Steve Bruce

[rodders0223]

My question is that Bruce comes out almost every week and says how we aren't playing how he wants us to play, we aren't keeping the ball, there is work to be done etc etc..so why isn't anything even remotely changing?

Is it the coaching team because from what I understand Bruce is very hands on. 

Something here just isn't right.

[DCJonah]

2 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

My question is that Bruce comes out almost every week and says how we aren't playing how he wants us to play, we aren't keeping the ball, there is work to be done etc etc..so why isn't anything even remotely changing?

Is it the coaching team because from what I understand Bruce is very hands on. 

Something here just isn't right.

Exactly. 

If we were playing negative because he felt it was best, why wouldn't he say that? Why wouldn't he say this is the way we need to play to get results?

He keeps banging on about what he sees needs to be better but does **** nothing to change it or even look like addressing it. 

He claims he knows we need to keep the ball more, so be picks Bacuna over hourihane, plays Hogan upfront and hoofs the ball to him. 

 

[Eastie]

13 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

My question is that Bruce comes out almost every week and says how we aren't playing how he wants us to play, we aren't keeping the ball, there is work to be done etc etc..so why isn't anything even remotely changing?

Is it the coaching team because from what I understand Bruce is very hands on. 

Something here just isn't right.

Not sure he's that hands on to be honest as calderwood said on arriving the attraction of the job was that he would be taking on  the coaching .

[Villan_of_oz]

Thought I might jump on here to see us celebrating beating the scum and gabby scoring. 

My mistake.........

[Stratvillan]

Thought it was interesting when he talked about a huge clear out to continue this summer. I think we will see a lot leave and 4-5 come in. We are still woefully imbalanced.

[VillanousOne]

1 hour ago, Eastie said:

Not sure he's that hands on to be honest as calderwood said on arriving the attraction of the job was that he would be taking on  the coaching .

have we got worse since Calderwood joined?

we haven't got better that's for sure

[Spoony]

You guys are just impossible to make happy.

[TRO]

10 hours ago, terrytini said:

Quite the opposite my point is he knows exactly what he's doing but I think he's mistaken - he is overdoing the caution.

Agree or not it's not exactly accusing him of war crimes.

And many many people I talk with share the view.

In my view although you argue in favour of him the logic of your points is actually detracting from him.

The way you describe it one is left thinking (a) so unlike other Managers in the League he can't make average players play well, even after 30 games ? and (b) he has so little authority the players are just doing what they like.

My view on the other hand says he is choosing that they play this style, and they are doing as they are told - not as in individual choices of course but as regards the system ( e.g. Lansbury).

I actually think my view credits him with more ability than yours !

He has my support I think the way he got the team back winning after the slump was brilliant. A turning point for us as a Club because he has instilled something money can't buy. Call it resilience, bouncebackability, character.

It will prove invaluable it was vital we stopped being a soft target.

100% praise to him AND to his players - who I clearly rate a lot higher than you !!

But I see no reason why supporting him as being the right man to continue should mean I find him faultless.

Im sorry you think I keep ' banging the same drum' but I could equally say you do that by constantly blaming the players. Everyone on here repeats themselves. I will stop saying I think he is too cautious if/ when I see less caution - simple !

As for "6-0 or else and 75% possession" that's beneath you. I've NEVER asked for lots of possession OR big wins. And I didn't this time.

The reason the first game will tell all we need to know is simple. We will either play as we have this year, with a back four, a deep five, and an isolated striker.....we will sit back and absorb pressure, we will play no more than three genuinely creative players and even these will sit deep....OR...we won't.

Thrvresult and the possession stats won't tell us anything, but the style will, I hope ( and believe) it will be a style with more emphasis on taking the game to sides. 

Whereas in your book unles we replace half a side we are stuck playing like this ? I don't buy it. Pretty much every side we've played plays better football so I'm sure we can.

I repeat, I think it's by choice he is so cautious, I understand it, I appreciate we had to develop a backbone, but I think it's overdone and will need to change.

Not in the least incompatible with supporting him continuing.

I did say the possession stats was a tease and not just for you.

I agree the caution as you call it ,is by design ,he refers to it as "hard to beat"as for over doing it that's a matter of opinion and it seems like it's not his.

if you think he has overcooked it, fair enough, he maybe is trying to avoid conceding which brings me to the point, perhaps he feels at this stage, he can't trust them to do both.....and subsequently doesn't want to continue hemarogging goals.

I hear him make reference quite often lately to the points you make about spectacle......He embraces that, so if it was entirely down to him I'm not sure he would.

I am unsure why he hasn't fixed it yet, but I suspect based on his comments on Sunday that he will be busy in the summer, that he feels he hasn't got the full compliment of players to play lie we want.

contrary, to what you alluded to, that I can't see it.....I can see it crystal clear.

where we seem to differ is whose fault it is directly.

If it is initially the players, it is his fault for signing them, picking them etc,etc.

so in that context yes it is the managers responsibility.....but on that note, I think he needs the time to do it and if that means changing/ evolving players it can't be done in one window.

I am not backing him unconditionally, but Despite me too, not liking the current spectacle, I think he is right for us.

Edited April 24, 2017 by TRO

[TRO]

10 hours ago, terrytini said:

Well if you keep saying the players are to blame you've led yourself up an alley where the Manager who signed them can be criticised.

Again my view is far more supportive of Bruce - despite you thinking it isn't.

Because in my view the players he signed were all good buys....you mention Lansbury .... did you watch Lansbury at Forest he was often going past the front men......now he doesn't you blame the player ?

Ill stick with this..., Manager is crucial.... not at the mercy of his players.

And Steve Bruce is capable authorative and intelligent...if we are playing a certain way it's his choice - he isn't being thwarted by poor players or - what would be even more damning - players who were fine until they got here but won't play for Bruce .

Its a choice, those who say he is a dinosaur are wrong, as are those like you who blame the players.

He can/ could have us playing more on the front foot and we have players who can do it,

Hopefully he will feel that side of the game is now the priority

Have you considered the players around Lansbury and Hourihane at their respective clubs allowed their manager to play them the way they did.

i think you may see a few surprises in the summer.

[TRO]

10 hours ago, DCJonah said:

Sorry mate but that is rubbish. 

You could say that maybe for his first few games. But the threat of relegation went away a good while ago. And we still continue playing shit. 

Well I think that too is rubbish....anyone could clearly see how brittle it was, we nearly slipped back in to it in Jan/ Feb.

and even when we was winning it was unconvincing.......of course we was not fixed, by any stretch.

He has had to secure points and the spectacle is seconadary......rightly or wrongly, but that what he has done.

I just happen to think If had been able to play a brand of football that secured points, looked convincing in the execution and went for the play offfs........He would.

[TRO]

10 hours ago, terrytini said:

No. And it must change next year.

But maybe it was right for this year. We were dreadfully close to being powderpuff pushovers.

That, for me, excuses Bruce ( but - as I've said- ) I think he's overdone it.

At any rate he absolutely can't leave it at that for next year.

And I'm afraid only a tiny minority of fans will take the view that Lansbury, Hourihane, Green, Kodja, and Adomah- as a minimum- are somehow not good enough to take the game to the opposition

How do you know it's those players that they think are not up to it.

[DCJonah]

11 minutes ago, TRO said:

Well I think that too is rubbish....anyone could clearly see how brittle it was, we nearly slipped back in to it in Jan/ Feb.

and even when we was winning it was unconvincing.......of course we was not fixed, by any stretch.

He has had to secure points and the spectacle is seconadary......rightly or wrongly, but that what he has done.

I just happen to think If had been able to play a brand of football that secured points, looked convincing in the execution and went for the play offfs........He would.

If you're fighting for relegation or fighting for the playoffs spots, the aim is to get points and win games. 

So clearly Bruce believes this way is the best way to do that. The idea that it's just to make sure we're safe is nonsense IMO. 

I've seen nothing to suggest that a few different instructions and we'll be the better footballing side next season. 

This currently looks like this is the best he can get from his team. And IMO that's not going to be good enough to get us promoted next season.

[Demitri_C]

All I know is 

Clean sheet check

Defended excellently check

Passed the ball well check

Gave blose minimal opportunities to score check

Beat the unwashed check

So erm what's the problem?

 

[DCJonah]

8 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

All I know is 

Clean sheet check

Defended excellently check

Passed the ball well check

Gave blose minimal opportunities to score check

Beat the unwashed check

So erm what's the problem?

 

Because the aim of the club is to get promoted back to the premier league, next year really or we could be in real trouble. So focusing on one game against a team heading to league 1 isn't the ultimate goal. 

And we didn't pass the ball well

Edited April 24, 2017 by DCJonah

[Demitri_C]

4 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Because the aim of the club is to get promoted back to the premier league, next year really or we could be in real trouble. So focusing on one game against a team heading to league 1 isn't the ultimate goal. 

And we didn't pass the ball well

Last I checked Bruce's win ratio was higher than Sherwood, garde and black. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it's higher than all three combined.

He also managed to get us back to back victories something we haven't done in bloody years. I don't get the Bruce hate, it's ridiculous.

[blandy]

2 hours ago, Spoony said:

You guys are just impossible to make happy.

That's not really fair. It's perfectly possible to be happy that we won and also to comment on ball retention or playing style. I mean the manager says the same things doesn't he? The comment and criticism is not unfair in the main. It does need sorting out.

[blandy]

Just now, Demitri_C said:

Last I checked Bruce's win ratio was higher than Sherwood, garde and black. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it's higher than all three combined.

He also managed to get us back to back victories something we haven't done in bloody years. I don't get the Bruce hate, it's ridiculous.

In the 33 league games he's been manager, compared to every other team over the same period, so a 33 games league table villa is mid table, still. Personally that's kind of what I expected, ditto the turgid football and inability to change or adapt. I get that some people take a view that he'll get it right next season. I'm in favour of giving him time to try, but I don't think the comments have been unfair in the main. I can't think of a single game in those 33 where we've run the game and controlled it. That's a worry. It needs fixing.

[Mjvilla]

11 hours ago, mykeyb said:

I totally agree, give the players a system and they can express themselves.

But also, you must remember, palace had a pretty decent squad when big Sam took over so all the pieces were there from the start for him. Give the players a bit of belief, a system as you say and after a few weeks the resulsts started coming. 

Bruce inherited an absolute bag of shit so the job is 1 millions times harder and therefore a mediocre job is about all id have thought most managers would do. I can completely understand the need for a playing system like you say and we don't have that at The moment but we're getting results so he's earned the time to have a go next year. In my opinion, but I can completely understand your point of view.

[Don_Simon]

46 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

All I know is 

Clean sheet check

Defended excellently check

Passed the ball well check

Gave blose minimal opportunities to score check

Beat the unwashed check

So erm what's the problem?

 

"Passed the ball well"? Apart from a very small number of decent passes by Lansbury, and Bacuna on occasion when was this? 

[hippo]

Bottom line:-

Do you want him (Bruce) replaced this summer ? 

Sure I have doubts, as have been echoed in many recent comments in this thread. But for me I think he should start next season - replacing him now wouldn't be a good move IMO.