Steve Bruce

[TRO]

3 hours ago, striker said:

Can't agree with any of your post apart from the last two lines.

You say that too many players were content with a non win yet didn't Bruce buy two attacking midfielders and allowed neither to play their natural game asking them to sit deep. He purchased a forward who likes ball to feet yet the team kept hoofing it because midfield were sitting too deep.

Any manager has to adapt to the players he has to make an immediate impact on the team and Bruce showed signs of doing that when he first came to the club yet when given the chance to build on that with his own players 'to play the way he wanted' he then shoe horned those players into a system that didn't suit destroying the confidence of Hourihane in the process. He also didn't identify the impact of losing Kodjia would have on the team by bringing someone else in.

I think my friend you would do a very good job of being Bruce's PR man to cover all of that up by blaming the players.

I honestly believe there will be no repeat of Xia or Wyness changing the goalposts again this season considering what the expectations are concerning promotion so the team must start well and continue that until the end of the season if Bruce wants to keep his job. 

No disrespect I wasn't expecting you to.....and a few more too.

Its not a case of being his PR.....its more a case of not agreeing with you.

Those players was not " shoe horned" in to anything, we had a large building job to be done......The imbalance of having the right type of players around them to capitalise on their offensive skills was the catalyst for me....they struggled.....I don't expect them to struggle this season.

.....when we won the league, which was arguably our best example of getting it right.....In rough terms,we had 4 players....Shaw/Withe/Cowans/Morley who did the offensive bit......The platform for them to play was created by the other 6 outfield players.....Those 6 won the pitch battle and allowed the 4 to flourish.

The current team:

The midfield sat too deep, because the back four was sitting too deep and was reluctant to push forward.....if you don't win your individual battles you can't gain ground and end up conceding it.

I am not pretending that Steve Bruce is Jurgen Klopp or Pepe Guardiola.....but I give him far more credit than some about knowing how this game should be played.

If your cared to read the snip from Harry Redknapp yesterday about being only as good as your players, it may explain something......and yes I think Harry knows what he is talking about too.

Furthermore if Steve Bruce was the numpty some would have you believe.....John Terry would not touch us with a ten foot barge pole.

Edited July 5, 2017 by TRO

[Dave J]

8 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

No offence, but I imagine such is your obsession with Agbnolahor that if Bruce had never played him, yet results had been exactly the same, then your opinion of bruce would be the complete opposite.

Oh here you go again - please Stevo - it's a fans forum not yours!!

[AntrimBlack]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

No disrespect I wasn't expecting you to.....and a few more too.

Its not a case of being his PR.....its more a case of not agreeing with you.

Those players was not " shoe horned" in to anything, we had a large building job to be done......The imbalance of having the right type of players around them to capitalise on their offensive skills was the catalyst for me....they struggled.....I don't expect them to struggle this season.

.....when we won the league, which was arguably our best example of getting it right.....In rough terms,we had 4 players....Shaw/Withe/Cowans/Morley who did the offensive bit......The platform for them to play was created by the other 6 outfield players.....Those 6 won the pitch battle and allowed the 4 to flourish.

The current team:

The midfield sat too deep, because the back four was sitting too deep and was reluctant to push forward.....if you don't win your individual battles you can't gain ground.

I am not pretending that Steve Bruce is Jurgen Klopp or Pepe Guardiola.....but I give him far more credit than some about knowing how this game should be played.

If your cared to read the snip from Harry Redknapp yesterday about being only as good as your players, it may explain something......and yes I think Harry knows what he is talking about too.

Furthermore if Steve Bruce was the numpty some would have you believe.....John Terry would not touch us with a ten foot barge pole.

Well, Terry may think Bruce is a good/ excellent/whatever manager, but to date all we know is that last season Bruce failed miserably, even after being able to bolster an already capable squad for this division with what I considered to be good purchases.

And as for Redknapp, that is a convenient soundbite. It is pretty bloody obvious.

And  it explains nothing about Bruce's poor performance last season; he had good enough players, he just did not know how to manage them. 

[TRO]

15 minutes ago, AntrimBlack said:

Well, Terry may think Bruce is a good/ excellent/whatever manager, but to date all we know is that last season Bruce failed miserably, even after being able to bolster an already capable squad for this division with what I considered to be good purchases.

And as for Redknapp, that is a convenient soundbite. It is pretty bloody obvious.

And  it explains nothing about Bruce's poor performance last season; he had good enough players, he just did not know how to manage them. 

Last Season, was Last season.....gone, dumped, history......annus Horribilus.

If the manager was happy with it, he would not be going back in to the transfer market and further more, Steve Round and Keith Wyness, would not let him if they didn't agree.

Last season the team failed Miserably and in amongst that misery was some flickers of hope with the soft under belly slowly disappearing, baby steps yes, but steps.....because we all could still see so much wrong......thats what years of demise and poor decision making leaves you with.

You can dismiss what Harry says all you like and call them soundbites, because they don't suit your agenda......I happen to think he is right.

However, you are right on one thing, he did have some good enough players, but not all good enough players....he did not have a good enough team.

That is the very thing he is now attempting to rectify.

 

[DCJonah]

7 hours ago, TRO said:

IMO He couldn't settle on a system, because he hadn't got the players to play the way he wanted.....He had plenty of players, but not the type he wanted, to create a team.

Watching them last season still too many players were content with a non-win......too many Que Sera Sera attitudes......These things are not easy to change.

Its clear to me that he is looking for players that can play, but also possess that " eye of the tiger"/ cocky devilment that is essential for promotion.

If we can bring a few in , in addition to the Chesters/Jedinaks/Huttons, the tide may turn and the Grealish's/Agbonlahor/McCormacks of this world might buy in to this and emulate their team mates attitude.

We have needed a culture change from the last 10 years, lets hope he can do it.....for me the signs are good.

When the swagger comes back I will know we are on our way.

Who were these players?

The majority of Bruce's team were not around last season. Why was it so hard to change? 

 

[Dave J]

10 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

No offence, but I imagine such is your obsession with Agbnolahor that if Bruce had never played him, yet results had been exactly the same, then your opinion of bruce would be the complete opposite.

One  question - tell me honestly I'm wrong about you know ? 

[Stevo985]

2 hours ago, Dave J said:

Oh here you go again - please Stevo - it's a fans forum not yours!!

Huh? In what way have I suggested it's not a fan's forum?

3 minutes ago, Dave J said:

One  question - tell me honestly I'm wrong about you know ? 

Not the point.

[Dave J]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

Huh? In what way have I suggested it's not a fan's forum?

Not the point.

I think you know fine well it is- I can post about you know who as much as I like - not an obsession it's a fans forum.

oh and by the way you have cleverly chosen not to answer my question 

[Stevo985]

4 minutes ago, Dave J said:

I think you know fine well it is- I can post about you know who as much as I like - not an obsession it's a fans forum.

oh and by the way you have cleverly chosen not to answer my question 

I know you can. Again I never suggested you couldn't. You can post about you know who as much as you like. Similarly I can point out your obsession as a result.

 

No, you're not right. But again it's completely beside the point.

[Dave J]

Just now, Stevo985 said:

I know you can. Again I never suggested you couldn't. You can post about you know who as much as you like. Similarly I can point out your obsession as a result.

 

No, you're not right. But again it's completely beside the point.

I know this might be difficult Stevo but your wrong imo - if you don't think Bruce got it wrong in January then boy oh boy - and completely the point based upon your initial response 

[Stevo985]

6 minutes ago, Dave J said:

I know this might be difficult Stevo but your wrong imo - if you don't think Bruce got it wrong in January then boy oh boy - and completely the point based upon your initial response 

Cool. You're entitled to your opinion.

But no, it wasn't the point of my OP at all. If you think it is you've misunderstood it.

[Dave J]

Just now, Stevo985 said:

Cool. You're entitled to your opinion.

But no, it wasn't the point of my OP at all. If you think it is you've misunderstood it.

No I really have not Stevo - your the one not getting it - but quite frankly I can no longer be bothered - read it again and do the maths 

[Stevo985]

Just now, Dave J said:

No I really have not Stevo - your the one not getting it - but quite frankly I can no longer be bothered - read it again and do the maths 

 it was my post!

But I suppose you know what I meant better than I do  

 

I'll spell it out:

Your feelings about Agbonlahor are SO strong, that I believe they shape your opinion of Bruce. If Bruce had come out and said Gabby was finished and never played him, but results had been the same, I think you would like Bruce.

 

Whether or not your feelings about Agbonlahor are correct or not is completely beside the point.

[Dave J]

16 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

 it was my post!

But I suppose you know what I meant better than I do  

 

I'll spell it out:

Your feelings about Agbonlahor are SO strong, that I believe they shape your opinion of Bruce. If Bruce had come out and said Gabby was finished and never played him, but results had been the same, I think you would like Bruce.

 

Whether or not your feelings about Agbonlahor are correct or not is completely beside the point.

Good night Stevo - the pleasure has been all mine 

[Jareth]

33 minutes ago, Dave J said:

Good night Stevo - the pleasure has been all mine 

Get a blumin room

[Grasshopper]

Gaby was just another excuse for Bruce not getting something out of the players because they werent his/wont do what he says.......etc (There is an excuses list out there somewhere).

If one cant get something out of a good player then replace him with a shit one so one can blame him and not ones self

[DaveAV1]

11 hours ago, TRO said:

Last Season, was Last season.....gone, dumped, history......annus Horribilus.

Just a slight cherry picking of history there TRO old chap. Brucie knows what he's doing 4 promotions and one was just the season before last etc.....

[Villarocker]

I think Bruce failed last season. I think he would admit it too because, when he joined, he said that the target was to get at least into the play offs and try to get promoted. That's obviously not what happened so he failed to achieve that target. He also failed to buy in cover for Jedinak in January and that hurt us too because it was obvious were weaker without him. 

However, this is a new season and there's no way he's leaving anytime soon so now we all just need to get behind him and support everything AVFC as this season we have a much better squad to start off with and there's absolutely no reason for us not to go up. Bruce and the players have to hit the ground running and, if they do, the momentum will hopefully stand us in good stead for the rest of the season and promotion can be achieved. But, I think that Bruce will have 8-10 games to have us top 8 and looking good. Otherwise, I can see Dr Tony getting trigger happy. 

Edited July 6, 2017 by villarocker

[Stevo985]

7 hours ago, Grasshopper said:

Gaby was just another excuse for Bruce not getting something out of the players because they werent his/wont do what he says.......etc (There is an excuses list out there somewhere).

If one cant get something out of a good player then replace him with a shit one so one can blame him and not ones self

This kind of nonsense is why I stopped posting in this thread

I think I'll go back to that!

[lapal_fan]

7 hours ago, Grasshopper said:

Gaby was just another excuse for Bruce not getting something out of the players because they werent his/wont do what he says.......etc (There is an excuses list out there somewhere).

If one cant get something out of a good player then replace him with a shit one so one can blame him and not ones self

What strange thought process must be applied to reach this conclusion (as any sort of credible knowledge)?

You have implied that you KNOW (somehow) what Steve Bruce's thought process was to play Gabby..  Do you realise how mental that is?

You've created an entire story, based on absolutely NOTHING, and presented it as some sort of fact that Steve Bruce chose Gabby to throw off the poor job he was doing at the time.

What an imagination!

Edit; 

And at the end if the day, no one can possibly reason with you otherwise if you believe that is true.  You believe made up truths to suit your own agenda, rather than believe any real presentable facts, and for that reason, I'm out.

Edited July 6, 2017 by lapal_fan