Steve Bruce - officially confirmed (as Sheffield Wednesday boss)

[Clampy]

Being relegated was a collossal failure. Billy McNiell was a collossal failure.

Not getting promoted across essentially two seasons despite having more resources at his disposal relative to the competition was a colossal failure.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on that one but personally I think finishing bottom and being taken apart most weeks is a bit more collossal than losing a play off final. It cost him his job eventually anyway.

[Ger Regan]

Being relegated was a collossal failure. Billy McNiell was a collossal failure.

Not getting promoted across essentially two seasons despite having more resources at his disposal relative to the competition was a colossal failure.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on that one but personally I think finishing bottom and being taken apart most weeks is a bit more collossal than losing a play off final. It cost him his job eventually anyway.

There have been plenty of colossal failures at the club over the last few years. Bruce's only target was promotion and the club's future was gambled on him achieving it. He failed, and without the new owners stepping in there was a very real threat of the club being wound up. That wasn't entirely of his making, but the "promotion specialist" must take far more responsibility for it than he has ever seemed prepared to do.

[ozzjim]

Apparently he is going to a test match in the West Indies so can't start to Feb! The usual level of Bruce commitment to the role.

[villa `cross the mersey]

To be fair , if I had millions in the bank and time on my hands I'd be off to the West Indies rather than sitting in a cold, windswept Yorkshire football stadium

[mr underhill]

so would I but he's supposed to be their manager. At the moment this reminds me of that chief scout we had that lived in Australia and did all his research on FIFA 98 or some shit.

[cdward]

I'm sure the Wednesday fans will be delighted to see him drinking cold beers, sitting in a pitch side jacuzzi with the Barmy Army, instead of being in the stands away at Hull.

[passport1]

Excellent they've found a new stick to beat an ex manager with.

[ronshirt]

[...] if he communicates with his coaches?

He's hardly likely to start doing that this late in his managerial career.

[mallo]

I'll bet when it all goes a bit sour (as it inevitably will) he'll blame the fans for not really accepting him because he managed United... If we're here next season then with a quick midfield we'll run them ragged like we did Middlesbrough.

[Rigadon]

I don't get wound up by former managers in the same way I do with players.  I couldn't give a monkeys how he does at Sheffield Wednesday so long as it doesn't get in our way. 

[sickbeggar]

 i'd agree that Bruce did turn the atmosphere around at the club. Obviouslly not every player at Villa was unhappy he got the boot, but overall most players seem to have a good opinion of him. I'm not so sure he was totally responsible for the turn-around in our playing form in his first season though. He just got the time that RDM didn't. Players who made a big difference to the team that season like Kodjia, adomah and Jedinak didn't arrive till 5 games into the season. Given the prolonged arrival of key players and the sheer numbers of new players overall, i'm not surprised it took till Bruce arrived for them to find their feet personally

[Pat McMahon]

Apparently he is going to a test match in the West Indies so can't start to Feb! The usual level of Bruce commitment to the role.

I was listening to 5Live on New Year’s Day and they were focused on the championship. They said Bruce being appointed at Wednesday was a certainty but he had made a family commitment so couldn’t start until end January. When first approached by Wednesday he ruled himself out because of said commitment but they surprised him by saying they were prepared to wait. All courtesy of Mark Clemmett IIRC.

Steven Warnock was on the same programme and said that when Lambert arrived at Villa he was told to look for another club in the summer without being given a chance. Never heard that before.

[paul_e]

i'd agree that Bruce did turn the atmosphere around at the club. Obviouslly not every player at Villa was unhappy he got the boot, but overall most players seem to have a good opinion of him. I'm not so sure he was totally responsible for the turn-around in our playing form in his first season though. He just got the time that RDM didn't. Players who made a big difference to the team that season like Kodjia, adomah and Jedinak didn't arrive till 5 games into the season. Given the prolonged arrival of key players and the sheer numbers of new players overall, i'm not surprised it took till Bruce arrived for them to find their feet personally

Exactly, that's why I think the work to turn us round was mostly done when he arrived, other than a really poor central midfield I think that squad was at least good enough for the playoffs that year.

[sickbeggar]

i'd agree that Bruce did turn the atmosphere around at the club. Obviouslly not every player at Villa was unhappy he got the boot, but overall most players seem to have a good opinion of him. I'm not so sure he was totally responsible for the turn-around in our playing form in his first season though. He just got the time that RDM didn't. Players who made a big difference to the team that season like Kodjia, adomah and Jedinak didn't arrive till 5 games into the season. Given the prolonged arrival of key players and the sheer numbers of new players overall, i'm not surprised it took till Bruce arrived for them to find their feet personally

Exactly, that's why I think the work to turn us round was mostly done when he arrived, other than a really poor central midfield I think that squad was at least good enough for the playoffs that year.

yep its an interesting season to look back on in hindsight.  I mean, we didn't finish in mid-table just because of the 1 win in 11 at start of the season. It was more due to the 7 losses in 11 in December - February.

[mike]

I think Steve was a poor manager and i was heartily glad to see him gone but the 'bad' things he did were 1) not publicly admit he was shit 2) turn his back on a shitload of cash. I wouldn't have done either of those things.