Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[AV5nobs]

My guess is that the board will still be willing to give him a chance but there will be intense scrutiny on the next few games. Bruce and the players need to show a marked improvement and do it quickly or it will be curtains. I know there will be plenty of "whatabotery" and "yes buts" but I just do not see them acting after 2 league games.

Bruce, rightly, will carry the can if things do not change but at the same time the players need to take a long, hard critical look at themselves and not hide behind the manager.

Top post as always Chris.

[aj2k77]

There's no point saying the players need to take a look at themselves. It doesn't happen.

The manager makes the selections, trains them, sets them out tactically and if they don't follow orders then don't pick them. If they all won't put the effort in then well done on losing the dressing room.

The buck will always stop with the manager and rightly so. This is all of Bruce's own making.

[AV5nobs]

There's no point saying the players need to take a look at themselves. It doesn't happen.

The manager makes the selections, trains them, sets them out tactically and if they don't follow orders then don't pick them. If they all won't put the effort in then well done on losing the dressing room.

The buck will always stop with the manager and rightly so. This is all of Bruce's own making.

Fair enough but I also don't want anyone in this squad ever wearing our great colours again if
they can't at least play for their own pride, let alone 40k a week and the fans.

[brian green]

I love H and V.  Only here would you get the pitted wits of Darren's Brexit and Martin's Re MON ers.  So clever.  I hope the Gloating Welshman gets this far into our private parts.

[aj2k77]

There's no point saying the players need to take a look at themselves. It doesn't happen.

The manager makes the selections, trains them, sets them out tactically and if they don't follow orders then don't pick them. If they all won't put the effort in then well done on losing the dressing room.

The buck will always stop with the manager and rightly so. This is all of Bruce's own making.

Fair enough but I also don't want anyone in this squad ever wearing our great colours again if
they can't at least play for their own pride, let alone 40k a week and the fans.

Agreed, which is why Agbonlahor and Richards should have been the first two out of the door, offers or not, a disgrace to the club.

The acceptance of the pair of them was an acceptance of the culture of laziness and dressing room bro culture that helped bring us down to one of our lowest levels ever.

[Legion]

Is it worth removing the last 2 poll options?

[mrfuse]

There's no point saying the players need to take a look at themselves. It doesn't happen.

The manager makes the selections, trains them, sets them out tactically and if they don't follow orders then don't pick them. If they all won't put the effort in then well done on losing the dressing room.

The buck will always stop with the manager and rightly so. This is all of Bruce's own making.

Fair enough but I also don't want anyone in this squad ever wearing our great colours again if
they can't at least play for their own pride, let alone 40k a week and the fans.

A good orchestra can still sound and play awful without a decent Conductor. We've seen a lot of these players play perfectly fine under different managers.

[Richard E]

Is it worth removing the last 2 poll options?

Remove the last 3.

[mrfuse]

Is it worth removing the last 2 poll options?

Remove the last 3.

In fact remove all the options and change the title to when will....

[Dante Lavelli]

My guess is that the board will still be willing to give him a chance but there will be intense scrutiny on the next few games. Bruce and the players need to show a marked improvement and do it quickly or it will be curtains. I know there will be plenty of "whatabotery" and "yes buts" but I just do not see them acting after 2 league games.

Bruce, rightly, will carry the can if things do not change but at the same time the players need to take a long, hard critical look at themselves and not hide behind the manager.

Top post as always Chris.

The danger of asking the players to step up is that it can easily become a mutiny, especially with a character like Terry in the ranks.  I
t's rare that asking the players to take ownership works, remember most of them are still kids focused on their next car, not guardiola's quietly studying the game from the start of their playing careers.

[clash city rocker]

The players must take their share of responsibility but deep down how many of them have confidence in Bruce and the way he wants us to play and also how much confidence do they have in our 'coaching ' team.

[Chris Smith]

There's no point saying the players need to take a look at themselves. It doesn't happen.

The manager makes the selections, trains them, sets them out tactically and if they don't follow orders then don't pick them. If they all won't put the effort in then well done on losing the dressing room.

The buck will always stop with the manager and rightly so. This is all of Bruce's own making.

I think it is nonsense to suggest playersnot  shoulder some of the responsibility. I explicitly said that Bruce will rightly carry the can but I cannot accept that the players can hide behind him as an excuse for their own shortcomings. We all know if we have had a bad at work but if you have any character you don't try to hide behind your boss.

I also made the point that it is what I think will happen, that the Board are not going to act yet in part, but not wholly, because it will be an admission that they got it wrong.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I agree with Chris. It's not going to happen today, we have a game on Tuesday night. Even if we lose, I expect the Norwich game next Saturday to be key on whether the board act or not. Win and he lives to fight another day, lose and he's toast. Even Wyness and Round, who were responsible for appointing Bruce, won't be able to silence the boos at Villa Park if things go on as they have been.

Saying that, I believe it's not a matter of 'if' but 'when'.

[Legion]

Is there an 'International Break' coming up soon?

[Chris Smith]

Is there an 'International Break' coming up soon?

End of the month.