Bruce’s Banter: West Brom disaster avoidance with ‘fighting spirit’

Image: View from the Press Box

Yes it was a great fightback after a calamitous start. But two points were still dropped against a team we should expect to beat, maybe even comfortably, if our ability matches our ambition. The performance was much better in the end, but the results remain those of a candidate for relegation. But there were positives and Steve Bruce‘s post-match e-mail seizes on them …

Dear Colin,

Once we got back level I thought if there was one team that was going to win it, it would have been us.

When you get off to an horrendous start like that, you have to say well done to the lads for sticking with it and getting something.

We needed to really dig deep and find something because of how we started. Usually when you’re down 2-0 in the Barclays Premier League it takes a lot to get back, but thankfully we dug deep and scored a couple of really good goals.

Bendtner and Sessegnon were both very good – they caused West Brom problems. It’s a shame we just couldn’t convert the chances, with the amount of possession that we had in the second half.

There’s a great spirit amongst the players and great resilience – they’re a great squad. We haven’t had the best of starts, but it’s a long season and we’ve got to get behind them and make sure we stick together and come out stronger.

There was a great fighting spirit today. We had two or three chances to win it and the players did terrifically well to get back into the game as they did.

All the best,

Steve Bruce

8 thoughts on “Bruce’s Banter: West Brom disaster avoidance with ‘fighting spirit’”

  1. Pete. Yes I agree with your list. The dire nature of some of the other sides in this division is what may save us and it will be no thanks to Bruce.

    What does giving him until the end of October prove? The picture is as clear as day to me as the clarity has become increasingly transparent since January. Two victories at home since New Year and one clean sheet in 12 or thereabouts. What else is going to be veritied between now and Halloween?

    Bruce out!

  2. There are, Jeremy. Blackburn, Bolton, Wigan for starters. Norwich and Swansea will struggle as the year goes on. Everton could be in for a tough time and Fulham are not much better than we are. Plus West Brom and Wolves.
    The disappointing thing is that we should be looking up at Villa, Liverpool and (dare I say it) The Mags rather than looking down.
    Let’s see where we are at the end of October; we’ll have a clearer picture of where we are going then. Like Flash Gordon, Bruce has 28 Days to save his, and our, Universe. Maybe he will sign Brian Blessed.

  3. “I very much doubt that Bruce would do the same for Quinn, were the roles reversed.”

    Never a truer word said.

    Quinn’s heart is in the club, even though he gets well paid as chairman, Bruce is an employee, and no more. If Quinn thinks that Bruce is the same as him, then he’s making a huge mistake, Devotion to the club and cause is being confused with loyalty to thr manager who is likely to get us relegated, unless there are even worse sides than us.

  4. You are right, Jeremy, in highlighting the difference in status between Quinn and Gibson. It would be extremely sad if Quinn has to go, and I do hope he comes to his senses on this one. Steve Bruce presents himself as ‘a canny lad’ and the victim of unfair criticism, in a way that I am finding difficult to stomach. There is something increasingly delusional about it, and I am afraid that it is up to Quinn and Short to grasp reality. It does look as though Short may have to do this unilaterally. There is something almost tragic, considering how much Quinn has done for the club, in seeing him sacrifice his standing and role for the benefit of Steve Bruce. I very much doubt that Bruce would do the same for Quinn, were the roles reversed.

  5. I wholeheartedly agree with this above post Hilary. The similarities are there for sure. I fear that Quinn has put himself so irrevocably behind Bruce that their fates are so intertwined that one’s destiny will be shared with the other. Quinn’s problem has been to let his mouth run without engaging his brain He has done this publically; re “world class manager” “despise fans who watch the match down the pub” etc etc etc. We can be fairly confident that his comments in private are a lot more forthright that the public announcements that he probably now regrets. He makes promises and assertions which are over ambitious which he can’t deliver, and then criticises the stay away fans (who probably wouldn’t turn up anyway!). He has stood firmly behind Bruce and this will be his downfall.

    Quinn has a choice to make and he must decide before it’s too late (if it isn’t already). He needs to use the publicity machine to distance himself comfortably from Bruce if he sees a long term future as Chairman of SAFC.

    My greatest fear is that the die is cast and that Quinn will have to go. The biggest difference between Quinn and Gibson I believe is the investment at Boro is Gibson’s whilst the ownership of SAFC comes down to Ellis Short. Gibson can only sell Boro to someone else whereas ES has the casting vote. I very much doubt whether ES is expressing the sort of support for either manager and chairman that the chairman is displaying for the manager. The body language of SB at 3-10pm yesterday and Quinn on Monday evening suggested that the noose was being readied for one if not both. Quinn also needs to realise that the love affair with Sunderland could be coming to sharp and unpleasant end if he doesn’t do his job properly. He isn’t doing it right now and needs to grow a pair, and quick.

  6. I have huge admiration for Niall Quinn and what he has done for Sunderland , but I am now beginning to be reminded in the current situation, of what happened with Steve Gibson when Bryan Robson at Middlesbrough. Indeed there are similarities between Robson and Bruce, on a number of levels. Good players, local heroes-well Geordie heroes, but essentially lacking the focus and discipline to manage at the top level. Gibson obviously was fond of Robson, and threw huge amounts of money at him, indulging him way beyond the point where he would have been dismissed by most clubs. We know where that all ended. Niall has to distance hiself from Bruce now and be decisive, or we will go down.

  7. Steve Bruce says
    ‘There’s a great spirit amongst the players and great resilience – they’re a great squad’

    Well Mr Bruce the table does not lie, neither does the amount of money you have wasted/ invested (delete as appropriate) in the squad.

    Are our results a fair return for this money, No.
    Are our performances reflective of your above statement, No.
    Are our performances value for money, No.
    Do we entertain, No.
    Do you instill in the support a hunger for what is to come in the future, No.
    Have we lost/ drawn a rake of games this seas that we should have won, Yes

    Mr Bruce also say’s

    ‘We haven’t had the best of starts, but it’s a long season and we’ve got to get behind them and make sure we stick together and come out stronger’.

    Under statement of the year, its been a disasterous start, not only in the points total but in our ‘style’ of play (I use this term loosley) which is clueless at best, tactically we are not there.
    I hesitate to say ‘can it get any worse’ under your stewardship, as I expect it to, and know it can.

    The Club really need to act to preserve Premiership status and give the next occupant of the Managers chair a fighting chance for the remainder of the season. To allow this situation to continue will be remiss of the Club and positive action is needed to be taken and it needs to be taken NOW.

    Thanks for your efforts Steve, but it just has not worked out, it’s time for you to move/ be moved on.

    Read more: https://safc.blog/2011/10/bruces-banter-wba-disaster-avoidance-with-fighting-spirit/#ixzz1ZbBx2bni
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