I think you summed 3.5.2 up with "can be useful in the short-term although its most effective use was twenty years ago".
It seems Bruce is just another traditional style manager, no flair or charisma, just plain vanilla that is slightly off. He's bought some potentially good players but not using them in the roles they gained their reputations from at previous clubs. I presume he thinks he knows better. Whatever they do at Bodymoor Heath, it doesn't seem to have much to do about hard work, pressure when the other team's on the ball and accurate passing. His reputation for getting teams promoted is looking a bit worn, along with Big Sam's "I've never been relegated".
Bruce should have until the end of the season to turn this team of potential promotion into a real one for next season, but if results remain as they are until the season's end, Dr X has to bite the bullet and find a younger new ideas manager. They do exist as other teams are demonstrating, usually against Villa.
