), he has got us to Wembley and for that he deserves a lot of credit, especially considering the personal problems that he has had this season re his parents.

i just hope he sets us up a bit more like we have in big home games this season, and not like we have in the big away games. It’s a big pitch at Wembley, bigger than Craven Cottage, and I feel that the atmosphere and everything that comes with Wembley suits us more. It’s definitely a big equaliser against the fact that Fulham play ‘prettier’ football than us. I just hope that Fulham’s season has run out of puff.

I feel that whatever happens Saturday, Bruce has definitely earned the right to still be manager come August.

[Stevo985]

6 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

No, I just think you can win football games by playing in an attacking, exciting, manner. Nothing elitist or idealistic about that. 

You don't have to be a genius to adopt that philosophy.

Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. Good teams adapt to their strengths and the opponents' weaknesses.

 

If it was as easy as just saying "let's attack" and it makes you win games then everyone would do it.

[sheepyvillian]

1 hour ago, Stevo985 said:

Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. Good teams adapt to their strengths and the opponents' weaknesses.

 

If it was as easy as just saying "let's attack" and it makes y

ou win games then everyone would do it.

You really mean you can't win every game by going out with an attacking mentality ? I'm gobsmacked.

Well, I guess there's no harm in trying. Just ask Jurgen Klopp , he has that mentality, which is to predominantly set up his teams to attack, hence they are one of the most exciting teams to watch when going forward. It's the mentality of the approach to the game I'm talking about, and a willingness to want to entertain. Just because you may lose a few games, it doesn't mean you give up on your methods.

Thanks for that enlightening wisdom. Fill the void constructively, as they say .

[sne]

TBF I think our team is a bit old and slow to play Gegenpress for a 46 game Championship season.

[lexicon]

Alternatively you could say that it's naive and the mentality lacks flexibility. It's also a lot easier to do with teams that costs hundreds of millions to put together. 

In our position, you have to be clever. You set up to match the opposition (many fans seem to forget that they exist) if they're comparable or stronger, you set up to your strengths if you're clearly a better team. You have to be good defensively and in attack if you want success.

[Dr_Pangloss]

13 hours ago, poitier said:

I wouldn't want to be the 17 year old standing between Hutton and a juicy new contract...

He really does need to kick him off the park inside the first half an hour.

[Stevo985]

8 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

You really mean you can't win every game by going out with an attacking mentality ? I'm gobsmacked.

Unless you're the best team in the world, then no you can't.

9 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

Well, I guess there's no harm in trying. Just ask Jurgen Klopp , he has that mentality, which is to predominantly set up his teams to attack, hence they are one of the most exciting teams to watch when going forward. It's the mentality of the approach to the game I'm talking about, and a willingness to want to entertain. Just because you may lose a few games, it doesn't mean you give up on your methods.

I must have missed that season when Jurgen Klopp won every single game he managed. Weird.

One of the biggest criticisms of Liverpool is that they'd be a lot better if they sorted their defence out.

10 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

 

Thanks for that enlightening wisdom. Fill the void constructively, as they say .

I really don't see what was unconstructive about my post. As usual somebody has disagreed with you and you've thrown your toys out of the pram.

[sheepyvillian]

13 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Unless you're the best team in the world, then no you can't.

I must have missed that season when Jurgen Klopp won every single game he managed. Weird.

One of the biggest criticisms of Liverpool is that they'd be a lot better if they sorted their defence out.

I really don't see what was unconstructive about my post. As usual somebody has disagreed with you and you've thrown your toys out of the pram.

You did see the part where I said just because you lose a few games ?

A Champions league final. Not a bad season, wouldn't you say ? 

The word " gobsmacked ", should of give you a clue. Oh, never mind, once again.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

18 hours ago, srsmithusa said:

I find it somewhere between amusing and frustrating that, as a Bruce critic, if I post anything critical right now I get a flashback that “this isn’t the right time, the playoffs matter too much and I should give it a rest.”   If I agree and keep silent I get psycoanalyzed, trivialized, and straw man arguments constructed to assert I’m foolish or naive or deluded or unrealistic or scintilated or in some other way to be dismissed.  

Right now, I just wanna focus on getting promoted

so, how do you think Bruce will prepare for Fulham’s strengths?   What weaknesses do you think he’ll try to exploit?   How?

Kind of where I'm at.

Divisiveness helps nothing right now.

After Saturday we will have all the time in the world to argue whether it be one way or the other.

Either "Will Bruce be golfing with Iniesta this summer?"

OR what's Cameron Jeromes' contract situation? lol

[Stevo985]

1 hour ago, sheepyvillian said:

You did see the part where I said just because you lose a few games ?

A Champions league final. Not a bad season, wouldn't you say ? 

The word " gobsmacked ", should of give you a clue. Oh, never mind, once again.

I stated that you can win some games with an attacking philosophy and some you can't. To which you replied

 

1 hour ago, sheepyvillian said:

You really mean you can't win every game by going out with an attacking mentality ?

To which the answer is "no you can't"

The fact Klopp has lost some games is evidence of that, not evidence of the contrary.

 

Look, you obviously won't be happy until we're playing like Guardiola's Barcelona and bulldozing teams every week 5-0. IF we ever get there I'll be as happy as you are.

But if it was as easy as just attacking every game then, again, why doesn't every team in the world play incredible football? Is every manager in the world crap apart from the handful of teams who do play like that?

The reality is that unless you are one of the elite teams, then there are games where you can attack and games where you can't. To go into every game with an all out attack attitude isn't just idealistic, it's **** moronic.

You can point to Klopp all you want. He manages Liverpool, one of the best teams in Europe with one of the best players in Europe. It's like complaining that I can't run 100 meteres in 10 seconds because Tyson Gay can do it.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Stevo985