Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[sickbeggar]

Smith wouldn't be the 'promotion expert' option so I don't think there would be anyone saying he shouldn't be given time.

well mentioning no names but there are people on here thinking our current squad without replacements is easily top 6 quality. Well that may be the case or otherwise but if we're struggling come christmas time then he's gonna be under pressure from some sections of the fanbase. I guess the real question is what the club think our squad is realistically capable of - if they think the same then i wouldn't appoint him.

[Ads]

We took point from behind at Bristol, Leeds, Preston and Derby and came back to win at QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.

It was key games away from home at Cardiff, Fulham etc that did for us.

We won 2-0 at Preston. And lost 2-0 at Derby.

I'm on about all games. I think we only went behind 4 times at home all season; Wednesday, QPR and the two above.

[PeterWithesShin]

The "at" part made it sound like you were on about away games.

[footyskillz]

It was not so much our inability to come from behind, more our tendancy to chuck in really shit performances against lesser sides when we had the chance to kick on. Had we won the QPR and Norwich games, then we would have been in the fight on the last day to go up.

I know!! Youre telling me mate! We were so close when looking at that. Wins against them and a few more wins from the draws would have made all the differences.
It's fine margins at the end of it all.
Makes it both so exhilarating yet frustrating.

[Ads]

Yes sorry, I started off going through chronologically in my head so forgot to specify further after Bristol and Leeds which were the first two I thought of.

[PeterWithesShin]

While we were obviously not going to win every game, what did it was early on, Hull (h) Reading (a) Brentford (h) Boro (h) gave us only 3 points, the stupid 2 points dropped at home to Sheff Utd, and 1 point from QPR (h) Bolton (a) and Hull (a). 7 more points from those games should have been achievable, and we wouldn't be worried about FFP. 

[footyskillz]

August 12 & 15
The loss to Cardiff 3-0 and Reading 2-1 both away in August within 3 days

September 9 and 12
The 2 draws in 3 days September at home both 0-0 Brentford and then 10 men boro.

Saturday 14th October
 2-0 away defeat to Wolves
 (after international break 2 week since played and beat bolton)

Saturday 4th Nov
 (before the International break)
Losing unbeaten home record at to Sheffield Wednesday conceding  within a minute.

3 days previous had won away 2-0 at Preston.

A poor December period
Rescued point at Leeds
Drew 0-0 millwall
Week later lost to Derby away 2-0
Week later Drew 2-2 at home to sheff u after being 2-0 up early on.
3 days later lose to Brentford boxing day


Saturday 17th Feb without grealish and Adomah and SJ gifting goal go down 2-0 to fulham

 3 days later a frustrating draw 1-1 home with Preston.

MARCH MADNESS.
After the beating of Sunderland and then the euphoric victory of wolves

3 days after the 4-1 we go and lose at home to QPR.

4 days later Bolton in the snow we lose 1-0

Then fail to inspire against Hull 0-0

After the 3-0 beating of 10 man reading 4 days later 7th April switched kick off time!! the 3-1 defeat to Norwich.

Where did it go wrong last season?! I suggest it's these moments.

[Matt Collins]

But every team can say that surely?

There were plenty of games where we nicked a result that we didn't deserve: home v Millwall, Brentford, Preston, Bolton away v shef utd,    just off the top of my head

[PeterWithesShin]

But every team can say that surely?

There were plenty of games where we nicked a result that we didn't deserve: home v Millwall, Brentford, Preston, Bolton away v shef utd,    just off the top of my head

Which is why I said we obviously wouldn't win every game, and didn't include every bad result as games like Millwall and Sheff Wed at home happen, as does losing at Fulham, Cardiff and Wolves. . The first 4 and last 3 were all games close together and were games we should have have picked up better results in. And I included Sheff Utd as we threw away a 2-0 lead.

[Matt Collins]

I agree the slow start and the post-Wolves runs definitely cost us

[Toronto Villa]

add to the fact that Cardiff and Fulham both had runs in the division that frankly, were just ludicrous. I can see Wolves with all that they spent and the players at their disposal. But those two sides were incredible in maintaining momentum.

[Allan C]

It's tricky.

Sack him and you've got to pay compensation to somebody and then they're left with what to shape a squad.

If you have nothing at all to spend,  who would you choose?

Rock meet hard place.

It’s like I’ve always said. He’s taken up backwards. Look at the predicament we’re in now. The time to get rid was end of last season. I’m so disillusioned

[paul_e]

It was not so much our inability to come from behind, more our tendancy to chuck in really shit performances against lesser sides when we had the chance to kick on. Had we won the QPR and Norwich games, then we would have been in the fight on the last day to go up.

We're talking about the same games here.  They're the ones where we started like we couldn't be arsed, conceded and did fuck all to try to save the game until the last 10-15 minutes.

Whether you see the starting like we didn't give a shit or not bothering to do anything about it as the bigger problem doesn't really matter, the simple fact is there were too many games like those, and too often they came in flurries of shit where we'd have 5-6 games of looking lost and maybe scraped 1 win from them.

[cheltenhamlion]

So when we played well it was because the players flouted the game plan but when we were poor it was because Bruce set the team up wrong?

Or it was Agnew's or Terry's influence but only when we won.

I agree but that works both ways and is pissing me off as well. Play like shit in the play off final (and for half of the season) then Bruce didn't tell them to be so defensive. Score a few now and again and it is what he demanded all along.

He tried, he failed (twice), he can piss off.

[David_Nab]

August 12 & 15
The loss to Cardiff 3-0 and Reading 2-1 both away in August within 3 days

September 9 and 12
The 2 draws in 3 days September at home both 0-0 Brentford and then 10 men boro.

Saturday 14th October
 2-0 away defeat to Wolves
 (after international break 2 week since played and beat bolton)

Saturday 4th Nov
 (before the International break)
Losing unbeaten home record at to Sheffield Wednesday conceding  within a minute.

3 days previous had won away 2-0 at Preston.

A poor December period
Rescued point at Leeds
Drew 0-0 millwall
Week later lost to Derby away 2-0
Week later Drew 2-2 at home to sheff u after being 2-0 up early on.
3 days later lose to Brentford boxing day


Saturday 17th Feb without grealish and Adomah and SJ gifting goal go down 2-0 to fulham

 3 days later a frustrating draw 1-1 home with Preston.

MARCH MADNESS.
After the beating of Sunderland and then the euphoric victory of wolves

3 days after the 4-1 we go and lose at home to QPR.

4 days later Bolton in the snow we lose 1-0

Then fail to inspire against Hull 0-0

After the 3-0 beating of 10 man reading 4 days later 7th April switched kick off time!! the 3-1 defeat to Norwich.

Where did it go wrong last season?! I suggest it's these moments.

We started the season poorly and despite bringing in players in the Jan window to prepare for the new season none of them stated the season and some especially Lansbury didn't contribute enough .

It shows as well that when things did go wrong we didn't turn it around quickly enough we didn't have one bad match we had bad patches on the flip side .Wolves started strong and had one small blip in the period we beat them but recovered quickly enough ,Cardiff bounced back after every setback and Fulham started poorly but once they hit their stride they where  literally unbeatable for 20 odd games .

My opinion is that Bruce is a cheque book manager if you look at his time at Sunderland the turn over of players is similar to what he has done with us.If things aren't working his answer is to buy or loan players in he can't mould what he has , he maybe on the training pitch but he doesn't do the coaching and this is my concern for next season where the option of loaning/buying will be taking away from him.