Abra Dubravka

Would rather he just shut up and didn’t come out with nonsense like that. Been piss poor since he turned up, and looks like a carrier bag in the wind would get past him every game. Nobody cares what players have to say like this, just win some matches.

Mentally hasn’t got it. He’s next to bone idle. So many times he’ll drop back into whatever pressing position he’ll be in, and just be walking. Look at other sides forward players their like chained dogs waiting to run and press people, he’s just in another world half the time. At least once a game he’ll crash to the floor, and slowly get himself up not before momentarily kneeling to catch his breath. So many of the players in the squad mentally haven’t got it, don’t seem hungry enough and have any bollocks about them. Either bordering on unfit and lazy like Joe, Shelvey and Hendrick or wimpish pussies like Murphy, Krath and Lewis. Pretty much a reflection of the ‘philosophy’ and ‘energy’ Bruce’s regime has cast across the club. Just wouldn’t be accepted with Rafa, and you can see mentally and physically other sides in the league are regularly at it. Comes down to the who’s in charge end of the day.

Said in another thread somewhere but this sort of thing is to be expected from level of players we have, and amount of chances we create. Consistency in their quality, final product in attack isn’t there otherwise they wouldn’t be playing for us. Chasing a lost cause creating one or two decent opportunities a game, then relying on likes of Fraser and Joe to produce on demand like that. If he got that or a similar pass on again that first half we wouldn’t be making same mistake. It’d be fresh in memory and you’d back him to do better. Problem is those opportunities come once a game, and then it’s waiting for next game. Might even be weeks before he gets a chance for assist like that again. At Bournemouth he’d be getting ball in decent positions numerous times a game, was easy for him to get into a flow and produce things in final third. We need to get forward a lot more, get in to better areas much more and creating more opportunities to get it right.

Not buying that one bit. Look at the club Krath came from, Amiens, then was at Bologna and Helsinborgs. No chance he’s getting a contract for four years on anything close to £50k a week. Not even like he’s got a big dick swinging agent, Transfrmarket says his agency just full of Swedes - might believe it if it was Jorge Mendes like Don’t believe that Carroll figure either, however arse backwards Charnley and those at board level run this club their never signing off on paying a crocked 31 year that much a week as a basic salary. Will be a fraction of that and made up with goal bonus and match fees - which makes Bruce back handing him 20 seconds yesterday totally egregious. Just a glorified backhander to try and keep him sweet. End of the day, nobody other than club and players really know, it’s all ballpark guess work, but these look way off.

Stephen Roger Classless Bruce Imagine saying this in what I’m guessing to be a match program “If I big club come in for me, that’s that.” That’s class and respectful to the club and fans that there! There’s such an ego on the bloke. Playing for Man U fed that and grew it massively too. Stories from Nicky Forster the other week about not socialising before Birmingham training, just sat in the back of his hired/driver Mercedes reading papers for an hour each morning instead. Walked out of his first managerial job at Sheff U because of lack of transfer funds - first job in management, how big time is that. His forever references to how long he’s been in the game, as if that actually means anything. Favourite part of that... Q; Have you ever reached a stage where you no longer believe anything you read? A; No. If I ever reached that stage I’d seriously think about packing the game in.

He tried hoying them all into some clusterfuck of a 532 away to Wolves, with Murphy right wing back. It was clearly just Brucey being petulant and throwing them all in together as a middle finger to fans calling out defensive performances, just so he could be vindicated in never starting that many forwards ever again. Fraser and Almiron centre midfield, ASM in that horrendous 10 role Bruce tried with him and Wilson somewhere ahead. Was horror show from what I recall, just sitting deep constantly and never on the ball or running forward. Would love to see that sort of 4231, 442, even with Joe as a second striker I wouldn’t sniff at him trying - but most important thing we have to have, which has always been non existent with Bruce is some intensity, pressing, runners forward, playing forward, everything we saw against Everton. Problem is Shelvey is teflon. Can’t play any sort of midfield pair with Shelvey in.

Craig Dawson, 3 in 13

Where’s this come from? Doubt Carroll’s on that much of a basic, but doubles with lardarse handing out 20 second sub appearances. Wilson, ASM, Fraser, Gayle, Dubravka, Lascelles even that Irish dosser Hendrick all bound to be on more.

Surely can’t be lawful that, must be some sort of restriction of trade. Will be some loop hole round it anyway, players signing shorter contracts and moving round on free transfers seems obvious answer.

International Women's Day. Aye, gathered that when I went and found an NBC stream Gone with BT on mute

Needs to stick Murphy in for Hendrick and shift Fraser down the middle, or even Joe. There’s no excuse to be starting Hendrick again after another nothing performance. Didn’t even do anything to play s***! Bruce bottled Sunday having that extra man in midfield and taking a man off the front line. Wouldn’t have been so bad if we pressed and imposed ourselves, and made use of four in central midfield but it was just same old square pegs, round holes. He’s totally lost and inept of winning football matches moment he’s missing individual key players. However we set up will never suit or match how we actually play - no joined up thinking from him in formation, players roles and instructions.

Take one for the team! Commentator bit mental like, would have surely taken just about when he was being sithed to the ground.

Second time in recent weeks heard Darren Ambrose on TalkSPORT, seems to get it unlike most of the halfwhits on there. Even says ‘he knows what supports want’, and from what I’ve heard of him he’s generally on point, pretty sums up yesterday pretty well here I though

Ughh, is this that witch Karen Carney on BT commentary

Alex Bruce on TalkSPORT to the rescue! Blockhead cunt

Only worth while bringing of the bench if we were like 2-0 and cruising it. Don’t think that’s been the case since Bournemouth away last season. Your pissing into the wind think he can come on a grab a goal, or create something. It pains me to think he has to start for us, but with those three that be injured alternatives are just as hopeless. He seems competent enough at getting his fat arse in between defend and ball, and playing it off safe. Anything more than that is a roll of a dice.

Replys on that are comical, getting slaughtered, blokes a baffoon of the highest order. Respect people having different opinions on stuff n all, but takes some effort to be that far off the mark. Says we haven’t finished top 10 for nearly decade, 10th 17/18, 5th 12/13

Minimum. They're a nice football team that just struggle to score goals. Stick Wilson (and Dubravka) in Sheff United and they would be ahead of us.

Good job he didn’t get that rumoured move to AC Milan then! No sympathy for players moaning or buckling under pressure from fans. It’s part of the game. He’s playing at the elite of the sport, there are many other industries where there is pressure at the elite end, it’s part and parcel. Same as being able to cross a ball, dealing with pressure from fans is a skill set required to play a the top level of the game. Even at non-league your get dogs abuse shouted at you. This dosser is just as lucky as Bruce in regard to no Newcastle fans being in grounds to watch him.

Think that's absolutely bang on. Wilson, Almiron and Saint-Maximin the only ones who have attributes that mean they will always look decent. The rest need help from the coach and they ain't been getting it for approaching 2 years. It's no wonder there's dressing room dissent. Yeah, even those 3 would look greater playing for someone else. Wilson’s looked pretty isolated, and so-so much of the season, but that’s down to support and service around him. Never faulted his efforts, and can see his quality once a month when things do fall in place. It’s the same with a lot of players. Yes they are limited, but their just being badly used which compounds their uselessness. Bruce is forever saying stuff like ‘we got in positions, but lacked quality/didn’t work out’. Yeah, that’s to be expected. Emil Krath gets forward 10 time, maybe once or twice out those 10 he’ll pull something off - same with Joe. But you can’t be restricting how the side attacks so much, that those 10 times these sorts of players getting into good areas is spread across 5/6 games. I don’t know if that makes sense, but these players will rely on confidence to get things right. No use Krath, Joe, Fraser getting one or two opportunities to do something around the box a game and expecting them to pull off every time.

Spent is near on his whole career playing for Eddie Howe, your bound to see a totally different player from what we were expecting and buying on the back of last couple of seasons at Bournemouth. Bournemouth where always on front foot, he’d have full backs near him, runners ahead, and players within 30 yards! Thought he barely touched ball today, everything was direct into Joe. He’s a good player, but not good enough to transcend the debilitating effects of playing for Steve Bruce. ASM is that bit more skilful on the ball to dribble round someone, so wouldn’t matter who he was playing for (he’d be even better not playing for SB). Like all our forwards, it’s an up hill battle playing for Bruce. Throughout his 25+ years, You can probably count the forwards on one hand that have looked real class for sustained period or just a season, plus stayed injury free - Darren Bent only one I can think of.

Stiffest footballer to play for us in my time watching the side. He’d kill is own granny rather than use his right foot. Still rather have him in the side than Lewis at the moment though.

Hopefully he bumps into the McCann’s this summer and he ‘disappears’

Should be able to do his job in a professional manner, and objectively critique what he is seeing. If that offends his buddy Bruce, and Bruce can’t see Shearer’s just doing his job then he’s a child. Shearer is perfectly capable of carrying out his role as a pundit, and critique Bruce without it being personal. Makes it worse as he’s obviously a fan of the club, but just get the impression he’s too besotted with his pal Bruce to see what he’s doing to the side.

Fulham will be safe come final day. Wouldn’t be surprised if they just rocket up the league, leaving us, Brighton and Burnley in shit... 6 points against Burnley and Brighton there is a dream