He annoyed us by starting without a forward and nearly nicked a point. A Song renamed Cattermole might have been sent off. But it all went to script in the end (as it might have done a lot earlier). Steve Bruce‘s post-match e-mail regrets missed chances, but points to positives …
Dear Colin,
We had an awful start, just like the West Brom game, but again we showed enough resilience and fight to get back in the game.
It’s just a shame that [Robin] Van Persie, a world-class player, came up with piece of magic at the end. He is worth the entrance fee alone.
If I’m critical we gave too many free kicks away on the edge of the box, but otherwise I can’t fault the players.
If we keep playing like that, stick together and keep our heads up, we’ll be okay.
Seb [Larsson] scored a great goal and that’s three he’s got for us now. He’s showing his quality from set pieces.
We had two big chances before half time and to go in 2-1 up would have been fantastic, but it wasn’t to be.
Against the big teams in the big stadiums you need to take your chances and we didn’t do that today.
We talked about starting well all week and then we conceded after 30 seconds, which wasn’t easy.
But the players’ attitude and desire was unquestionable. They’re a good bunch.
We did enough today to get something from the game and I take heart from that.
All the best,
Steve Bruce
Absolutely agree. It was beyond understanding, given our problems in relation to personnel, that he should buy two players that for some reason he believes to be unready for Premiership football. As you say, Ji looks the most relaxed and confident player on the field. If we were Man City or Chelsea , we might be able to afford to hold players back for a period of time. In our position we need to invest in players who can deliver ASAP. I am sure there are people who won’t like me saying this-but the man is stupid.
Alan. I could understand him paying the 8/9M for Wickham and keeping him on the bench if we had three other strikers who were competing intensely for places and scoring goals. At this time, there is no reason for not playing him. No excuse. What is he holding him back for? We don’t have that luxury. Had it been some 14 months ago when we had a fit Campbell, Jones and Bent it would have been understandable.
The man is clueless. His substitutions are bizarre and in fact irrational. I don’t understand why he doesn’t start with Ji. The lad looks confident and ready when he has come on to me. The rest of them look scared to death. He doesn’t.
Steve, you can fool some of the critics all of the time and you can fool some of the Club Officials some of the time but you can’t fool all of the supporters all of the time.
Game up sunny, time for you to go.
will anybody listen and get this muppet out what has Conner whicham done to Steve Bruce we pay 9 million for him and don’t play I bet Charles insogbia is so glad he didn’t sighn as he would be sitting on the bench as well get out you muppet you and your record stinks…..
Was it Henry II who said “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest”
or
SAFC fans who said “Will no one rid us of this turbulent prat”
“Against the big teams in the big stadiums you need to take your chances and we didn’t do that today…”
We very rarely do that, against big teams or small teams in big stadiums or small stadiums. SB has forgotten what it means to take a chance.
As Hilary says, any team that has a hope of survival should be able to beat Bolton. But they’ll start at home on Saturday buoyed by a good win. And we’ll be weighed down by the memory of yet another defeat. Doesn’t leave much room for optimism.
Well it’s off to the opticians for me!
I didnt see anything of notoriety from our bunch of poorly managed players (other than Larssons goal).
I have heard of seeing life through rose coloured glasses, but hang on, even wearing mine, coupled with my beer goggles, I didn’t see anything to bring cheer to these old eyes.
As for the start, what did he say? ‘We have been chatting all week about it’. Sorry! Was it wet outside and they couldn’t do any training (that certainly look the way of things)
Surly the powers that be can no longer stand by such a man totally bereft of any ideas in the field of football.
As for Bolton, I just wish it where Boldon, as Bolton will really be up for the points and rush out of the gate once again seeing us 2 goals down as we where still chatting about getting off to a good start.
Lord give me strength
i am off to Bolton only to chuck my season ticket at the Geordie scumbag! joke!
Bruce said
‘If I’m critical we gave too many free kicks away on the edge of the box, but otherwise I can’t fault the players’.
Well Steve what about giving away a goal in 29 seconds after we had possession from the kick off,can’t fault anybody for it, the mans dribblings are just pathetic.
He goes on to purr
‘If we keep playing like that, stick together and keep our heads up, we’ll be okay’
Well steve if we continue to play third rate against a second rate Arsenal we won’t be OK we will however be in the Championship. Additionally, suggesting that we will be OK after the financial backing that has been afforded to you really is an insight in to your hopes and management capability at this level.
If you really feel that other than the free kicks that was a performance you couldn’t fault any one on then you are even more deluded than most the support think.
Please man do the decent thing before it’s too late.
Starting with no strikers again! When will he ever learn?
I agree with everything you wrote, Hilary.
Bruce must have a lot of friends in the media, anybody else would have been hung, drawn and quartered by now, but then, as Bruce says, our expectations are just way too high! Fancy expecting more than four wins in twenty odd matches.
Derek, I agree about Larrson’s goal and there were a number of good performances, and I didnt mean to suggest in my post that there wasn’t real evidence of effort and skill from some. They are just being poorly managed.
Seb Larsson’s wonder goal was brilliant but…… Clattermole’s wonder miss and the opening thirty seconds summed up Steve Bruce’s managerial reign.
this clueless pillock has got no idea we are in freefall forget and the club heirachy need to do something right now before its too late.. Bruce actually thinks he is doing an excellent job! Is if watching same match as me oshea has been rotten cattermole who Bruce thinks is a ‘fabulous player’ is dire totally inept i wont go till this pillock leaves.. Sadly
We might beat Bolton, any team that has a hope of survival should be able to beat them. What happens next week should be irrelevant in the context of the Bruce debate. For him to say that Van Persie’s performance ‘was worth the entrance fee alone’, insults those Sunderland supporters who travelled all that way to see their team concede a goal almost immediately and lose to an Arsenal who are still performing below their best. The lads might be a ‘good bunch’, but not good enough. Obviously they can only play as well as they are allowed, and it may be that a good number of them could and would perform effectively under different management. There was nothing from today’s game that would change my conviction that Bruce MUST go.
Here are some comments from elsewhere:
* The clueless twat will probably think he deserves credit for that. Hopeless. A very poor arse side too. He’ll have his excuses ready
* Absolutely the worst possible outcome. This way, a Bruce supporter can argue we were unlucky not to escape with a point and a neutral will question why we’d expect anything at Arsenal anyway.
Better to either get a result (I remember when we used to do that from time to time) or get tonked in a manner showing up the managerial shortcomings and forcing Short’s hand. This contrived to be neither, and the whole malaise lingers on into the next game, and the next, and the next.
In the end it’s not even a question of whether Bruce is the man for the job or not: there’s no evidence that his team is really backing him, and for me that’s goodnight. And would be in any job, not just football. The only possible positive, and I’m clutching at straws here, is that it doesn’t force Short to act rightaway. Hopefully that increases the chances of getting a good replacement, rather than the least-worst candidate. But that seems a way off right now.
Ah well, back to the evening’s reckless gambling …
* Awful team selection again. Otherwise after the first 20 mins, when 3 0 wd have been about right, I thought we played tolerable well, ending the first half on top . But too meek second half
* Still, Bruce had a good laugh about it all with Pat Rice afterwards.
* I may be the closest thing to a Bruce supporter on here, but would draw no conclusion of any kind. My view is simple; a sacking after wba would have been totally justifiable, provided someone was lined up; a sacking tonight would be laughable, again unless a top rate replacement is ours for the taking. Otherwise I’d see it through to the last of the 3 Nov games, a fairer test of the side he has assembled. But I’d lose no sleep if it happened an awful lot sooner, always applying my proviso
* Fair point, but I’m not convinced we can afford to continue to look as lacklustre for the upcoming games. Losing to Arsenal, in the final analysis, won’t seriously jeopardise our PL status. Losing to the Boltons of this world does. It already looks like we’re going back to the first Keano top-flight season and targeting enough home wins against the stragglers to keep us up. Fair enough for a newly-promoted team, but this is Bruce’s third season with a top flight squad (and budget). We should be better than that by now.
.
* We are abysmal. Today just confirmed it. When you need a goal from midfield why drop gardner and play catts and colback?not one goal between the. Totally faceless side too. Couldn’t give a fuck abt any of the players. Sh***
* Cattermole has proven beyond any doubt that he has nothing to offer (not even a goal from a free header 1 yard out)! In addition to Cattermole giving the ball away at every available opportunity, we have Elmo proving time and time again that he is incapable of beating a man. On the rare occasion that he gets a yard on his man, his cross hits the first defender with frightening precision.
Finally, add to the mix no centre forwards and a left full back who is anything but a left full back and the continuation of Bruce’s tenure is nothing short of bizarre!
Bruce out (and take Cattermole with you)!
* Pete Sixsmith’s final text to me from the Emirates, before boarding the Durham branch bus home, was: next week’s his Waterloo. I’ve probably been too patient; he’s probably right.