Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[pbavfckuwait]

Sometimes silence is golden.

[Drummond]

Or maybe he's trying to motivate Hutton and Bree.

Or, Richards may actually be trying really hard in training and is a positive dressing room influence.

Or Bruce, like many before him,  fall for the experience thing.

[mr underhill]

or just go bonkers like many before him

[old man villa fan]

Or maybe he's trying to motivate Hutton and Bree.

Or, Richards may actually be trying really hard in training and is a positive dressing room influence.

Or Bruce, like many before him,  fall for the experience thing.

What managers sometimes misjudge is the effect on other players by bringing players back.  You may win with the player in question but you lose the team.

[eamonn]

To any non-Villa fan I don't think Richards has been castigated in the same vein as Lescott and Agbonlahor for their conduct last season.
Bruce will see in him a player he remembers with proven pedigree so I'm not sure why people are so surprised that he rates him.

[JJ-AV]

Chinese whispers are a laugh - a mate of mine has been doing work with an ex footballer who played under Bruce and is friends with him still and has done scouting for him. The player said that Bruce had said there are 'that many' bad eggs he needs 'at least 3 more transfer windows' to sort it completely. The impression my mate got was that Bruce rates very few of (if any) of the crop he inherited.

Which I suppose we knew anyway but it doesn't sound like he's even confident of being able to fix it in the Summer. If it's true and then you can see why he's bringing the likes of Richards and Gabby in, just to break up the cycle and try and change it.

/

Losing is like a virus and the habit is going to spread on to the new boys, so maybe we will need another influx in the Summer.

[mr underhill]

What a load of shady shit - if he doesn't rate Kodjia,at least, he deserves the tin tack

[passport1]

Its true my neighbours brother  is a friend of Calderwood he said  that they were  amazed at the lack of natural ability in the squad they inherited.

[themossman]

Agreed, sounds like the desperate ramblings of a man who knows his days are numbered, has cannily figured out the prevailing narrative and wants to pin it all on the players. How many managers get backed in January to replace half the team with some of the reputed best players in their division? He needs to STFU and fix his decisions around team selection and game management instead of chucking the players under the bus (oh, except the ones that have most blatantly taken the piss out of us for the last 2 years).

[Confusious says]

Has Steve Bruce resigned? Only a friend just said he saw it on Facebook

[SoccerHQ]

Chinese whispers are a laugh - a mate of mine has been doing work with an ex footballer who played under Bruce and is friends with him still and has done scouting for him. The player said that Bruce had said there are 'that many' bad eggs he needs 'at least 3 more transfer windows' to sort it completely. The impression my mate got was that Bruce rates very few of (if any) of the crop he inherited.

Which I suppose we knew anyway but it doesn't sound like he's even confident of being able to fix it in the Summer. If it's true and then you can see why he's bringing the likes of Richards and Gabby in, just to break up the cycle and try and change it.

/

Losing is like a virus and the habit is going to spread on to the new boys, so maybe we will need another influx in the Summer.

Well this window he signed7 new players, 5 of them you'd expect to be first team regulars next season (Taylor, Hourhane, Hogan, Bree and Lansbury).

Also add Chester to that who played for Bruce at Hull and has been made captain here during SB's tenure and Kodjia and that's 7 players.

There is no way you need 3 more transfer windows to sort that out ffs. Just excuses for me.

Whoever the bad apples are the perceived ones like Gabby and Richards he's brought back into the squad.

[themossman]

Plus, if you assume McCormack is the no. 1 suspect in the shitty attitude stakes, Xia has allowed him to shuffle out an expensive asset, presumably to our financial disadvantage. Either way, if this is true Bruce is dodging taking responsibility in worrying ways.

[SoccerHQ]

McCormack won't be at the club next season.

Surely Gabby and Richards can be loaned out somewhere at the very least?

Beyond that I'm failing to see who are the players with a poor attitude, maybe Jack but Bruce has been starting him most games so it can't be a major issue.

[KevinGage]

McCormack won't be at the club next season.

Surely Gabby and Richards can be loaned out somewhere at the very least?

Beyond that I'm failing to see who are the players with a poor attitude, maybe Jack but Bruce has been starting him most games so it can't be a major issue.

McCormack might be if Bruce isn't.

[Chris Jameson]

Is Bruce now being criticised for something he might not have actually said to somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody?