Tiresias

Can anyone name ONE thing, anything, just one thing that Bruce's coaching has improved? Any area? Anything?

I do think people underestimate how much of the coverage is down to Bruce being affable to journos for years and they all quite like him as a person. It's not easy to stick the knife in to a friend, it is unfortunately their job. What really bothers me is all the rewriting history to excuse Bruce, how continually it's mentioned how bad Rafa was when not so long ago they were all praising (rightly) Rafa's work to high heaven. As soon as it is inconvenient that Rafa got the team playing really well second half of last season that is forgotten and Brucie is trying to rebuild from a terrible manager, all because they want to share a pint with Bruce and hear stories of old from him now and then.

Still not clear what our plan is at all let alone if we're even supposed to be a direct counter attacking team, wouldn't surprise me if Bruce thought we were like Barcelona

Even if we were about to become one of the super rich (it's kinda heartening that people still believe this I suppose but it ain't happening, Ashley will never ever make a reasonable, sensible decision) we should applaud this decision as even a minor hurt to the league as it is, which is shit. Some teams have a lot of money compete for the title, everyone else just competes for bragging rights and nothing else. It is absurd, the quality of the premier league this season by any metric has been shocking and if viewing figures were based on merit alone noone in their right mind would be watching it this season. It won't make a difference anyway but still, the idea that this much money is good for football remains terrible.

to be fair they wouldnt be buying us to make money they'd be buying us to make them look cool and help people forget about the literally crucifying people

Aaaaah the final stages of the doomed takeover bid is on us when the ridiculous celebrities start piling in. Ashley does not want to sell, never will and just strings these people along. Give up hope.

Absolutely convinced that whenever any bidder gets close Ashley sticks another £20m on price (at least) on the idea that it's short change for billionaires, ignoring that noone likes to be screwed, and noone wants to deal with someone acting in bad faith continually putting up more obstacles

He's genuinely gone from start of the season rafa was to negative i can get them playing attacking football, to rafa coached them too much they can't attack anymore to I'm a genius their defensive performance is all my idea and now to i can't get them all to attack and even pass because they're all shit players

What you have to understand is these players arent good enough to stand up to league one players it's not brucies fault

Schar and Lejeune are our second choice CBs for playing in teh cups

Absolutely bang on

Doesnt play anyone who can pass a ball team can't pass and concede lots of chances flukes out on not conceding blames anything else

To be fair to brucie he couldnt prepare teh team proper as was hungover from celebrating brexit

However I think Bruce will honestly believe that is the first choice best CB combination.

Yes, and if ever there was an opportunity for Bruce to start to demonstrate the apparently 'attacking' football he wants us to play but pragmatism has stopped him now is it, instead he is cedeing the possession game to norwich and setting up to defend for a draw.

Against Norwich at home of course we go with the most deep lying defensive centre back combination

Oof, proper horrorshow that

We should take bets on how many injuries and who. I reckon the new boys all out for season

Suspect it would have happened by now, most reports suggested it was basically at the stage of ashley saying yes or no, i still bet on the latter

Not great but considering the poor form of the longstaff brothers it does bother me he wasn't given a shot. Bruce may be right not physical and mobile enough but he is a good passer unlike anyone else in squad. Bruce clearly doesnt value passing the ball at all

Still pretty certain nothing will happen tbh

Absolutely this, I am convinced the problem is that Ashley actually wants a lot lot more for the club and people trying to buy the club assume he is acting in good faith and that the £350m is accurate. Ashley is hoping once someone is interested they will pay an extra £50m at least and or accept some ludicrous deal to keep giving him some of the marketing or whatever. The buyers get so far with promises that they're nearly at agreement then the price starts going up and up and they realise Ashley was leading them on.

I really thought Manchester United would have been in for that kid. His transfer fee was a pittance considering how well he’s done in the CL this season. They were? Soljsaer even flew out to meet him to try and convince him didn't he or something? He just decided that Dortmund was better choice, which is sensible considering the toxic nature of man u right now