Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[ChicagoLion]

I can see a good argument for not firing him now, until it becomes clear as to who is directing the club and even owning the club there is no point in doing anything to further destabilize things.
It will just be another voice whining to the press about unfair treatment and we know who’s  side they will pick.
But at some point he should be fired for fucking up.

[sc00by555]

Has anyone suggested sacking Bruce and Clemence and then promoting Agnew and Calderwood to head coaches? It seems like a solution that would save a few quid and also retain some stability.

[manic-road]

Has anyone suggested sacking Bruce and Clemence and then promoting Agnew and Calderwood to head coaches? It seems like a solution that would save a few quid and also retain some stability.

How would it save a few quid when Bruce and Clemence would have their contracts paid up?

[villa `cross the mersey]

Right now we should be looking for an experienced football administrator like Dein or Levy rather than a manager - personally I think we need to sort the financial stuff first and perhaps tread water on the pitch until the club is stabilised

[wittonwarrior]

Right now we should be looking for an experienced football administrator like Dein or Levy rather than a manager - personally I think we need to sort the financial stuff first and perhaps tread water on the pitch until the club is stabilised

On this score isn't Trevor Birch being used as a consultant at the moment. 

[walsall villain]

Right now we should be looking for an experienced football administrator like Dein or Levy rather than a manager - personally I think we need to sort the financial stuff first and perhaps tread water on the pitch until the club is stabilised

Since the disastrous financial news post Wembley that’s my thinking too. Finances first it has to be.

[nick harper]

Right now we should be looking for an experienced football administrator like Dein or Levy rather than a manager - personally I think we need to sort the financial stuff first and perhaps tread water on the pitch until the club is stabilised

This is absolutely the most important thing. The club needs a strong experienced football administrator at the top of the club. You look at those attending the board meeting today and there is little or nothing there to give any confidence they can put together the short and longer term plan to take the club forward.

For now Bruce is good enough to keep us stable on the pitch over the next 12 months. He may even do better with lower expectations.

[ChicagoLion]

Right now we should be looking for an experienced football administrator like Dein or Levy rather than a manager - personally I think we need to sort the financial stuff first and perhaps tread water on the pitch until the club is stabilised

On this score isn't Trevor Birch being used as a consultant at the moment.

The club statement said that they were not taking Insolvency advice, Birch works for Duph and Phelps.

[Toronto Villa]

Bruce instead of investing time and effort in developing and introducing more youth players as part of the overall squad mix lazily invested in older players. He then convinced Wyness and co that this was the right approach who then lazily went long with it. The approach came at a huge premium so the potential reward also came with a huge risk. He failed at his lazy approach and so that should be enough to fire him. Wyness is gone or close to it, Bruce should be next out of the door. I don't trust him to be the man to now take and succeed using the opposite route to the one he spectacularly failed at.

[SoccerHQ]

We are certainly overstocked with coaching staff.

Agnew seemed to make a difference when he came in mid season so would keep him on. Given he managed Boro for 10 games in premier league he'd probably be given a chance as caretaker manager as/when SB leaves.

Struggling really to see what Calderwood and Clemence bring to the party however. Can see one of them leaving before start of next season.

I disagree, I think a first team with a manager, an assistant, 2 general coaches, a keeper coach and a fitness coach is about right.  The issue for me is that they all have to add value, and I'm not sure ours do.  You need enough pairs of eyes and ears to pick up all the little flaws in technique and any personality issues as well as defining training, setting up tactics and keeping an eye on the U23s.

Have we ever had a prominent manager have three asisstants below him?

Sir Brian had Allan Evans and John Gregory.

Gregory himself had Steve Harrison.

GTMK2 had Stuart Gray and John Deehan.

O'Neill had Walford and Robertson

Lambert came with Karsa and Culverhouse. After their demise it was Roy Keane and Scott Marshall.

Sherwood had Ray Wilkins and some other guy, think his surname was Robson.

Some of these guys might have had junior coaches below them but I'd say three senior staff below a manager is one too many and certainly is in our current state.

[SoccerHQ]

Has anyone suggested sacking Bruce and Clemence and then promoting Agnew and Calderwood to head coaches? It seems like a solution that would save a few quid and also retain some stability.

Hope not, the football Nottingham Forest played when Calderwood was manager there was dire and makes Bruceball freeflowing and swashbuckling.

[old man villa fan]

In football, if you try and stand still, you go backwards.

We cannot afford to waste next season.  The future should start now.  With the financial situation as it is, I have resigned myself to the fact that we are not going to get promoted next season but I will not accept not planning for the future and starting to go forward.  We have to draw the line now.

[sickbeggar]

Yep he's had his chance. All this "we need stability" bobbins...well show me an example of Bruce doing well at a basketcase club working on a shoestring?  Get someone who buys into the whole youth team thing otherwise we'll be looking round for championship player loan deals and old stagers on frees.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Bruce instead of investing time and effort in developing and introducing more youth players as part of the overall squad mix lazily invested in older players. He then convinced Wyness and co that this was the right approach who then lazily went long with it. The approach came at a huge premium so the potential reward also came with a huge risk. He failed at his lazy approach and so that should be enough to fire him. Wyness is gone or close to it, Bruce should be next out of the door. I don't trust him to be the man to now take and succeed using the opposite route to the one he spectacularly failed at.

Are you going to pay for all this ?

No. Thought not.

He's going nowhere unless he quits.

[Risso]

Bruce instead of investing time and effort in developing and introducing more youth players as part of the overall squad mix lazily invested in older players. He then convinced Wyness and co that this was the right approach who then lazily went long with it. The approach came at a huge premium so the potential reward also came with a huge risk. He failed at his lazy approach and so that should be enough to fire him. Wyness is gone or close to it, Bruce should be next out of the door. I don't trust him to be the man to now take and succeed using the opposite route to the one he spectacularly failed at.

Are you going to pay for all this ?

No. Thought not.

He's going nowhere unless he quits.

He's on £3m a year.  Pay off the one year, get somebody in on much less, and over two years you're better off.  I bet Dean Smith isn't on as much as £1m a year.