Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[Lastfootstamper]

I like Davis but the reality is he rarely scored, and he did play in 30 games this season.

2 league goals in 1,558 minutes on the pitch. Scoring at 1 in 5 for the U23s. It does back up the view of many that whatever traits the lad might have, an eye for goal is not yet one of them.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Problem with Davis is he's never going to get regular service

FTFY

Like all our strikers with the possibility of Benteke and Kodja, who plays for himself, all our strikers are crap unless they get service and support. Playing up front surrounded by four defenders and your nearest teammate 20 yards behind is a desperate place to be and has been for far too long. I've always loved the idea of 'defence as a team, attack as a team' but we expect miracles from our strikers and dismiss them when for some strange reason they fail to deliver.

[SoccerHQ]

It's true Davis dosen't look a natural scorer but he can offer a decent outlet when confident as he showed in that early season Norwich game when he was brilliant without scoring.

Think he's a player who can be worked on and then obviously keep a Kodjia around who is a natural scorer and you've still got decent forward options for next year at least.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Our club just lurches from shit set of circumstances to the next.

FFS!

I am as miserable as the next man, but seriously ??

He's hardly wrong is he?  The last few years have been unremittingly shit, and now Bruce's one idea has failed, we are properly funeraled

It’s very nearly a decade of absolute shite for the most part.

Try 18 years. The day we get a decent manager we'll wake up to just how shit our manager appointments have been. I really hope that day is soon. Like tomorrow.

[SoccerHQ]

We played our usual game away from Villa Park.
...

We don't have the mentality to win finals I'm afraid. We go mad about winning semi finals thinking this is it and then turn up flat for the final. I would of course love to be proved wrong one day.

I don't think Saturday was about winning or not winning finals, in the way you position it. It was to your other point: we have not been very good at setting up against teams away from VP, and you listed the examples.
If we'd been tactically more canny through the season we could have won that final … but, we probably wouldn't have needed the play-off to win promotion.

Leaving aside the poor start to the season, where we lost the chance for promotion was in the post-Wolves-win period when - instead of pushing on and dominating opponents - Bruce set up to contain mediocre opposition. Jeeezus: the games at Bolton and Norwich particularly were absolutely dire!

The manager let us down, and the club strategy has put any prospect of short-medium success very firmly at risk.

I wouldn't actually blame the QPR defeat on him...imo the senior players who played that night should've been more honest with him in the build up that they couldn't hack playing again so soon after the Wolves game. Bolton game in the conditions became a lottery and they were in good form aswell.

Norwich away though was inexcusable considering they had nothing to play for and Cardiff had lost the night before.

[Toronto Villa]

Can Davis be our new Withe and RHM our new Gary Shaw?

Aye, and I shall be our new Sid bastard Cowans.

Which makes me Dennis Mortimer.

All I mean is of course, is that we need to find options in what we have. It would be nice to see those two mature into some kind of partnership. They have a lot of potential.

The days of Withe and Shaw sadly are literally several lifetimes away.

[tomd2103]

As I said to my mate over the weekend, if we are having to rely on the younger players who are already here, I wonder if they will react to him in a positive way as he hasn’t really trusted them so far?

Totally agree, why would Green, Davis or even Bree be willing to bust a gut for Bruce?

You'd hope it would be because their professional careers are at stake.

Agreed, but I think that Bruce has handled Davis badly as he is the only forward who can hold the ball up and bring midfield players into the game and after impressing he was discarded!

The way we have played, Davis would have been a more effective option to have in the bench in the run-in than Hogan. 

[mr underhill]

no he wouldn't, honestly. He had in truth a couple of effective games. Sometimes he can link play by holding the ball ok but that's it.

[andyh]

The doctors latest twitterer doesn’t suggest that there are going to be changes anytime soon.

“Still hurting. Felt even more when you realize how much all ppl love the club, gaffer, the whole squad, including myself, have given everything but still didn’t achieve our target. Also very difficult to verify ppl showing their real personality and humanity at this tough moment”.

[ozzjim]

No I think he's here to stay. In which case he's got a massive dinner ahead.

[brian green]

If the owner thinks our current team manager is the answer to our problems then the owner is part of the problem.

[sickbeggar]

If he does stay then either

a)the money situation isn't as bad as made out
or
b)he feels obligated to the club to stay put


I don't like his football or think he's the right man, but i have no problem with the guy personally. I just think he's setting himself up for a world of unnecessary grief. We'll have to be up there from day one with whatever team he cobbles together or people are going to be gunning for him. Gone by November i reckon.

[brian green]

It will be very unfortunate if it comes to a situation where people are gunning for him.  He was hired at a very generous salary to do a specific job for the club.  He has done what he has done to the best of his ability but he has failed.  In the professions and in business there is no shame in honest failure.  If we are to achieve our stated goal of a return to the top flight he must stand aside to allow fresh thinking and new approaches to be brought to bear.  Gunning for him should not be allowed to be what the first months of the new season holds.  If for no other reason than a better start than last season is imperative.

[pauliewalnuts]

Problem with Davis is he's never going to get regular service

FTFY

Like all our strikers with the possibility of Benteke and Kodja, who plays for himself, all our strikers are crap unless they get service and support. Playing up front surrounded by four defenders and your nearest teammate 20 yards behind is a desperate place to be and has been for far too long. I've always loved the idea of 'defence as a team, attack as a team' but we expect miracles from our strikers and dismiss them when for some strange reason they fail to deliver.

Grabban did ok.

[walsall villain]

It will be very unfortunate if it comes to a situation where people are gunning for him.  He was hired at a very generous salary to do a specific job for the club.  He has done what he has done to the best of his ability but he has failed.  In the professions and in business there is no shame in honest failure.  If we are to achieve our stated goal of a return to the top flight he must stand aside to allow fresh thinking and new approaches to be brought to bear.  Gunning for him should not be allowed to be what the first months of the new season holds.  If for no other reason than a better start than last season is imperative.

A better start might be tricky if we need to replace the centre backs and end up scratching around in the loan market late August.