Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[SoccerHQ]

The fitness or lack of has been evident for a couple of years and does contribute to the performances tailing off. RDM and his staff have to take the blame for the current team's lack of fitness.

My worry is every single manager seems to say this. I wonder if Bruce's successor whenever that is will say it after his first game...

To me the players just wilt when the pressure is on which is pretty much for the full 90 minutes now.

We also have a fair few over 30s like Jedinak, Hutton and Cissokho who are starting to slow up and others like Richards, Tshibola and Elphick who have had serious injuries over last few years.

Put it all together and you probably don't have the most athletic team.

[Hairbandinho]

So who exactly is our fitness coach? Whoever he is needs firing then

[sickbeggar]

Disappointed he's fallen back on the old "unfit players" line. The first excuse that any new manager comes up with when a result is bad. You don't need to be fit to pass to a teammate...

Steve Waugh always used to say that in sport, if you're not fit enough, the first sign of it is making poor decisions.

I've no doubt were not physically fit enough in this league and it manifests itself in poor decision making a lot.  I'm just glad it's finally being acknowledged by someone managing the club. It's been this way for years.

how can half the players be unift due to the club? they weren't here a month ago and should have been in their usual pre-seasaon fitness regimes with their clubs. If bruce is making the point the championship is full of unfit players then fine, but it doesn't explain how wolves don't suffer from it

[OzVilla]

Disappointed he's fallen back on the old "unfit players" line. The first excuse that any new manager comes up with when a result is bad. You don't need to be fit to pass to a teammate...

How's he fallen back on it? He's saying what is obvious and pointing out a contributory factor to the performance. He's hardly said it's why we played badly, just one of the reasons.

i don't think we're unfit compared to anyone else. and the point is did RDM only buy unfit players to join us because lets face it, the likes of all our summer signings should have been fit from their other clubs when they joined

But had a poor per season and are still not match sharp now. It's not rocket science. That why we crumbled second half and concede so many late goals.  You only need to watch us to see it, it's not that hard to work out.

[nick harper]

I was there. We were not getting around the pitch anything like enough in the second half. No where near enough intensity.  He is absolutely right and it's a disgrace at this stage of the season. 

[Percy McCarthy]

At least he knew we were shite on the interview I saw. Makes a change from some of the other clowns we've had to listen to.

[SoccerHQ]

So who exactly is our fitness coach? Whoever he is needs firing then

He left the other day, we'll probably recruit a new one early next week.

[KevinGage]

There was a a cockiness and casualness to RDM's whole tenure, so I'm not surprised it transmitted itself to the players.

Be that in the form of fitness, taking the opposition seriously, or whatever.

It would be nice to think that just one or two minor adjustments will see us bombing up the league, but it increasingly looks like we have fundamental issues in terms of personnel and stamina.

[Toronto Villa]

So who exactly is our fitness coach? Whoever he is needs firing then

He left the other day, we'll probably recruit a new one early next week.

Did he? I know the goalkeeper coach did.

[villan from luton]

The manager was right and we now need to realise we aren't as good as we think we are. Mccormack was urging the players to push on the Wolves players but weren't doing it himself, though awful of Kodije not to pass to him at end of first half. Centre midfield was absolutely dire and hope Amavi was just injured

[Nastylee]

I actually think Bruce's comments are spot on. I hope he can turn it around. However, my fears from the summer are being realised. I said then that if you flood fill a squad with Championship players then you end up with a run of the mill Championship team. Unfortunately, it was the wrong the strategy and we now have some journeymen that were meant to be Championship stalwarts. Have seen nothing from Elphick to convince me he's anything but a bit of a donkey.

[Monty]

delights = flights I think.

Not huge delights, huge flights. Bacuna does look like he's had a huge delight though.

*Double woosh*

[sickbeggar]

Rather than a lack of fitness, i'd suggest its because we have NO MIDFIELD. As a defender you will get knackered if you spend 90 minutes putting up with the opposition charging straight through the invisible men in front of you. Likewise the forwards get a bit tired having to run hopefully back to the centre circle which is the limit of the midfield's forward advances. Our forwards run around a lot for no discernable reason - of course they're knackered

[Toronto Villa]

Rather than a lack of fitness, i'd suggest its because we have NO MIDFIELD. As a defender you will get knackered if you spend 90 minutes putting up with the opposition charging straight through the invisible men in front of you. Likewise the forwards get a bit tired having to run hopefully back to the centre circle which is the limit of the midfield's forward advances. Our forwards run around a lot for no discernable reason - of course they're knackered

That's part of it. That's the point we are all making. Nobody including Bruce has suggested it is all fitness but it is a huge part of our overall issues and a key reason as to why we make so many mental errors especially late in games.

[OzVilla]

The fitness or lack of has been evident for a couple of years and does contribute to the performances tailing off. RDM and his staff have to take the blame for the current team's lack of fitness.

My worry is every single manager seems to say this. I wonder if Bruce's successor whenever that is will say it after his first game...

Well from memory Lambert didn't, Sherwood didn't, Garde didn't, Black didn't and RDM didn't. Yet many on here were constantly taking about being lacking in match fitness.

It's partly why we fall away so badly in games and concede so many late goals.  Partly but certainly a reason IMO.

I'm actually relieved someone in authority is finally saying it tbh.