Steve Bruce

[rodders0223]

Norwich won 2-0 tonight.

Shit, best work on that 7-2-1 formation rest of the week.

[sne]

Just now, rodders0223 said:

Norwich won 2-0 tonight.

Shit, best work on that 7-2-1 formation rest of the week.

Work on formation? U havin' a laugh?

Bruce don't do tactics.

[Demitri_C]

48 minutes ago, AshVilla said:

They were good players before they were managed by Bruce though.

If your a good footballer you will do your best regardless of tactics? Do I think tactics are not representing the squad  to their full potential? Absolutely 

but Bruce has got some valid point there, they are not doing enough. I mean Hutton making league two style mistakes. Andre green missing sitters. Not being able to pass a ball for more than 3 passes. This is basic stuff and the team are not doing the basics right.

there is no excuses for that in my view whoever the manager is

[sne]

Think we've all read "that" article about Bruce by now.

So I found another one from back in 2015 that is sort of a celebration to Bruce rather than critique.

It's from Vice of all places and it brilliant! A bit of fun to take your mind of our current situation. If only for a few minutes.

The Ballad of Steve Bruce

Quote

A SMALL MINORITY OF IDIOTS

The Ballad of Steve Bruce: Premier League Punching Bag

BM

BEN MACHELL

Apr 13 2015, 7:00am

Another season of the Hull City manager will soon have passed: a comfortingly familiar sack of puffed-out cheeks, rueful sighs and inevitable negative goal difference.

 

Bruce in his significantly more glorious playing days in 1992 (Photo by Oyvind Vik)

Thanks to their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton this weekend, Hull City now have just six games to retain their top-flight status. For a club that sits just above the relegation zone and which has only managed to score in ten of their last 24 fixtures, it's a run-in that looks absolutely **** horrible. Fans of the Tigers will have to hope they can unleash some in-no-way-cringeworthy "maulings", upon opponents that will include Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs. And yet regardless of whether Hull stay up by the skin of their teeth or go down like a leaky trawler with wing-backs, one thing is guaranteed: another season will have passed in which Steve Bruce seems to have served the role of Premier League punching bag, a comfortingly familiar sack of puffed-out cheeks and rueful sighs and inevitable negative goal difference.

Steve Bruce. You know Steve Bruce. He gets photoshopped into wedding ceremonies. He looks like a dinner lady who has enjoyed a decent MMA career. He speaks with the soft, insistent monotone of a Geordie hypnotist and yet, in over 700 managerial appearances, he has never persuaded a team to finish higher than tenth in the Premier League. He's part of English football's furniture, from freakishly prolific centre back – witness his 19 goals for Man U during the 1990/91 season – to jobbing manager for some of the country's least romantic clubs. So we're talking Birmingham. Wigan. Sunderland. Hull. Clubs that trip you up in quizzes and get relegated without you noticing. Clubs prepared to give a man a chance on the promise that his players will "put themselves about" and that he will never fail to instinctively mime a header from the technical area every time his team swing in a ball into the box. To hire Steve Bruce is to admit that football is tough and life isn't perfect. And that's about it.

 

Or is it? Because while the case against Bruce as suet-brained tactical dinosaur and over-promoted Peter Principle exponent is a familiar one, it's also a case I suspect is mostly peddled by tiki-taka fanboys who show-off about attending non-league football and wear T-shirts with that Albert Camus quote about being a goalie on the back. And I **** hate those guys. Besides, I have a good mate who is a Hull City fan and he thinks Steve Bruce is the man. And not just as a manger – with a Premier League promotion and FA Cup final for the Yorkshire club under his belt – but also as a guy. And the more time I've spent talking to my mate, the more I've been thinking, shit... what if he's right?

The first thing that's worth acknowledging is that, yeah, there's no getting around it, Bruce is an old-fashioned English football manager. He is an old-fashioned guy with old-fashioned values, on and off the pitch. When earlier this season QPR's Joey Barton got sent off for striking Hull's Tom Huddlestone in the groin, Bruce cut through the surrounding hysteria with the wearily moral certainty of an Old Testament prophet. "You can't be punching people in the knackers, can you?" It could have been carved in a stone tablet. There was literally nothing left to say.

Until very recently, he admits, he didn't know how to send an email. "I've been accused of being a dinosaur because I don't like the computer," he has said, and there's something about the way he says "the computer" that makes you think he's talking about the invention rather than the 16-year-old desktop gathering dust in his spare room. He wears outdated cliches like a comfy, XXL fleece. So he's keen on his players showing "bottle". He doesn't want them to be taken for "mugs". When it comes to transfer dealings, he will coyly admit to having "irons in the fire". The more urbane football fan might roll their eyes, but let me float this by you: so **** what? He may sound dated, but he gets results. Maybe not amazing results. Maybe not even quite good results. But still, he knows what he's about and sticks to it, and more often than not the results are sort of OK.

 

And, for what it's worth, I much prefer that to the current wave of British mangers who have taken to engaging in a creepy sort of intellectual grandstanding. Managers who would probably tell you that they "could've gone to uni" but were just "too good at footy" to bother. An oddball squad of hubris-baiting alphas who seem at once both chippy and vain. So Alan Pardew, who is every inch the older man on a PowerLeague team: whippet fit, heavy knee strapping, cock immediately out in the changing room afterwards. Or Nigel Pearson, the policeman who married your mum and then made your bedroom his Tae Bo workout zone. Nigel Adkins, with his hair gel and glasses, looking like a schoolteacher who would smugly wait until a pupil's 16th birthday before embarking on an affair. Brendan Rodgers with his self-portrait. Tim Sherwood with his gillet that he says isn't a gillet but is clearly a **** gillet. Garry Monk with his Twitter account. Actually, Garry Monk seems totally fine. He's basically just your cousin who keeps trying to get you to play golf.

But do you take my point? Bruce might be a bit fusty but he's alright. He's definitely not vain. It was only after photographs emerged of him shirtless on holiday and looking like something created by Pixar that he grudgingly promisedto shape up. "I don't think too many 55-year-olds look that good on a beach do they?" he said. "But I have promised my good lady I will go on a diet." Of course he calls his wife "My good lady". And of course they are childhood sweethearts from the same Northumberland village. No possibility of Bruce ever repeating, say, the truck stop sex tape antics of his Wigan predecessor Paul Jewell. Which I think we can all agree is good.

 

Speaking of family loyalty, you can't help but admire his completely balls-out approach to playing his own son – slightly short centre-back Alex Bruce – who he signed for Hull within weeks of taking the job. It wasn't even the first time he signed him, having done exactly the same thing at Birmingham City. In this weekend's game, Alex Bruce gave away a penalty and got punched in the face. But people talk about good managers making bold selection decisions, and they don't come much more **** bold than being in a relegation dogfight and opting to let your own kid be part of your back line. Alex Bruce, incidentally, has only ever played in the Premier League under his dad. Draw from that what you will.

"You call it nepotism, I... I call it love," is something a visibly emotional Steve Bruce has never actually said, but then, I don't think he needs to. When, during a recent touchline spat, he looked ready to go totally E Honda on Gus Poyet after the then-Sunderland manager made a still undisclosed comment to him, you just know it was something to do with his son. Which is fair enough from Bruce. And while we're at it, I also rate the way he took a few solid slaps chasing off robbers who were trying to break into his daughter's car. I suspect both his kids have "Thanks Dad [wink emjoi]" as a preset text on their phones. Not that he would know how to reply.

Does any of this make him a brilliant manager? Maybe not. But just as in his playing days, while his abilities may be limited, he gets the most out of what he's got thanks to a massive appetite for the game. It sounds stupid, but after being involved in almost 1,650 fixtures as a player and manager, Bruce is still – somehow – head over heels in love with football. Just look at how excited he getswhen he sees a Wayne Rooney wondergoal during the middle of a press conference he was supposed to be giving.

 

And on the theme of his touching love for the game, one little known fact about him is that – incredibly – he wrote a series of football-themed mystery novellas about 15 years ago. Sweeper!, Defender! and Striker! are now collectors' items, mainly because nobody bought them. Reading up about them online, they seem completely surreal, like something you'd have delirious dreams about when you were ill and then never be quite sure if they were real or not afterwards.

"The spelling mistakes are alright, after a bit you don't notice them," reports one Amazon user of Striker! in a four-star online review titled "Too beautiful for this world". Another customer offers a critique of Defender! "This book was good but not as good as Sweeper!. This is because the plot isn't as well thought out and the characters, I thought, were less believable."

Whether Bruce even wrote these himself isn't even really the point. The point is that it's hard not to root for a guy who, when asked "Would you like to put your name to a series of semi-autobiographical football-themed crime paperbacks?", just shrugs and says "Aye, go on then." If Alan Pardew had written three books the whole **** world would know about it.

But perhaps the greatest testament to Bruce is that he's still here. Season after season he is the Premier League's punching bag but he keeps coming back for more. The reason we're even talking about him is that he's refused to go away. How many of his once feted peers have flickered only to ultimately fade? Where, today, is David O'Leary? Where is Bryan Robson? Iain Dowie? Alan Curbishley? Glenn Hoddle? John Gregory? The list goes on. And whether Hull stay up or go down, you know that Bruce is not too squeamish – not too vain – to puff-out his cheeks, sigh ruefully, and just keep going.

 

"I would love a crack maybe one day at managing a big club, to try and win trophies," he said recently, speaking with an almost embarrassed smile. "But at the moment? I'm quite happy to plod along."

And I think that's fair enough. I think that's fair play.

@ben_machell 

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/5gekyz/the-passion-of-steve-bruce-436

Edited August 16, 2017 by sne

[KHV]

2 hours ago, LakotaDakota said:

It was raining today and i didn't take my umrella with me because it is this :

Bruce has made me prefer to get wet than be associated with the club at the moment.

Thanks potato head.

 

It really is quite staggering how bad things are.

1 year ago his hull team scored 69 goals (only 2 teams scored more) had a GD of +34 (only 1 team had better) & won 24 games (again only 2 teams won more)

This was their squad for the play-off final, Is it really miles better than ours? or were they just a hard working team who fought for each other rather than looking like 11 people who just happen to be wearing the same shirt on a day out

Jakupovic
dubajo
Dawson
Davies
Robertson
Livermore
Huddlestone
Elmohamady
Diamé
Snodgrass
Hernández

Bruce
Meyler
Clucas
Maguire
Maloney
Akpom
Kuciak

Starting XI is miles better than what we can put out. 

[terrytini]

1 hour ago, Demitri_C said:

Desperate man, he is blaming the players. I think there is a it if truth in it though. These players have to take some responsibility as well as they have been woeful

I see almost zero evidence of a lack of effort. But I see countless examples of players clearly unsure of their role, and plenty of examples of chopping and changing people around. I don't see evidence of anything that looks like coaching.

I don't see how the players can be faulted in the main.

But I can imagine the effect his - now regular - criticisms of them have on their loyalty and confidence.

[decamoto]

5 minutes ago, KHV said:

Starting XI is miles better than what we can put out. 

On paper it's really not. I'd argue that there's 3/4 players that prem teams would look at taking from that team. Not too dissimilar to ours.

Bruce managed to get them up though it was probably in his 3rd(?) year in charge which we can't afford. I'd be interested in the years before that to see if there's any correlation to year on year improvement. 

[terrytini]

1 hour ago, srsmithusa said:

Terry, I liked this, then thought a bit more and want to clarify.  This is what I think.  Are you saying something different

i don't think we will move forward long-term with Bruce.  For that reason I want him out, even if we have "false dawns" of a draw, or a win, or a late goal.   But...  I am hoping the team produces late goals, draws, or even wins.  I will not welcome losses or conceding goals.  But I want him out ASAP no matter what happens any future match.   Are you saying something different?

Probably. I just want whatever gets him out. ( well I don't, I want him to miraculously change but he won't).

Had we played well last night I might've celebrated a win.

But given how we did play I wouldn't have celebrated getting points if it meant him keeping his job.

But it doesn't matter.

They will sack him. It's just a question of when. That they haven't done so already leads me to believe that whenever they do it will be too late.

[PaulC]

2 hours ago, AshVilla said:

Bruce blames the players AGAIN.

I agree with what he said, but I am not sure its wise to say it in public because what they need is confidence installed in them and that wont help

[poitier]

17 minutes ago, decamoto said:

On paper it's really not. I'd argue that there's 3/4 players that prem teams would look at taking from that team. Not too dissimilar to ours.

Bruce managed to get them up though it was probably in his 3rd(?) year in charge which we can't afford. I'd be interested in the years before that to see if there's any correlation to year on year improvement. 

That Hull team had been together for a few seasons, it was basically the team that got relegated the previous year. It was definitely a better balanced team than ours, and Bruce should really have achieved automatic promotion with that squad.

The better players have now gone to Prem clubs, but the right back Odubajo looked like a really good prospect until he got a couple of bad injuries the next season.

[Ingram85]

'Man manager' Bruce throwing his men under the bus. Yeah, that'll get them roaring and ready for Norwich. Donut.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/637989/Aston-Villa-News-Steve-Bruce-sack-Championship-Dr-Tony-Xia

 

Quote

 

Steve Bruce three games from the sack at Aston Villa

STEVE BRUCE could be just three games from the sack at struggling Aston Villa.

Bruce knows he’s fighting a desperate scrap to hang on to his job after a terrible start to the season.

Villa started the campaign as promotion favourites but one point from three games sees them next to bottom with angry fans demanding answers.

Chinese owner Dr Tony Xia is trying to rally to Bruce’s aid by bringing in at least one new player, but fan reaction which could end up deciding Bruce’s fate.

Around 4,000 travelling supporters vented their feelings following the 2-1 defeat at Reading which came just four days after a 3-0 defeat at Cardiff.

There are now just three games before the international break – a traditional danger time for the trigger to be pulled.

Saturday’s tricky home game with Norwich is followed by a Carabao Cup clash with Wigan and then a trip to Bristol City in the televised Friday night game.

If their current form continues they could be bottom by then and that could be curtains for the boss who was appointed last October.

Bruce knows he’s up against it saying: “I’m the right man to turn it around but whether or not I’m given time is not for me to answer.”

He says his players are struggling to handle playing for Villa, adding “The enormity of Aston Villa comes into play.

“Some have shied away from it. They have to grasp the nettle too.

“We have to match the expectation. I will see what a few people are made off. We’re up against it and you judge everyone.”

 

 

[AvfcRigo82]

1 hour ago, sne said:

Work on formation? U havin' a laugh?

Bruce don't do tactics.

He don't do much at the moment by the looks of things!

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Kin hell.

Shows how important he is, as well as we know Kodjia is, but based on the amount of money we have spent, we should not be disintegrating when missing a couple players.

It's a squad game.

[Zatman]

17 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Kin hell.

Shows how important he is, as well as we know Kodjia is, but based on the amount of money we have spent, we should not be disintegrating when missing a couple players.

It's a squad game.

not really. we only won 46 percent of games with him which is really not that impressive. Could probably find scarier stats for Kodjia(we barely score without him)

[Zatman]

actually Bruce was going on few weeks ago about how he designed a system to get best out of Grealish. I have seen nothing to indicate that Jack would have even seen the ball if he was fit

[DaveAV1]

30 minutes ago, Zatman said:

not really. we only won 46 percent of games with him which is really not that impressive. Could probably find scarier stats for Kodjia(we barely score without him)

You could be right there may well be scarier stats, but these are definitely hide behind the sofa stats. If you take points per game and multiply by 46, with him we get a fraction under 78 points, touching distance of play offs. But without him we get under 18 points over a season! Go on admit it, you're scared!

[Hornso]

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

not really. we only won 46 percent of games with him which is really not that impressive. Could probably find scarier stats for Kodjia(we barely score without him)

Same conditions. Since we purchased Kodjia (August 30th) in the league.

With Kodjia

Wins - 14 | Draws - 10 | Defeats - 12
Win % - 38.89%

Without Kodjia

Wins - 1 | Draws - 3 | Defeats - 4
Win % - 12.5%

[Villanun]

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/637989/Aston-Villa-News-Steve-Bruce-sack-Championship-Dr-Tony-Xia

 

 

Wait wait wait... IF we lose the next match we COULD be bottom which MIGHT lead to Bruce being sacked? Wow, they really nailed down the facts with this one. Thanks for the brilliant insight, Daily Star journalist!

[briny_ear]

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Kin hell.

Shows how important he is, as well as we know Kodjia is, but based on the amount of money we have spent, we should not be disintegrating when missing a couple players.

It's a squad game.

JV, you forgot to do your "cause, correlation or coincidence?" analysis on those stats. Maybe he just played against all the weaker sides.