Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[paul_e]

I don't understand what's complicated about this, Bruce was employed to get us promotion, not get near it. He was given the resources he needed to get the players he wanted for automatic promotion and started with a squad better than most sides in the league so he can have no complaints if he's sacked for missing the only meaningful target he had.

You're quite right, he's lucky to still be in a job. I would say though, what so complicated about people having a difference of opinion?

I don't know, maybe you should ask the poster who's claiming that criticism of Bruce's decisions are just people finding sticks to beat him with and has at regular points in the last few weeks offered insults to anyone who thinks keeping Bruce would be a bad idea or who have suggested that Bruce should've done better with the squad he had.

Aside from that questioning why someone has an opinion and challenging it is a pretty standard part of debating.  The 'not complicated' part is that after weeks he's still posting the same 'only missed out by one goal' comments.

Or you could argue Fulham got up by one goal.

You could, if you didn't watch the game.

[Clampy]

I don't understand what's complicated about this, Bruce was employed to get us promotion, not get near it. He was given the resources he needed to get the players he wanted for automatic promotion and started with a squad better than most sides in the league so he can have no complaints if he's sacked for missing the only meaningful target he had.

You're quite right, he's lucky to still be in a job. I would say though, what so complicated about people having a difference of opinion?

I don't know, maybe you should ask the poster who's claiming that criticism of Bruce's decisions are just people finding sticks to beat him with and has at regular points in the last few weeks offered insults to anyone who thinks keeping Bruce would be a bad idea or who have suggested that Bruce should've done better with the squad he had.

Aside from that questioning why someone has an opinion and challenging it is a pretty standard part of debating.  The 'not complicated' part is that after weeks he's still posting the same 'only missed out by one goal' comments.

Or you could argue Fulham got up by one goal.

You could, if you didn't watch the game.

Yes, you could. We were rubbish, they won. That's all there is too it.

[Toronto Villa]

The board of this club, regardless of composition, have a lot to answer for over at least the last decade. I was getting frustrated because people seem quick to absolve Bruce of any responsibility at all for our current predicament. It is that simple. Nobody made him sign the players he did and nobody else convinced a naive board that nearly bankrupting us was the only way to go whilst simultaneously throwing shit at the support because people had the temerity to question him when it wasn't paying dividends. I am not suggesting he is the architect of all of our problems but he doesn't get a free pass, another shot at it and £200 for passing "Go" either.

Agree entirely. The board backed the manager in his transfer policy. He spoke with enthusiasm about taking the "experienced" approach. That approach had it worked nobody would be questioning but it simply had to work. We are now left with the residue of those decisions. We might look at it as a gamble, but he would have positioned it as a definite strategy that he had committed to and got the board to buy into. As much as we are right to criticize Xia/the board either at the time and certainly now in hindsight for those investments, they themselves also have to balance that by backing the manager as the person they have employed to get us promoted. And while in the current state we may not be firing him, he has a lot to answer for. This is as much on him as everyone else at the club.

[paul_e]

Yes, you could. We were rubbish, they won. That's all there is too it.

Which is my point and is why 'we missed out on promotion by 1 goal' is such a poor argument.

[Clampy]

But it's their argument. I know with the squad we had we should have gone straight up but we didn't, as disappointing as it was. People will have an opinion on what happens to the manager which is fine. That's the uncomplicated bit.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Or you could argue Fulham got up by one goal.

You could, if you didn't watch the game.

Or especially if you did. Because that's exactly what happened of course

[sirlordbaltimore]

I cannot see, for the life of me, the reasons why people still want to keep Bruce. I really can’t

BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO SACK HIM, pay him and his staff off and then employ and pay another manager and his own staff to come in and take on a club that has NO money to spend, needs to significantly cut the wage bill and that could VERY likely be starting the new season in August on minus 12 points before we've even kicked a ball.

IMHO at least

[sirlordbaltimore]

You're talking about £1-£1.5 million pounds. That's the cost of a Glenn Whelan. We might not have much to spend this year but I doubt we'll be that destitute.

are you being serious?, if so where have you been for the last 2 weeks?

we have NOTHING, we OWE a LOT of money and we don't even have that. we aren't going to be spending a penny on players anytime soon clearly

[Allan C]

I cannot see, for the life of me, the reasons why people still want to keep Bruce. I really can’t

BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO SACK HIM, pay him and his staff off and then employ and pay another manager and his own staff to come in and take on a club that has NO money to spend, needs to significantly cut the wage bill and that could VERY likely be starting the new season in August on minus 12 points before we've even kicked a ball.

IMHO at least

THATS NOT A REASON TO WANT TO KEEP HIM!! It’s why we’re stuck with the dinosaur  I Rue the day this man was selected as our manager

[john e]

I cannot see, for the life of me, the reasons why people still want to keep Bruce. I really can’t

BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO SACK HIM, pay him and his staff off and then employ and pay another manager and his own staff to come in and take on a club that has NO money to spend, needs to significantly cut the wage bill and that could VERY likely be starting the new season in August on minus 12 points before we've even kicked a ball.

IMHO at least

We can’t afford not to sack him

Imo

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Just out of interest, has anybody at the club actually spoken to Bruce this summer?

[brontebilly]

The board of this club, regardless of composition, have a lot to answer for over at least the last decade. I was getting frustrated because people seem quick to absolve Bruce of any responsibility at all for our current predicament. It is that simple. Nobody made him sign the players he did and nobody else convinced a naive board that nearly bankrupting us was the only way to go whilst simultaneously throwing shit at the support because people had the temerity to question him when it wasn't paying dividends. I am not suggesting he is the architect of all of our problems but he doesn't get a free pass, another shot at it and £200 for passing "Go" either.

That's a fair summation.

I would counter with, what were experienced board men like Wyness and Round approving the signings of Hogan and Lansbury particularly?

Bruce's first transfer window was a bit of a mess but the real damage was done the previous summer. Again the common denominator is Wyness.

[old man villa fan]

You're talking about £1-£1.5 million pounds. That's the cost of a Glenn Whelan. We might not have much to spend this year but I doubt we'll be that destitute.

are you being serious?, if so where have you been for the last 2 weeks?

we have NOTHING, we OWE a LOT of money and we don't even have that. we aren't going to be spending a penny on players anytime soon clearly

We have taken on Hutton for another season.  Didn't need to, so unnecessary expenditure.

[Taylor]

I cannot see, for the life of me, the reasons why people still want to keep Bruce. I really can’t

BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO SACK HIM, pay him and his staff off and then employ and pay another manager and his own staff to come in and take on a club that has NO money to spend, needs to significantly cut the wage bill and that could VERY likely be starting the new season in August on minus 12 points before we've even kicked a ball.

IMHO at least

THATS NOT A REASON TO WANT TO KEEP HIM!! It’s why we’re stuck with the dinosaur  I Rue the day this man was selected as our manager

I think someone has to speak for those few who want to keep Steve Bruce, I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I have posted before, last season was the first season in an age that I actually enjoyed (last game accepted), and for that Bruce deserves some credit, he also spoke well of the club, fans and carried himself with dignity under difficult circumstances.

This is a difficult league, we finished fourth. I really don't know who we could get to do a better job. It has been said that Bruce can't work with a team with no budget, well I'm pretty sure Hull were hardly rolling in the coffers, but he got them up twice.

[malckennedy]

Agree with this. And I don’t think you’re one of a few, although you may be in a minority on this site.