[liverbaggie]

If Bruce is our next manager he will change the setup from Valball, just that change alone will make a massive difference
He knows how to play up to AC he will I think go to a 433 to bolster the midfield and defence
It all depends on which players he picks for each position, its sounds very basic changes doesn't it, pity Val didn't, pity for us not him

[Hull Baggie]

If Bruce is our next manager he will change the setup from Valball, just that change alone will make a massive difference
He knows how to play up to AC he will I think go to a 433 to bolster the midfield and defence
It all depends on which players he picks for each position, its sounds very basic changes doesn't it, pity Val didn't, pity for us not him

Bruce seems to prefer a 3-5-2 or even a 4-4-1-1 (4-4-2).

[seteefeet]

Agree with most of what you said.

Fingers crossed you are right and Bruce changes the midfield up.

One thing is for sure if we continue with Livermore and Mowatt as a pairing, we are not winning any match!

Pretty sure the midfield will change, because he'll go 4 at the back so either 4141, 442, or 451. I expect the latter, which will instantly stop the midfield being overrun, and allow Townsend and Furlong to go back to being full-backs. Carrol will be the focal point, with the likes of Grant, Robbo, Grady and Phillips playing off him.
Won't be the prettiest, but, I honestly think it suits our squad far better than the hopeless 343. It should also get TGH starting more games.

[hardtobeat]

We need a manager in place asap as this lot of players have proved in the past they are not to be trusted. All those saying no to Bruce I would ask by borrowing a phrase from somebody else , If not Steve Bruce then who ? Time dictates it is somebody not in work  as by the time we’ve approached , discussed and appointed a manager from another club Dike we will be back playing clearly an already drifting ship cannot afford to be rudderless for that length of time

[lewisant]

I hope he doesn't go 352, transfermarkt states that is his preferred formation. If we go down that road then we can kiss goodby to getting the best out of Grady and Furlong and Townsend could be part of the midfield 5.

Actually wouldn't mind a dynamic 442 with the players we have.

[Oldbury24]

Now I think VI's approach was largely to blame. He just didn't want us to play through midfield, look at his Barnsley team. Everything about his approach was built around kicking it long and pressing from there - % football it used to be called by Bassett and Gould. In this system a midfield is there to chase and harry more than it is to pass.

If we have three midfielders in there (one holding) and two linking up (Mowatt and TGH for eg), it could completely change the way we play and I think and Mowatt in partciular would come to life and we'd maybe even get a goal or two from midfield (I hope).

VI just made his and our life so difficult for 'ideological' reasons it was maddening. Bruce for all the criticism he's getting has had a long career by being pragmatic and working with what he has instead of 'template football'.

Totally agree here.   If you watched Mowatt from day one his first instinct was always just to get it forward, harry and press.  That was the job of the two and in that first month he also looked like a potential goalscorer from midlfield.  However, playing alongside Jake in a two meant he was having to cover a LOT of ground and i think it both frustrated and took the edge off him.   The Millwall game really highlighted this, Val said he had compromised and overcomplicated things, i took this as going back to his core principles, he did and it was horrible kick and rush football.

For me, if Jake has a role now it needs to be in a holding midfield position.   Cover the back four, and simple passes forward.   Then, lets see how good TGH is alongside Mowatt who can be the one breaking the lines.  We don't have a creative midfielder, but then MP's don't come around very often and we were lucky to have him get us over the line, so we are reliant on one of Grady, Phillips or Robbo to offer that bit of creativity or beat a man.  We know that Grady and Phillips at their best can beat an man, and we've seen Robbo pick some lovely passes through this season. What the new manager is inheriting in additiona is a potentially powerfull forward line.  I'd love to see Carroll and Grant play as a two up top whilst we await Dike's return. 

So yes, its not the best midfield in the division, but when Val went through his "compromise" phase we did play some decent football on the deck.  The issue was that almost every move led out wide and the delivery and finishing just wasn't of the required quality.    Rinse and Repeat!!  Hopefully the new manager will have the coaching craft to mix it up a bit and i think the players will (initially) respond to having a bit more freedom.  I am confident that in the Summer the club will address the weakness in midfield ans its something Val was looking to address this window, but it was scuppered by the injury to Dike.

[seteefeet]

I hope he doesn't go 352, transfermarkt states that is his preferred formation. If we go down that road then we can kiss goodby to getting the best out of Grady and Furlong and Townsend could be part of the midfield 5.

Actually wouldn't mind a dynamic 442 with the players we have.

Tended to play 4141 / 451 at Newcastle, can't see him playing 3 at the back, not in the long term anyway.

[Oldbury24]

Tended to play 4141 / 451 at Newcastle, can't see him playing 3 at the back, not in the long term anyway.

At this level a back four permed from Furlong, Kipre, Townsend, Reach, Bartley, Dara, Clarke and Semi should be more than adequate with a bit of protection in front.  No, it won't keep clean sheets like the back five Val had in place but we lost so much in attack from using that formation it should balance out.

[Do I not like Wolves]

I will support Bruce if appointed as we had to change  but i do hope initially it is only a short term contract. My only fear is that he would be a better manager to keep us in the Premier League rather than promote us out of the Championship. Hope i'm wrong.

[tommcneill]

Not sure why there is so much hatred for Bruce.

Safe pair of hands needed at a time the club is under immense pressure.

We are in a major transition where we haven’t yet identified ourselves.

I wouldn’t be fussed with him as manager.

[boinging_along]

We need a manager in place asap as this lot of players have proved in the past they are not to be trusted. All those saying no to Bruce I would ask by borrowing a phrase from somebody else , If not Steve Bruce then who ? Time dictates it is somebody not in work  as by the time we’ve approached , discussed and appointed a manager from another club Dike we will be back playing clearly an already drifting ship cannot afford to be rudderless for that length of time

I don't think it matters too much.  This season is write off now - yeah, we could turn it around and finish strongly but we need more of a rebuild before attempting the Prem again.  I'd rather concede this season and look to get the right man in than rush to get someone like Bruce.

[tommcneill]

For now I add.

Till the boardroom has a clear plan to execute and bring in someone who shares the same vision

[Pelada]

Is Bruce a steady option and one who ought to get us into the play offs? Yes.

Is he anything like what we’d like as someone to oversee a rebuilding and overhaul of the squad beyond the end of this season? No.

We’ve been here before with Pulis and we just never knew when to cut ties. End of season deal at most IMO but of course if he pulls off a minor miracle and put this lot into the PL, it would be difficult for a board to not offer him another year or two, and then you’re back into the whole short term cycling again.

At some point, the identity of the club needs to be restored but financially is it ever viable if you do that without promotion?

[tuamigos]

For now I add.

Till the boardroom has a clear plan to execute and bring in someone who shares the same vision

It would be interesting to listen to what the boards vision actually is.

[Atomic]

It would be interesting to listen to what the boards vision actually is.

Get promoted and hang around long enough for Lai to sell for the price he wants. That's about it.

[baggiejohn]

Get promoted and hang around long enough for Lai to sell for the price he wants. That's about it.

Yep, that's my take on it too.

[seteefeet]

It would be interesting to listen to what the boards vision actually is.

I would imagine the vision is to get back in the greed league and very little ahead of that, which is understandable. Long term projects cost millions, that we just don't have.

I would hope, however, that they have looked at the squad, maybe even listened to some of the discontent and issues with Valball, then looked for a compatible manager. The most important thing now is to bring someone in who can get this squad competing again. Bruce ticks that box as well as anyone.

It won't be pretty but, if it's effective and gets us heading in the right direction again, then it will be a good decision.

Long term plans are all well and good but it's no good looking up, if you are going down.

[kirk]

Remember when we appointment big Sam .. sage pair of hands, knew how to keep the club etc … if memory serves me right he couldn’t get a tune out of these players and it was only when he could bring his own players in that results got better. We don’t need an old head looking for a pay day, he can’t buy anyone we need a coach simple as that

[ttree30]

Not sure why there is so much hatred for Bruce.

Safe pair of hands needed at a time the club is under immense pressure.

We are in a major transition where we haven’t yet identified ourselves.

I wouldn’t be fussed with him as manager.

It feels irrational dislike to me. He has a good track record and, when I met him, he also seemed a really decent bloke. I've heard nothing since to change that view.

My concerns are that his best days may be behind him, and that our fan base don't give him a chance.

But we could do an awful lot worse - in fact, we just have. That's how costly a long-term "project" based on an "imaginative" appointment can be. A near total disaster with no positives, no legacy, and worse off than when we started.

Managers just do not see out "projects" unless they win often and are also in a position to recruit better players. The idea of "projects" is mostly a fantasy - managers and clubs need results fast, or it turns toxic.

If you look through the entire all four divisions only 16 managers have managed to last 3 years, and 52 clubs currently have managers who haven't even lasted a year. That's getting close to 60% of clubs with managers who've been in post fewer than 365 days.

We're not a club that can do big "imagination." We need solid, down-to-earth, pragmatic professionals who know what they're doing and don't make lots of expensive mistakes. I personally think that's the way we've punched above our weight over the past 20 years, and is how we give ourselves the best chance of recovering to do it again.

On those criteria Bruce isn't the worst fit, if he's given a fair chance.

[BB74]

I still fail to see the negatives with Bruce, he is the best fit right now. Although I would prefer Mowbray, I see him more as a start of the season man.

Where has Bruce ever done a bad job? Blues have never really recovered from him leaving either.

[Hunnington Baggie]

I still fail to see the negatives with Bruce, he is the best fit right now. Although I would prefer Mowbray, I see him more as a start of the season man.

Where has Bruce ever done a bad job? Blues have never really recovered from him leaving either.

yaeah, clubs have a habit of falling apart after he’s done with them…

[ttree30]

Is Bruce a steady option and one who ought to get us into the play offs? Yes.

Is he anything like what we’d like as someone to oversee a rebuilding and overhaul of the squad beyond the end of this season? No.

We’ve been here before with Pulis and we just never knew when to cut ties. End of season deal at most IMO but of course if he pulls off a minor miracle and put this lot into the PL, it would be difficult for a board to not offer him another year or two, and then you’re back into the whole short term cycling again.

At some point, the identity of the club needs to be restored but financially is it ever viable if you do that without promotion?

Most clubs are in short-term recycling, and that won't change. Far less than half have had their coach/manager for even a year.

We've been short-term recyclers for most of the past 50 years, as has every other club that doesn't win enough. Which of course is nearly all of them.

[tambag]

Sky are reporting that the discussions with Bruce are about the length of contract either a 6 month deal or an 18 month deal with a clause after 6 months to part ways for either party.

But when have Sky been right about us ??

[Albion79]

I would imagine one of the main issues from both sides would be if he does want it and how much.

He got his dream managing Newcastle, he achieved a 1000 games, he got an £8m payoff so doesnt need money so i would hope Gourlay is seeing if Bruce still has that passion and commitment.

From Bruces side all the reasons above apply and does he want or need the hassle? He has probably achieved the highest he will go as a manager with getting to cup finals and getting to europe, that wont happen with Albion.

Photos i have seen he has been all over the world lately and looks very relaxed, he said himself he didnt know if he wanted to manage again after Newcastle so a lot may depend on his motivation if he even wants it.

[KYA]

Football today is about results more so than ever the championship and League 1 is littered with teams chasing the honey pot of top-flight football who now are also-rans.
Someone mentioned how more than half the managers have been in their job less than a year so this "project" we keep hearing about isn't so much about keeping a manager it's down to the owner and his backroom staff.
 Therefore I don't buy into this 4yr plan stuff when we know our owner just wants his money back and be out of here.
Nothing major will change until Lai is gone.