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Author Topic: Bruce Sacked at last (now official)  (Read 2114545 times)

Online ChicagoLion

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10770 on: February 18, 2018, 11:30:09 PM »
Ohare was the glaring omission, just having him on the bench would have at least given us another option.

Offline tomd2103

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10771 on: February 18, 2018, 11:42:50 PM »
O Hare played well against Peterborough, particularly 1st half when he was playing in the Snoddy role (not his best). When he was subbed 2nd half Bruce was booed and some fans were singing "you don't know what you're doing". I would definitely have him as a sub ahead of Onomah anytime

From what have seen of O'Hare, his best position is the 'number 10' role.  He has played out wide, but I just wonder whether he could have a similar conversion to Grealish and play in a midfield role. 

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10772 on: February 19, 2018, 01:52:22 AM »
To quote the man himself, Bruce said:

Quote
“I am delighted with Callum.

“He ran a million miles. He covered the most distance on the pitch – high intensity on the pitch.

“He topped every stat you want by a country mile.

“He’s a breath of fresh air. He has the heart the size of a lion. He’s not massive stature-wise but, by god, he’s a trier.

“I have been very impressed with him – not just the other night in Colchester but also his performances in pre-season.

“We need the young ones to come and push the first team. They are doing very, very well.

"I am delighted they can see a way through, which is very important.”

Offline Mister E

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10773 on: February 19, 2018, 07:12:52 AM »
Are the younger players actually any good though?
Well, many people earlier in the season (after the Wigan demolition, for example) thought that some were worth giving some gametime to. Of all of them, O'Hare does look pretty decent and RHM needs to either be given a chance to shine or to be moved on.

A few of them had their chance to impress in the Cup and blew it, it seems harsh but in our position we have little room to gamble.

It's a bit harsh to judge them on that, when it was a completely thrown together team made up of kids and senior players mostly not considered good enough for the first team.  There wasn't even a hint of it being a proper team or that there was any tactical cohesion at all.  Surely it would be better to gradually bring the kids through when we're doing well, with 20-30 min sub appearnces here and there?  A  bit like we did in Albrighton's first season when he'd come on for the likes of Young and Downing here and there?  It's got to be better than ramming the squad with defensive midfielders.
Yes, it does feel a little like "all or nothing" rather than a gradual 'weaving in' approach.

Offline Mister E

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10774 on: February 19, 2018, 07:14:10 AM »
To quote the man himself, Bruce said:

Quote
“I am delighted with Callum.

“He ran a million miles. He covered the most distance on the pitch – high intensity on the pitch.

“He topped every stat you want by a country mile.

“He’s a breath of fresh air. He has the heart the size of a lion. He’s not massive stature-wise but, by god, he’s a trier.

“I have been very impressed with him – not just the other night in Colchester but also his performances in pre-season.

“We need the young ones to come and push the first team. They are doing very, very well.

"I am delighted they can see a way through, which is very important.”
When did he say that? and why is he not therefore doing more to expose him to first-team football?

Offline Duncan Shaw

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10775 on: February 19, 2018, 08:28:46 AM »
The introduction of Onomah yesterday seemed to seriously unbalance the side.  I am not singling him out for blame per se but we looked so comfortable in the first half and quite the reverse in the second.

This for me as well Brain...the right side was coping well with Elmo in front of Axel and Sessignon really didn't get much joy at all.  A mixture of Onomah being ineffective and thier manager moving him away from where he was getting marked out of the game fucked us over and Brucey had no way to deal with it.

I think to say the bench was defensive is wrong though, we had two strikers and an attacking midfielder on there.

Online Clampy

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10776 on: February 19, 2018, 08:37:21 AM »
To quote the man himself, Bruce said:

Quote
“I am delighted with Callum.

“He ran a million miles. He covered the most distance on the pitch – high intensity on the pitch.

“He topped every stat you want by a country mile.

“He’s a breath of fresh air. He has the heart the size of a lion. He’s not massive stature-wise but, by god, he’s a trier.

“I have been very impressed with him – not just the other night in Colchester but also his performances in pre-season.

“We need the young ones to come and push the first team. They are doing very, very well.

"I am delighted they can see a way through, which is very important.”
When did he say that? and why is he not therefore doing more to expose him to first-team football?

It looks like that quote was just after we played Colchester which would have been last August. He has played a couple of times since then and been on the bench. I don't think he's quite ready yet though.

Offline Risso

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10777 on: February 19, 2018, 09:11:20 AM »

It looks like that quote was just after we played Colchester which would have been last August. He has played a couple of times since then and been on the bench. I don't think he's quite ready yet though.

You might be right, but at the moment it seems to me that we're playing Onomah simply because he's on loan and there's an agreement to play him as much as possible.  I still think he'll be a decent player, but if he is going to make it, it'll be as a box-to-box midfielder, not a winger or creative player.  It therefore looks like we're holding back the development of one of our own creative players so that we can play a loanee out of position, where he's having little or no effect.  Onomah was very, very bad indeed on Saturday, and it's hard to see that O'Hare wouldn't have been a better option.

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10778 on: February 19, 2018, 12:14:06 PM »
It was after the Colchester game but the point remains, Bruce rates him which can only be a positive sign. He used him off the bench against Wolves earlier in the season and apart from Hutton, was the only player to leave the pitch with any credit. I'm sure there's another quote from Bruce where he states that as much as he'd like to bring in O'Hare, his best position is occupied by Jack so his chances are limited right now.

Now we have Jack injured I'd love to see O'Hare given a chance. Add to that, he knows where the back of the net is, something we need right now with both Albert and Jack out. I can understand maybe not playing him at Fulham but at Villa Park where it's well known how much we love our youngsters, I think he'd be more than ready to do the job. All he needs is a chance.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2018, 12:33:33 PM by Rudy Can't Fail »

Offline Ads

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10779 on: February 19, 2018, 12:22:54 PM »
O'Hare is the closest thing to Jack in the squad. He even looks like him. But its whether he is ready to come and play in such a crucial position.

Jedinak

O'Hare
Hourihane
Lansbury
Snoddy

Is that a better midfield balance than what I think we will go with in a 442?

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10780 on: February 19, 2018, 12:34:31 PM »
There's certainly goals there.

Online ChicagoLion

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10781 on: February 19, 2018, 12:42:57 PM »
O'Hare is the closest thing to Jack in the squad. He even looks like him. But its whether he is ready to come and play in such a crucial position.

Jedinak

O'Hare
Hourihane
Lansbury
Snoddy

Is that a better midfield balance than what I think we will go with in a 442?
Gets my vote.

Offline Mister E

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10782 on: February 19, 2018, 12:53:13 PM »
It was after the Colchester game but the point remains, Bruce rates him which can only be a positive sign. He used him off the bench against Wolves earlier in the season and apart from Hutton, was the only player to leave the pitch with any credit. I'm sure there's another quote from Bruce where he states that as much as he'd like to bring in O'Hare, his best position is occupied by Jack so his chances are limited right now.

Now we have Jack injured I'd love to see O'Hare given a chance. Add to that, he knows where the back of the net is, something we need right now with both Albert and Jack out. I can understand maybe not playing him at Fulham but at Villa Park where it's well known how much we love our youngsters, I think he'd be more than ready to do the job. All he needs is a chance.
Maybe not starting against Fulham, but to have been an option off the bench; and particularly as a relatively unknown entity.

Offline Risso

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10783 on: February 19, 2018, 12:56:26 PM »
O'Hare is the closest thing to Jack in the squad. He even looks like him. But its whether he is ready to come and play in such a crucial position.

Jedinak

O'Hare
Hourihane
Lansbury
Snoddy

Is that a better midfield balance than what I think we will go with in a 442?

It's probably the best of who's available.  Hopefully Grealish will be fit in any case though.

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Bruce out?
« Reply #10784 on: February 19, 2018, 12:58:34 PM »
Majority of managers will always go with experienced when they're on the brink of achieving something. Mourinho does it, MON did it when we were top 6 and SB does it so in this situation I really just don't see O'Hare suddenly being thrown in.

What I don't get is why he isn't on the bench. 20 minute sub appearences here and there and it's more logical for him then to start if injuries happen.

It's odd if he dosen't make the bench for Preston given the lack of options.

 


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