Steve Bruce

We got the kamikaze payment.

 

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Yeah the same ones who f*ked up both of those positive seasons, and put us in the dire financial position we're in now.

 

Yet still got closest to Premier League than we have been in 22 years?

 

And like I said, what did they do after that positive season under Val ?.
They put us in the awful position we're in now, with some appalling decisions and appointments.

 

Not debating that, but football fans are fickle ... success alters people's attitudes. That thread on our transfers is interesting - likes of money we spent on Sheron , Van Der Laan helped put us in a difficult financial situation that along with ITV pulling deal ended with us in Admin. That board got us to the Premeir League. Those WBA fans would have loved Premier League Football- all different now they are where they are

 

I don't know if Val had made his mind up to leave us (like Mowatt did for example), or whether we could have done more to tempt him to stay. We'll never know that.
But as for West Brom, I think it was ridiculous them sacking him when they did, with the club in or near the Play off places at the time.
It just shows what higher expectation levels can do at different clubs, they were wanting promotion again and Val's style obviously didn't appeal to them anymore.

 

We couldn't have done more to tempt him to stay - no way we could have matched their wages with parachute payments. Higher standards - interesting when they are in the bottom three now. Bruce was a poor appointment - had some decent achievments in the games but definitey a yesterday man - football has moved forward

 

Hindsight is ace though innit lol, how many times have we looked back and thought..
'if only we had or hadn't done that, what might have happened'.
I really would have liked to see Val stay on though after the Play off loss, just to see if he was a one season wonder after all. And whether he had indeed been found out, by the other teams by then.
Some of the Baggies fans said they were impressed at his professionalism to begin with, and the fact that he didn't take any shoite from his players etc. But alas, they changed their minds rather quickly after that!.

 

Mate's a Baggie fan and he was blown away with when he first started! I would have loved Val to have stayed mate - most successful manager who I never actually saw lol

 

I maintain the only time he ever overachieved was at Hull.

With the money spent at Wigan (in league one) & Birmingham they were always promotion favourites.

It’s more of a failing than anything that he took Birmingham up twice as he took them back down when they had a solid premier league squad. Very lucky to keep his job.

He was dire at Newcastle. Basically inherited the same side Rafa took to comfortable mid-table finishes with Wilson & Saint Maximin on top & couldn’t make them any better.

 

He certainly knows how to ride the gravy train, even got his lad on it. Can't be too many stations left to call at, I reckon last stop Derby seems like a perfect match.

 

Sacked = Shocker.
Surely his last appointment!?

 

An absolutely textbook destroy and exit. That'll pay for a cracking meal at the next British Managers' Lunch Club.

 

How has he managed over 1000 games, one of footballs great mysteries. Obviously well connected.

 

I think there's an element of dead man walking when results go bad and vultures start circling players down tools. I feel the players have let him down and my accas with recent results and are better than their league position. It's a poison chalice. There's a problem at pitch level that needs backing up by a firm boardroom. There are players that aren't liking the look of the managers being appointed and they need weeding out. (Surmising Livermore etc).

 

The way footy works, Forest will sack Cooper this week, paying him a larger severance than they would have last week due to his new contract.
And Bruce will be back in management this time next week watching the Trent flow by his office window.

 

It's a weird one with Forest. They've signed some good players but there is no balance to the squad. They're a mish mash. No drive from midfield and no one up front.

 

And to think they employed him after sacking Val for not having the required style of football!
Val’s football might not have been slick passing but it was reasonably effective.