Abacus

Might be reading it wrongly, but in that article his manager seems to be suggesting he needs to do more in training. Whatever, as a breakthrough year, you'd think he needs regular competitive football. As he survived the last time, he probably needs to get his pissed up agent to drive him back to Reims.

It's staggering what a lord of misrule he was, on every level. I wonder what ever happened to his lawsuit against Stavely - I haven't heard whether that one went anywhere or is now closed. I'll rest easy then, even if he still seems to be circling round distressed clubs to get back into the sport. I can understand why fans of those clubs might wish it from the outside, but I don't want them to have to find out that it would be like making a wish on a monkey's paw.

What does make it amusing this season, though, is that Arsenal, Man United, Barcelona and Juventus are all going to be playing in it. This despite them being four of the clubs who thought it was so beneath them that they wanted to stitch up being in the top European competition through the ESL fiasco. Despite them just proving that none of them are good enough to qualify at all, or to the proper part of the competition, on actual merit. Sod them, wanting to bake in their own mediocrity into their own closed 'elite' competition. So let them play Thursday nights, and run their squads ragged in a competition they don't want and dare to think they are above. Ha ha ha ha. And indeed ha.

Be funny if he changed his mind again.

You could predict that kind of response to the letter once Villa bounced back. "The players need to take a long hard look at themselves" type of comment. It's from the usual pundits who will just put everything down to 'heart' and 'desire', as if a manager's only job is to throw in a few soundbites ten minutes before a match and then give it over to the players. Just like with Bruce, there are too many people who are either his mates or had predicted he'd be a success and so now either can't or won't admit they were wrong. I watched Gerrard's last game in charge, looked at how disorganised Villa looked, watched him on the touchline staring cluelessly, and then listened to his cliche ridden press conference after. The parallels with Bruce were incredible. It's even more frustrating when they ignore the views of the thousands of fans who watch every week, follow their team through thick and thin, know their players and spend their days thinking about the team and tactics, debating it with their friends etc. But no, they're all wrong and deluded, and you should listen to whatever half sentence the likes of Gabby Agbonlahor manages to string together that day instead.

My only concern about Howe would be the risk of burnout. He clearly loves the job, but hopefully he's able to take the odd break due to the intensity he brings to everything. When he started, we were totally in the clarts, it was nerve shredding and he was responsible for everything, from recruitment, to training, to man-management, to dealing with the press etc. I'd have slept for a month after that first season. Glad there's more of a team around him now as that wasn't sustainable.

Out of many, he was my man of the match today. From hobbling off on Wednesday night to then putting in a magnificent shift the whole game. What a warrior - you really do not want to be on the other team as this guy.

I thought Burnley only had terrible players that you shouldn't buy?

It would be interesting to see what their attendances would be if they subtracted all the thousands of mags that snuck in.

I liked the tiny little screen above that amatuer abomination of a display saying "Welcome to Sunderland".

Yes, haway the Baggies!

Hehehe. It's somehow even better that a Bruce-less West Brom are winning. If he'd still been in charge when they played each other, I was genuinely thinking of rooting for the mackems in that game, so that's a relief.

I wouldn't be all that bothered - as has already been said, most people would just shorten it to St James' Park anyway. Which is also why I think it might not work. If no-one referred to the sponsor's name, it's presumably doubtful the sponsorship would be worth all that much. And if it's a related party sponsorship, they'd need to demonstrate that any deal was at fair market value. Which, by the same logic, then wouldn't be all that much. It's not really the same as naming a whole stadium the Emirates.

On this showing, these are two bad teams. Some good individuals, but neither team playing with a real identity. You can sort of understand that with Forest, less so with Villa. Howe had us playing a recognisable system within a few weeks. Not sure what Stevie G has them trying for at Villa.

I'm waiting for a teary Mikel Arteta to launch a charity telethon for this colossus of the game.

"Sad to hear we've lost Hetton" It's like they imagine they're in Hitler's bunker desperately moving around imaginary tank brigades.

Funny you should say that, here's a genuine quote from the West Brom forum; "I’d happily see him pelted with cabbages from the Halfords Rd. certainly be more fun to watch than the football he serves up. Would love to hear from a current squad player on what they do on the training ground." And that's one of the milder ones.

I loved the moment when Joelinton was being interviewed after signing at Newcastle, and met for Steve Bruce for the first time, who just bungled into the room. Not only did he interrupt someone else's interview instead of his own for a change, but it was so clear he had no idea who he was. This being a record signing that he insisted was 'his' despite that being patently untrue. Less than Howe level research on his very own £40m player ensued. "How are you? Are you fit? Any English? You OK? See you in training tomorrow! Maybe twice, haha!". All the while clapping him repeatedly on the back, before saying "Good lad!" and then wandering off. Big Joe's confused expression says it all.

West Brom have definitely been playing better in the second half, but it's still hard to say how they are set up to play. No matter the result now, it's been a typical Bruce disorganised mess. As things stand, even if they do equalise now they'd still be in the bottom 3.

I'm exactly the same. It's not healthy is it? But I want to see him implode and have nowhere to hide from criticism probably more than anyone else still in football right now. Our most disgraceful manager.

In which case, he's managed to take a bang average championship team to well below bang average in the table. He even underperforms against his own fictional low bar. Just praying for his pay-off now along with his gang of nitwits, hoping nobody notices how bad he has been so he can pull the same stunt again.

Not so sure. Imagine telling him he couldn't go on holiday in the international breaks.

A government minister (of whichever party) asking for a clear decision on something which had been deliberately kicked into the long grass by the PL? What a shocking turn of events. Mind you, perhaps it is surprising that someone was doing their job.

Yup. Last paragraph in this https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-steve-bruce-manager-25046016

I particularly liked this recent quote from the Birmingham Mail; "We haven't had enough wins, there have been too many draws. We'd have been alright if it was still two points for a win, but it's not and we have to accept it." It was changed to 3 points for a win in 1981, so yes he will have to accept it.