Steve Bruce

[ex_pat_magpie]

Bruce is not doing as **** as i expected - fair play.

He was however backed heavily where Rafa was not. I don't want to harp on about Rafa but if he was backed with £70 million in one window on players he wanted I wonder where we'd be.

However, can't take away from Bruce we're going into Christmas in the top half on 25 points.

Fair play.

I honestly think Ashley was scared of Rafa being successful. If he had been given funds and began a steady improvement then Ashley would have been winceing at having to shell out the Sky money every window.

[Derek57]

Sorry but not convinced. the football is shocking and as a die hard fan accept the points to some degree as relegation doesn't bare thinking about.
However, pleased for Miggy but we are still papering over the cracks.

[Geordie_Jacko]

Sorry but not convinced. the football is shocking and as a die hard fan accept the points to some degree as relegation doesn't bare thinking about.
However, pleased for Miggy but we are still papering over the cracks.

I can never get this constant talk of us 'papering over cracks' like seriously if we are still papering over cracks now whilst we sit in 9th on 25 points on the 22nd of December what are the 11 teams below us doing? Or are they all playing this amazing football that we are not? I don't get it.

[ghostrider]

We are certainly not papering over cracks, more like putting right the cracks before papering.

To be in this position with struggling forwards is a cause for massive optimism because we still have the hope that those players will actually start to get up to speed and start scoring.

As much as the game was drab I was ultra excited for Almiron and the way the players stuck to their task. It says a lot about them and a lot about Bruce in a positive manner.

If we can get to this point knowing there's more in the forward tank of these players, it bodes well.
It gives me hope for better....not a sense of papering over cracks.

[Derek57]

Well each to our own and the opinion of the above 2 posters is expected and if that's the type of football that floats ya boat then fine. Every match i watch makes me cringe and feel almost embarrassed at the lack of possession, creativity and attempts on goal.
We've went from the entertainers to the undertakers coz this style of football is killing me.

[Zippity]

I get what Jacko and Ghost are saying-in some ways, it does seem churlish to be complaining when we're on 25 points before Christmas and the team do seem to be 'a team' both in spirit and organisation.

But, I think the papering over the cracks comments stem from the way we are holding on in most games, conceding possession and hoping to nick one on the break. Our football is shocking to watch a lot of the time and I actually agree with the embarrassing comment-and there's no point asking me why it's embarrassing because that's a matter of opinion...and mine is that I have to watch through my hands a lot of the time. Seriously, is this how we want to win points? Is it all just about the bottom line?

[toonfalifekevbrown]

Long season

[ghostrider]

I get what Jacko and Ghost are saying-in some ways, it does seem churlish to be complaining when we're on 25 points before Christmas and the team do seem to be 'a team' both in spirit and organisation.

But, I think the papering over the cracks comments stem from the way we are holding on in most games, conceding possession and hoping to nick one on the break. Our football is shocking to watch a lot of the time and I actually agree with the embarrassing comment-and there's no point asking me why it's embarrassing because that's a matter of opinion...and mine is that I have to watch through my hands a lot of the time. Seriously, is this how we want to win points? Is it all just about the bottom line?

The simple answer from my side is, no it's not.
I firmly believe we have the potential to be much better offensive wise but you have to look at what Bruce has to work with.
Basically he's having to unwire robots and rewire them into a pretty much overall game mentality of balance.

It'll take time but I can see the potential is there to do it.
If we can get to where we are in transition then there's a lot of hope once we get full on confidence with these offensive players.
Of course it can all go ear shaped by that accounts for most teams.

[sherwoodmag]

How many managers would do much better than Bruce,coming in just before the season started and having lost our two top strikers from last season without comparative replacements.

This team were trained by Rafa to counter attack not for pressing,if Bruce was to change that quickly we would be bottom,look what happened at Norwich when he tried to play a passing game.

To improve the football will be a slow process.

P.S. Just because we want rid of Ashley doesn't mean we have to diss everything else,some on here want the team and manager to fail to upset Ashley.That is not being a supporter we have had bad owners in the past in fact most of my life but I have never wanted the team to fail to spite them.

[Zippity]

Aye...fair points, lads.