[skyclad99]

There will always be another club desperate enough to take a long hard look at SB, just based on his past record before Newcastle. You would think he is unlikely to make it past the first round of any club after the last nine months. Just hope there isn't another club like Albion who don't believe in first, second or any round and just give the job out.

Personally I think he is done with football. He had a bad time at the vile, even worse at Newcastle and completely blotted his copybook with us. His CV is in tatters but he has picked up some very tidy pay offs along the way thank you very much. Certainly doesnt need the money.

If I was in his position I would just accept punditry when it is available

[ttree30]

There will always be another club desperate enough to take a long hard look at SB, just based on his past record before Newcastle. You would think he is unlikely to make it past the first round of any club after the last nine months. Just hope there isn't another club like Albion who don't believe in first, second or any round and just give the job out.

I’d be surprised if he worked again. Certainly as a full-time manager.

The jobs he’d likely be offered wouldn’t be appealing.

But the bottom line: He doesn’t need to.

He’s had a highly lucrative career as player and manager for almost half a century and I doubt he cares in the slightest what any of us think of him.

Possibly time to close this thread. He’s moved on and so have the club.

[NJS]

I really hope another club takes advantage of this energetic and innovative coach who is highly regarded in certain circles as a great spotter and developer of talent.   The fact that a quick but deserved return to football management may reduce the compensation from his previous club (which is deeply remorseful of its decision) has nothing to do with this opinion.   

[tlms-p23]

It's incredible how little he got out of this squad, but the post-Bruce effect at Villa, Newcastle and now Albion has been the same. All teams have gone on lengthy winning runs.

Bruce seems to assemble squads of generally good players but has ZERO coaching ability. Just a shapeless, directionless raft of nothingness. As soon as you inject a decent coach - Dean Smith, Eddie Howe, Carlos Corberan - the players seem so starved of coaching that they buy in completely.

Not to detract from the job Corberan has done, which has been excellent and he deserves credit.

Delighted to see it and long may it continue. Thought we'd win from minute one. Assumed we'd lose every game towards the end of Bruce.

[mateinone]

I won't be laying the boots into him any further, but IF he was approached by another club to manage, you suspect it could only be a lower division, I doubt even a league one team would be interested in his services now. With the relevant pay at those levels I couldn't imagine why he would bother when he could almost certainly make more money as a pundit.
I feel like his football manager days are complete and that is okay, he has enjoyed a long career and good on him. I don't wish him badly, I am just very happy we moved him on, regardless of any payout clauses.

[Droitwich Baggie]

He was only the selector. His son was the coach.

[overseas baggie]

Could see him in a Director of Football role somewhere in the Championship.  Hard to fault some of his signings for us on a shoestring (transfer) budget.

As for his coaching, Eric Morecambe’s piano-playing quip sums it up.  “I’m playing all the right notes, just not in the right order”.

[baggie82]

Could see him in a Director of Football role somewhere in the Championship.  Hard to fault some of his signings for us on a shoestring (transfer) budget.

As for his coaching, Eric Morecambe’s piano-playing quip sums it up.  “I’m playing all the right notes, just not in the right order”.

Struck me yesterday that as terrible as the results were under him this season he had a stellar record for us in the transfer market, just look how good Rogic is now looking. Very ironic.

[skyclad99]

Struck me yesterday that as terrible as the results were under him this season he had a stellar record for us in the transfer market, just look how good Rogic is now looking. Very ironic.

Said that very thing to my friend down at the ground on Saturday, a small tip of the hat goes to Ismael as well for DD.

[KN22]

Struck me yesterday that as terrible as the results were under him this season he had a stellar record for us in the transfer market, just look how good Rogic is now looking. Very ironic.

I have said exactly the same. Cannot fault the record in transfer market. CC has however made it abundantly clear just how much modern day coaching has moved on.

[BalisPen]

His signings?

We have Ian Pearce and took the 2 best championship frees whom would have been taken by any championship club, given their stats, if they could have offered them bigger contracts.

Cardiff's sacked manager said they couldn't afford Wallace and Mowbray recently said he wanted him at Blackburn (so before we signed him).

He didn't discover a Andrew Roberstson or a Harry Maguire, which he did when he had something to prove and gave a c rap about his career and reputation at Hull. Those 2 went on to get Hull millions in profit.

Which of his signings will appreciate in value?

BTA was scouted by his son in law, ffs, if that doesn't show you how little knowledge he had of the lower leagues nothing will.

Rogic and Kelly were desperation signings, or they would have been signed earlier as they were free from 1/7/22, and authorising a 2 year contract for Kelly was criminal, as was retaining Button on a 2 year contract.

We now have posters here advocating that this way past it has been would make a good director football elsewhere, really?

Some could be capricious and argue that his son in law could make a good scout, but to give the lazy buffoon credit for the signings as if he'd discovered the next big things is totaliy inaccurate imo.

Kelly and Rogic came to train with us after the window shut and he signed them on their past reputations, he didn't go out his way and scout them in the evenings himself. I would argue there were loan players out there who could have done the same job for a lot less financial commitment.

The fact he didn't have the knowledge and pull to get a Tella or Maatsen (like we did previously with Barnes and Grady) shows how out of the loop he is, yet he is being proposed he would go into a club as a dof without his entourage   of Bruce the younger, Clemence and Agnew and suddenly have a new found desire to work hard and finally find his black book of great loans from home and abroad and rejuvenate a new club's transfer dealings.

[swad35]

His signings?

We have Ian Pearce and took the 2 best championship frees whom would have been taken by any championship club, given their stats, if they could have offered them bigger contracts.

Cardiff's sacked manager said they couldn't afford Wallace and Mowbray recently said he wanted him at Blackburn (so before we signed him).

He didn't discover a Andrew Roberstson or a Harry Maguire, which he did when he had something to prove and gave a c rap about his career and reputation at Hull. Those 2 went on to get Hull millions in profit.

Which of his signings will appreciate in value?

BTA was scouted by his son in law, ffs, if that doesn't show you how little knowledge he had of the lower leagues nothing will.

Rogic and Kelly were desperation signings, or they would have been signed earlier as they were free from 1/7/22, and authorising a 2 year contract for Kelly was criminal, as was retaining Button on a 2 year contract.

We now have posters here advocating that this way past it has been would make a good director football elsewhere, really?

Some could be capricious and argue that his son in law could make a good scout, but to give the lazy buffoon credit for the signings as if he'd discovered the next big things is totaliy inaccurate imo.

Kelly and Rogic came to train with us after the window shut and he signed them on their past reputations, he didn't go out his way and scout them in the evenings himself. I would argue there were loan players out there who could have done the same job for a lot less financial commitment.

The fact he didn't have the knowledge and pull to get a Tella or Maatsen (like we did previously with Barnes and Grady) shows how out of the loop he is, yet he is being proposed he would go into a club as a dof without his entourage   of Bruce the younger, Clemence and Agnew and suddenly have a new found desire to work hard and finally find his black book of great loans from home and abroad and rejuvenate a new club's transfer dealings.

100%.

Furthermore, geniune question what happened with the two loan signings that fell through last minute in the last window. Surely his influence would have got those over the line. DOF, Bruce!! It would be cliche after cliche after cliche after every transfer window on why we didn’t sign anyway…also his son would be manager the first time the teams manager had a wobble. Clubs improve when he leaves…..that is now a fact.

[mank baggie]

He just too lazy , move on

[skyclad99]

100%.

Furthermore, geniune question what happened with the two loan signings that fell through last minute in the last window. Surely his influence would have got those over the line. DOF, Bruce!! It would be cliche after cliche after cliche after every transfer window on why we didn’t sign anyway…also his son would be manager the first time the teams manager had a wobble. Clubs improve when he leaves…..that is now a fact.

I see it was 'give Bruce a good kicking day' yesterday.

Lets be fair, no one knows what happened to the two loan signings, so to suggest it was the fault of SB is a bit off the mark. The official line was that we didn't get the paperwork through in time. Was Bruce responsible for the paperwork? No. My personal view is that Lai would not sanction the outlay [there is plenty of evidence about to confirm that he does not like to spend money] and the 'paperwork' story is a lame excuse, but we will never know.

Going back to a previous post, Bruce is on record as saying that both Swift and Wallace were top of his list. Other clubs did clearly consider them but we got them. Did Bruce have any influence over this? You tell me, but what I don't accept is that this was all the work of Ian Pearce - a few months ago he was being singularly blamed for our rubbish scouting, and now he has pulled these two transfers off?

Rogic and Kelly joined after short trials with the club. They were not desperation signings, they were freebies because our current 'ownership' are not prepared to pay either a transfer fee or a loan fee. So we have no choice but to visit the bargain bucket.

Really am not surprised he hasn't discovered a Maguire or Robinson in the short time he was here, again our ownership had absolutely no interest in signing any potential future prospects, only the minimum required to protect the investment.

We need to measure his transfer success against the extremely tight remit he had from the owners. Personally I think he did OK, but as we all know he turned out to be a rubbish manager.     

It is a fact that the club has improved vastly since he left, it is also a fact that Wallace, Swift and Rogic joined WBA whilst he was here. I am not sure why we are hell bent on giving him as little credit as possible for this.

I don't personally think that he would make a DOF, but actually I am not at all bothered. Time to move on.     

[Hull Baggie]

I see it was 'give Bruce a good kicking day' yesterday.

Lets be fair, no one knows what happened to the two loan signings, so to suggest it was the fault of SB is a bit off the mark. The official line was that we didn't get the paperwork through in time. Was Bruce responsible for the paperwork? No. My personal view is that Lai would not sanction the outlay [there is plenty of evidence about to confirm that he does not like to spend money] and the 'paperwork' story is a lame excuse, but we will never know.

Going back to a previous post, Bruce is on record as saying that both Swift and Wallace were top of his list. Other clubs did clearly consider them but we got them. Did Bruce have any influence over this? You tell me, but what I don't accept is that this was all the work of Ian Pearce - a few months ago he was being singularly blamed for our rubbish scouting, and now he has pulled these two transfers off?

Rogic and Kelly joined after short trials with the club. They were not desperation signings, they were freebies because our current 'ownership' are not prepared to pay either a transfer fee or a loan fee. So we have no choice but to visit the bargain bucket.

Really am not surprised he hasn't discovered a Maguire or Robinson in the short time he was here, again our ownership had absolutely no interest in signing any potential future prospects, only the minimum required to protect the investment.

We need to measure his transfer success against the extremely tight remit he had from the owners. Personally I think he did OK, but as we all know he turned out to be a rubbish manager.     

It is a fact that the club has improved vastly since he left, it is also a fact that Wallace, Swift and Rogic joined WBA whilst he was here. I am not sure why we are hell bent on giving him as little credit as possible for this.

I don't personally think that he would make a DOF, but actually I am not at all bothered. Time to move on.     

That's a very fair and accurate assessment.

[BalisPen]

If getting in the 2 best free championship players with the top stats is classed as good scouting then I just don't understand that logic. Everybody wanted them for their goals and assits. They weren't recruited by us because of anything Bruce did, other than him saying yes when he was offered them by Pierce 

How anyone can give him any credit when he himself let it slip that we only got BTA because of his son in law's recommendation of him as he had seen him because he had a season ticket at Salford.

If that isn't a indictment on his laziness and total lack of lower league and loan market knowledge I don't know what ever can be.

He has 3 well paid members of staff, yet we were reliant on a son in law.

He is totally responsible in resigning button for a shocking 2 years, after assessing him since February.

The jury is out on Kelly and Rogic has done very well in 2 games.

He destroyed our chances of the play offs last season and he was taking us down this season as I he was here for last pay off and had no interest in bringing in loan players which would have cost us much less than giving someone like Kelly and Button 2 year deals, but him totally ignoring the loan market is being swept under the carpet.

He was absolutely useless and has saddled us with 2 year expensive contracts which we will be a millstone around our neck when we don't have pp next season.

[Baggiee_Boyy_Benn]

Some of the comments regarding travelling fans that he made were atrocious.

His total lack of care was astonishing.

I hope no club has to get stuck with him, at any level of the football pyramid.

[boinging_along]

If we are to make the argument that Bruce isn't responsible for the loan deals slipping through as we don't have enough knowledge (which is fair enough), then we can't then give him masses of credit for signing Swift and Wallace - as we equally don't know the details on what went on there either.

[Baggiee_Boyy_Benn]

If we are to make the argument that Bruce isn't responsible for the loan deals slipping through as we don't have enough knowledge (which is fair enough), then we can't then give him masses of credit for signing Swift and Wallace - as we equally don't know the details on what went on there either.

To give him credit for signing players from smaller clubs where they were on less wages is a joke.

[skyclad99]

If we are to make the argument that Bruce isn't responsible for the loan deals slipping through as we don't have enough knowledge (which is fair enough), then we can't then give him masses of credit for signing Swift and Wallace - as we equally don't know the details on what went on there either.

Not sure anyone is giving him 'masses of credit', but the evidence is there that Bruce wanted Wallace at the club. He signed for us and has played in the team ever since. That tells me he had something to do with the signing.

I struggle to understand the issue with SB's son in law [Matt Smith - fellow striker at Salford] identifying BTA, and not SB himself. What would concern me more is that our scouting network didn't identify him. Apparently they/he was too busy offering Wallace and Swift to SB to notice BTA.

SB was the manager not the scout. The fact that he couldn't manage a packet of crisps is another matter. 

Ironically, had SB signed a couple of Hugills instead of Wallace & Swift then he would be 100% responsible for them

[SmethDan]

......SB was the manager not the scout. The fact that he couldn't manage a packet of crisps is another matter. .......

No way he'd struggle to manage a packet of crisps given he eats them by the box (highly likely  ) .

[BalisPen]

Birmingham mail reporting that he is tipped to get the manager's job at Norwich.

If it saves us some compo, all the very best in your job interview Steve.

It will also decimate a promotion rival.

Imagine meeting him in the po final.

[gazberg]

Birmingham mail reporting that he is tipped to get the manager's job at Norwich.

If it saves us some compo, all the very best in your job interview Steve.

It will also decimate a promotion rival.

Imagine meeting him in the po final.

That would be wonderful news but i can't see it happening

[Baggiee_Boyy_Benn]

Birmingham mail reporting that he is tipped to get the manager's job at Norwich.

If it saves us some compo, all the very best in your job interview Steve.

It will also decimate a promotion rival.

Imagine meeting him in the po final.

I would be shocked if they went ahead and appointed him.

[Fritzl Palace]

Oh god please let this be true 

No more compensation from us and Norwich tumbling down the league. Would be amazing