Bruce's whole approach pre game was to go dial a cliche. "It's a derby/ probably won't be great to watch/ not about style/ make sure you don't lose" yada yada yada.
Well yes, with him in charge, it was highly unlikely it would be great to watch.
And in isolation, all those points ring true for a derby. But do Tottingham stop playing football just because they are playing Arsenal? Different stratosphere to us because of the way we have been mismanaged (long before Bruce) admittedly.
So how about an example closer to home -which for us, is now the grim meathook reality of championship football. Barnsley v Leeds last season, shortly before we signed Hourihane. Big game for them. Dig they try and kill the game as a spectacle? No. A Hourihane inspired- Barnsley won 3-2. And looked like a competent football team doing so. You don't just jettison all the good habits and style of play you have worked at for a while (if you have actually worked at it) because you are facing a team with an address geographically close to yours. It's a crock of shit.
A 0-0 away from home in an awkward early afternoon kick off shouldn't be enough to see the bedsheets come out. But if you set out telling everyone it won't be great to watch, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.