Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[Clampy]

Unless I am  completely misreading the situation, Bruce has just made a statement basically saying to Xia go on sack me. 

I think he knows that the club has fucked up and is looking for the best way out financially. 

This i'm afraid.  What convinced me was the way he distanced himself from Xia with the ''whether the owner has got any money or not'' jibe and the air that none of this had anything to do with him. He just went merrily on holiday and then...boom. 

 

What's all this 'merrilly went on holiday' nonsense? What was he supposed to do? Sit in his back garden for a month because the club is skint?

[Nunkin1965]

This over analysis looking for hidden meaning between the lines is daft. It’s not House of Cards.

It’s rife on here mate.
Bruce the Bond Villain is alive and kicking.

[Ads]

Interviews and statements are delicate things for the H&V psyche. Can't be too honest, as that gives the game away (despite nothing he said being a revelation to non-industry folk sat on the web) and you can't be too coy. As then you won't have been honest enough.

[OzVilla]

Dont take things so literally FFS, i'm describing the way he's throwing it 100% at the owners door.  ''The clubs got itself into a bit of a pickle'', this isnt fucking Paddington Bears hat that's got blown up a tree.

He's taking zero responsibility for whats happened which he clearly does in my eyes.  He needs to own his fair share too.  Granted not as much as Xia but certainly some.  Or are we really paying millions for someone who doesn't do tactics, take training while his signings have largely failed only to also find he's been completely oblivious to any of the financial converstaions going on at the club in the last 18 months.   

[steamer]

He could have acknowledged the situation, said we work within our means etc.
He names players that are fans favourites, and expects what ?
So lets sell them to pay the wages of some of the useless tossers he has bought.
I wavered on keeping him but thought lets get on with it, but I am going with the conspiracy theorists here.

[kippaxvilla2]

This must be the only entertainment industry where they let the fans buy the tickets without possibility of a refund then say the main stars won’t be making an appearance.

[Clampy]

Interviews and statements are delicate things for the H&V psyche. Can't be too honest, as that gives the game away (despite nothing he said being a revelation to non-industry folk sat on the web) and you can't be too coy. As then you won't have been honest enough.

Yes. How many times have we read over the last month 'we need to know what's going on', 'we're being kept in the dark', 'the slience is deafening' etc? Then when someone from the club tells us what is likely to happen, all hell breaks loose. I don't like it anymore than anyone else does but we basically know what we already knew.

[Des Little]

Exactly this. Bruce is damned whatever he says or does.

[Boz]

As he keeps saying despite our position we are a big club , he is on a nice salary , looks to have full control of footballing decisions and has a ready made excuse in FFP he has it pretty easy really so why would he leave ..plus who else will employ him ...

Spot On

[chrisw1]

This over analysis looking for hidden meaning between the lines is daft. It’s not House of Cards.

Agreed.  After the play offs I had come round to the view his time was up. 

But even so I can't see anything in that interview that wasn't pretty much common knowledge nor anything to get overly agitated about.  To be honest, other than holding his hands up and saying 'it's all my fault' I'm not sure what people expect?

[mattjpa]

Exactly this. Bruce is damned whatever he says or does.

Not sure thats the case tbh. Firstly, some humility in accepting a portion of the blame would have been nice. Secondly he would have been a lot better off telling the truth regarding the player sales but said we will not roll over and hand over our best assets for peanuts, we will get what they are worth or look at other routes for cash generation.
Finally, he could have issued a fucking war cry - he could have bigged up the achievements of the U23's last season and how they destroyed every competition they were in, said they ARE good enough and will shock the league next year with how good they are. He could have said how despite losing a couple of players we will still have a squad that will be full of internationals and the envy of 3/4s of the league and it will simply be a case of some of the other senior pros still here to step up and make sure they are the ones who have a season like Jack, or Chester or Adomah or Kodjia the year before.
He could have backed himself, his management team and the squad that he has built but he didn't. He sat there and downplayed our chances, absolved himself of blame, brought the expectations down and lined up his excuses for failing next season. That is what has pissed me off, not the honesty regarding player sales.

[OzVilla]

Agree with every word mattjpa.

He’s paid handsomely and if we thats the best he’s got then Lord help us,

I’ve 2 scenarios, scenario 1 is he’s just angling for a way out financially boosted or scenario 2 that he genuinely does want to stay, well after interview I can only conclude he’s completely thick and lacking any imagination.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Funny how none of the players Bruce brought in are attracting offers, he should be pleased that he gets to keep all his own signings! Tosser.

[Risso]

If there’s one thing we should be used to by now, it’s Fistface making excuses and bemoaning his lot in life.

[ROBBO]

The owner must take ownership of the financial situation but Bruce must own the fact that he refused to give any of the youngsters except Green decent playing time. It's hard enough to blood one youngster into the side having three or more at once is asking for big trouble. He banked on promotion and failed now he wants out on his terms.( In my opinion)