Steve Bruce

[TRO]

33 minutes ago, terrytini said:

He was too cautious because it’s his default nature.

Im not going to over criticise him for it - it’s served us well and nobody knows if a more expansive approach would definitely have served us better today or any other time (although I think we ARE better when we are more aggressive).

Bit whilst I won’t over criticise I DO think he’s made the wrong call, and I DONT think it’s the players at fault - other than the 2 I’ve said.

But it’s gone, that’s that. If he stays we MUST be the most aggressive, positive, attacking side in the League next year.

If we aren’t, we won’t succeed and Bruce won’t get 5 minutes grace from the fans, with justification.

I agree with the principle of what you are saying.....for my part I don't think our players are consistently good enough to be relied upon to do it.

We have some good players but they go missing in games.

Adomah and Snodgrass went missing today.....Hourihane never did much in terms of controlling the game for me.....Grabban has a get ot of jail card free card for playing on his own , but he could do better holding the ball up.

Too many today never turned up.

I am not absolving the manager and I understand that they all stick together and are reluctant to criticise each other.....but despite Fulham being very ordinary IMO......we were simply not good enough.

Elmo for me looked like a linnet amongst a bunch of seagulls......absolutely timid, no assertion or agression, just glad the game is over......shocking.

[TheStagMan]

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

I agree with the principle of what you are saying.....for my part I don't think our players are consistently good enough to be relied upon to do it.

We have some good players but they go missing in games.

Adomah and Snodgrass went missing today.....Hourihane never did much in terms of controlling the game for me.....Grabban has a get ot of jail card free card for playing on his own , but he could do better holding the ball up.

Too many today never turned up.

I am not absolving the manager and I understand that they all stick together and are reluctant to criticise each other.....but despite Fulham being very ordinary IMO......we were simply not good enough.

Elmo for me looked like a linnet amongst a bunch of seagulls......absolutely timid, no assertion or agression, just glad the game is over......shocking.

So, why did our manager not identify this (as you clearly did), and perhaps do something about it?

[terrytini]

Agree re Elmo and Albert.

I thought Snoddy did well but had no support from Elmo, and CH had too much to do chasing to actually contribute.

Fulham are a good side. Wolves too.

No shame in either of them beating us. Teams don’t always play their best, especially if they are Championship players, Managers aren’t always great, especially if they are Championship ones.

[TRO]

16 minutes ago, TheStagMan said:

I agree, our defence switched off for that move, which if your whole strategy is to play to the defence is catastrophic. Hence the reason why I have been saying for ages that our one tactic approach of keep it tight and nick a goal is dangerous, and not sustainable, that is the risk our manager has chosen to take, hence I do blame him for it. We have proven that we DO have the players to go out and play - look at the Wolves performance.

That movement between Sessgnon and Cairney was not a fluke, it is something they have worked on and trained for, they have been doing stuff like that all season. That's what decent coaching and possession football gives you. 

If Elmo is still injured - why on earth play him?

Yes they have been doing that all season.....so why wasn't we ready for it.?.....our form is hit and miss.

**** me Stag......If you and me was playing in defence, would we have to be coached or told that?.....its ****ing basic mate.

I agree with your comment on the one tactic approach.....We have proven we can play like it against Wolves and we have equally shown we can't play like it, like today , QPR, Bolton......We are inconsistent, which means we are fundamentally not good enough.

[El Zen]

24 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Not sure I agree there is a massive rebuild needed.

Bree, Chester, Adomah, Lansbury, Hourihane, Jedi, Birkir, Whelan, Kodja,  Taylor, Davies, Green, O Hare, Grealish...all likely to be here in my view....we will need 4 or 5 players plus another two youngsters ( Rhm should be one).....but it’s not a complete overhaul.

It couldn’t be financially, and shouldn’t be either, we’d lose JT and Snodgrass who have been influential but other than that the teams got within a few points of automatic promotion.

So whether Bruce stays or not I don’t see it as a huge a task as some do.

No, I don’t necessarily disagree with that. But we do need a massive change in terms of building a style of play, in terms of not being too reliant on indivdual performances, in terms of being a great deal smarter and getting more out of every pound we spend. 

[TRO]

37 minutes ago, dounavilla said:

I had recently warmed to Bruce and prior to this match was of the opinion that he should remain even if we did not go up.

However, looking ahead I just cannot see how he will be able to do better with what will most likely be a weaker side.

I really think it's  time for a change, not just the manager but manergerial styles.  A tactical manager that can utilise the youth and remaining experienced players.

The question is who ?

yeah!

that certainly is the question.

[Derryvillan]

I wanted him in due to his track record.We've had a few good wins this year but generally the play has been turgid.He has his favourites obviously and as with Elmo today rushes to get them back in.My concern is with the expected defence departures and relying on youth how many DMs is he going to want to put each game.

[briny_ear]

31 minutes ago, TheStagMan said:

I didn't ask for your take on the match, no idea where you got that from.... 

I’ve got no idea either, er..., or maybe here?

4 hours ago, TheStagMan said:

so, just bluster then. Righto. Lets hear your take on today's events then.

 

[TRO]

11 minutes ago, TheStagMan said:

So, why did our manager not identify this (as you clearly did), and perhaps do something about it?

Perhaps the same reason why Klopp never hung Karius out to dry in his interviews.

They have to work with them in future games.

and when we get a new manager, that kind of thing will exist again.....because it does.

[Tomaszk]

Standard garbage first half. We've played like that this season, nicked a goal, and people say we've played well.

Second better, still overly reliant on Grealish. Bruce doesn't deserve him.

That's it. Chance wasted to have a fun year with a real strong squad. All change now.

I'd love to see us try to play some football but we're likely to have nowhere near the depth for next year. Still doable for a manager that has some tactics though.

[TRO]

2 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Standard garbage first half. We've played like that this season, nicked a goal, and people say we've played well.

Second better, still overly reliant on Grealish. Bruce doesn't deserve him.

That's it. Chance wasted to have a fun year with a real strong squad. All change now.

I'd love to see us try to play some football but we're likely to have nowhere near the depth for next year. Still doable for a manager that has some tactics though.

No They don't.

They usually say, good result.....because a win is.

We are over reliant on Grealish, because the others are not good enough.

Other players may emerge, It might be nothing like you suggest.....many players have been discovered by adversity, all managers are not as good as we might think, they are just bound by pressure and fail to take risks.

[Tomaszk]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

No They don't.

They usually say, good result.....because a win is.

We are over reliant on Grealish, because the others are not good enough.

Other players may emerge, It might be nothing like you suggest.....many players have been discovered by adversity, all managers are not as good as we might think, they are just bound by pressure and fail to take risks.

"They could have played all day and still not scored"

When in fact, we're seat of pants and could concede at any moment because we've never got the bleeding ball.

Our players are plenty good enough, just setup negativity.

He's had his chance with one of the best squads the league has ever seen and failed to get promotion. I don't think he'll do better with the worse one we'll have next year.

Time for a change. Hope you give the next guy the support you give Steve! Manager's dream you 

[Villan4Life]

Crazy isn't it, the young talented midfielder Steve Bruce sold to Blackburn  from Hull (Tom Cairney) as he didn't rate him comes back to score against us in final for Fulham!!

[TRO]

21 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

"They could have played all day and still not scored"

When in fact, we're seat of pants and could concede at any moment because we've never got the bleeding ball.

Our players are plenty good enough, just setup negativity.

He's had his chance with one of the best squads the league has ever seen and failed to get promotion. I don't think he'll do better with the worse one we'll have next year.

Time for a change. Hope you give the next guy the support you give Steve! Manager's dream you 

I disagree....They are inconsistent.

We may be set up negatively for a reason.....do you think its just for no reason at all? ......that the manager just likes it that way?

Er yes, I will give the next manager my support, if I think he deserves it.

so what was good enough about Adomah and snodgrass's performance, what exactly was good enough about Hourihanes performance, when did they keep the ball and make a nuisance of themselves, when did they make runs that hurt the opposition.

We had one up front so the Midfield 5 should have had a field day against their 3......What more support can a manager give a midfield......granted the forward had the bums rush, but we couldn't even control midfield, particularly in the first half.....We have players at times that just " shadow box" just run about doing naff all.

Edited May 26, 2018 by TRO

[jacketspuds]

28 minutes ago, Villan4Life said:

Crazy isn't it, the young talented midfielder Steve Bruce sold to Blackburn  from Hull (Tom Cairney) as he didn't rate him comes back to score against us in final for Fulham!!

Bruce had to make room for Huddlestone. 

[villakram]

Wonderful job, oh the experienced proper football man.

We need to hire him, but it's only for 6 months. When he gets us up we'll dump him. They said.

No, no, he's done a good job, 'cause we were in such a mess, he deserves a pre-season. They said

It was such a mess, look he's doing a good job, there's plenty of time left. They said

Excuses, excuses, excuses... They said.

Short term thinking punished.

Bruce out!

[tom_avfc]

30 minutes ago, Villan4Life said:

Crazy isn't it, the young talented midfielder Steve Bruce sold to Blackburn  from Hull (Tom Cairney) as he didn't rate him comes back to score against us in final for Fulham!!

Is that the hull city that he got promoted to the premier league without Tom cairney? 

[villakram]

2 hours ago, AshVilla said:

Hoping to hear he's been sacked tomorrow.

Shouldn't have been allowed in the dressing room, but I'll take later on today too.

Bruce out!

[tinker]

Before he goes let's sort out who can, or would replace him. I have never liked Bruce's style of play but he did ok but in the end there's no denying he underachieved with us with the money spent and the squad we have , or had . 

Sorry about your parents  Bruce and I wish you well but this is business and not personal and we need a change of direction with a forward thinking manager. Have we got an owner who's a winner or one who will make the easiest decision available to him and keep Bruce 

 

[srsmithusa]

5 hours ago, TRO said:

I agree with the principle of what you are saying.....for my part I don't think our players are consistently good enough to be relied upon to do it.

We have some good players but they go missing in games.

Adomah and Snodgrass went missing today.....Hourihane never did much in terms of controlling the game for me.....Grabban has a get ot of jail card free card for playing on his own , but he could do better holding the ball up.

Too many today never turned up.

I am not absolving the manager and I understand that they all stick together and are reluctant to criticise each other.....but despite Fulham being very ordinary IMO......we were simply not good enough.

Elmo for me looked like a linnet amongst a bunch of seagulls......absolutely timid, no assertion or agression, just glad the game is over......shocking.

Adomah played deep. Within a few yards of Hutton the entire first half because that’s what Bruce wanted him to do.  That left snodders pressing on the right when switching field was always possible (because Adomah was not pressed up.  That left snodders chasing shadows.  Blaming the players for going missing is ignoring the fact that the poorly conceived strategy forced them out of meaningful position.   In the second half Adomah pushed up.  It made the attack more balanced and the high pressure effective.  Strategy was the problem today like it has been repeatedly over bruce’s Term.   Blaming the players is IMO silly.  One man picked them, trained them, coached them, set a game plan.  Even If it’s a plan they can’t perform what kind of hairbrained leader selects that plan.   And you can’t say Bruce wanted high pressure that Adomah ignored.   Cause Adomah was working right nest to the bench the whole first half.  Without attacking while Bruce said nothing.  

Bruce’s lack of tactical planning and adjustments has kept us in this league another year.   And not just this on match

oh, and when you’re chasing you out in three forwards giving up the midfield so jack has to drop deeper. So your most creative player gets pushed deeper into defense !  Sorry that’s just tactically naive.