Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[RussellC]

The most telling thing about the McCormack situation, IMO, is that no-one else in the Championship wanted him.  I'm sure if someone had offered to pay even a small portion of his wages we'd have bitten their hands off.

There are plenty of sticks to beat Bruce with at the moment. This isn't one of them.

[Rudy65]

He split from his partner a while ago as well.

It was well known before we bought him that he liked too much ale, was part of the reason he was such a slow starter to seasons because he couldn't look after himself in the close season.

Really. Why did we sign him then?

[mr underhill]

I can't imagine even we spunked  £12m on a player without knowing something of his personal life, or the fact that co workers at Fulham were desperate for him to leave because he was becoming disruptive. We took a gamble, betting the farm on him doing what he had done very successfully for another couple of seasons with us and it failed. I actually always thought we bought him simply to stop someone else doing so, without any real thought as to how he was going to integrate into the team. It's not only Bruce who doesn't do strategy and tactics. RDM was just as guilty of it and  Dr T should have had a firmer grip on the sweet jar. money

[AsTallAsLions]

He split from his partner a while ago as well.

It was well known before we bought him that he liked too much ale, was part of the reason he was such a slow starter to seasons because he couldn't look after himself in the close season.

Really. Why did we sign him then?

Exactly my question.

[Drummond]

He split from his partner a while ago as well.

It was well known before we bought him that he liked too much ale, was part of the reason he was such a slow starter to seasons because he couldn't look after himself in the close season.

Really. Why did we sign him then?

Exactly my question.

Because he scored goals. I still don't know if it was Round, Wyness or Bruce that picked players to sign but whoever it was made a cock up.

[Chris Jameson]

Not sure if this is something I have just made up but I'm sure I read reports of the Fulham players being delighted when he was sold.

[Ads]

Read those too.

[Risso]

He split from his partner a while ago as well.

It was well known before we bought him that he liked too much ale, was part of the reason he was such a slow starter to seasons because he couldn't look after himself in the close season.

I'm not sure the stats really back that up:

11/12 - 10 goals in first 13 games
12/13 - 3 goals in first 6 games, including 2 in the first 2.
13/14 - 4 goals in first 6 games
14/15 - 3 goals in first 8 games
15/16 - no goals in first 5 games, but then 6 in next 6 games.
16/17 - joins the Factory of Sadness, even then gets 2 in his first 6.

[Ads]

Just going off what Leeds and Fulham fans said. He'd come back carrying too much timber.

I think his split from his partner probably had a knock on effect. Increased drinking and decreased gate opening.

[olaftab]

didn’t he go to Oz and score a bucket load of goals

He played 16 scoring 14. In January this year, in Aus,  I watched a game Sydney something v Melbourne City and he scored however it was like watching a game at Perry Common on a Sunday morning.

[Risso]

Just going off what Leeds and Fulham fans said. He'd come back carrying too much timber.

I think his split from his partner probably had a knock on effect. Increased drinking and decreased gate opening.

I think it's a lot of revisionist bollocks personally.  There were precisely zero mentions of drink problems or his team mates or the Fulham fans not liking him when we signed him.  Apologies for bringing this up, but you were especially positive about his signing, predicting he'd score 20 goals and praising his great attitude, and that his shape didn't matter.

[Ads]

I was positive about it, no need to apologise. Still doesn't mean that I didn't read that Fulham were happier without him, which I took as sour grapes. They ended up getting 80 points though, so I guess those grapes matured into a better vintage. It was the dressing room not the fans at Fulham.

There was always talk about his boozing, especially from Leeds fans.

[LeeB]

The most telling thing about the McCormack situation, IMO, is that no-one else in the Championship wanted him.  I'm sure if someone had offered to pay even a small portion of his wages we'd have bitten their hands off.

There are plenty of sticks to beat Bruce with at the moment. This isn't one of them.

Wasn't he about to join Naarwich until we stepped in and slapped our much bigger dick on the table?

That worked well, didn't it? Come away with metaphorical syphilis.

[manic-road]

It was mentioned on here ages ago, back to his days at Leeds.  Have a look for it.

Well if it was mentioned on a fans forum it must be true.

[RussellC]

The most telling thing about the McCormack situation, IMO, is that no-one else in the Championship wanted him.  I'm sure if someone had offered to pay even a small portion of his wages we'd have bitten their hands off.

There are plenty of sticks to beat Bruce with at the moment. This isn't one of them.

Wasn't he about to join Naarwich until we stepped in and slapped our much bigger dick on the table?

That worked well, didn't it? Come away with metaphorical syphilis.

Yeah, from memory I think you're right. My point was more about no-one really wanting him since falling out of favour with us though. Aside from an unsuccessful loan-spell with Forest, there don't seem to have been too many managers knocking down our door to take this prolific Championship goalscorer from us.

Suggests that the problem lies with the player, more than it does Bruce not managing him correctly.