James Bunce (Performance Director)

[80]

1 hour ago, Elliottman said:

Eddie has always spoke highly of Bunce to be fair from fairly early on. Seems to really like him. 

Misread this as Bruce and got my head spun for a moment.

[NWMag]

Posted this in the Howe thread but probably more suited to here:

 

Not saying this to defend Howe, but saw someone ask the question on Twitter and it’s worth discussing - how much of our drop in intensity is down to Bunce?

 

he came in after our last CL campaign when we had the massive injury crisis, is Howe simply being restricted in the intensity levels he can ask the players to go to?

[Fak]

Just now, NWMag said:

Posted this in the Howe thread but probably more suited to here:

 

Not saying this to defend Howe, but saw someone ask the question on Twitter and it’s worth discussing - how much of our drop in intensity is down to Bunce?

 

he came in after our last CL campaign when we had the massive injury crisis, is Howe simply being restricted in the intensity levels he can ask the players to go to?

 

Probably aye. But that doesn't mean today was on Bunce. If we can't play our A game every week (high press), then it's up to the manager to come up with a plan B. Of course, we'd need to have a set of players who can adapt to plan B. 

[SUPERTOON]

7 minutes ago, NWMag said:

Posted this in the Howe thread but probably more suited to here:

 

Not saying this to defend Howe, but saw someone ask the question on Twitter and it’s worth discussing - how much of our drop in intensity is down to Bunce?

 

he came in after our last CL campaign when we had the massive injury crisis, is Howe simply being restricted in the intensity levels he can ask the players to go to?

Surely Howe has the control to override him, if that was the case ?

[Disco]

6 minutes ago, NWMag said:

Posted this in the Howe thread but probably more suited to here:

 

Not saying this to defend Howe, but saw someone ask the question on Twitter and it’s worth discussing - how much of our drop in intensity is down to Bunce?

 

he came in after our last CL campaign when we had the massive injury crisis, is Howe simply being restricted in the intensity levels he can ask the players to go to?

I’ve posted similar before. I definitely think there’s a conscious effort this season not to play at 100%/in a different way to conserve energy this season and it isn’t really working.

[NWMag]

5 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Surely Howe has the control to override him, if that was the case ?

I’m not sure, Bunce usually sits in a suit in the stands with the big wigs so I assume he has some sort of authority

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, NWMag said:

I’m not sure, Bunce usually sits in a suit in the stands with the big wigs so I assume he has some sort of authority

Aye, but based on the issues with Mitchell, not sure would allow someone to dictate the way he has to manage.

[El Prontonise]

6 minutes ago, Disco said:

I’ve posted similar before. I definitely think there’s a conscious effort this season not to play at 100%/in a different way to conserve energy this season and it isn’t really working.

 

Totally agree with this.

[toon25]

Bunce doesn't pick the team, like

[Vinny Green Balls]

yeah it seems in many ways the opposite of 23-24, but the results are fucking bad overall, despite a very minor upturn recently until today. So it needs to be altered.

[HaydnNUFC]

6 minutes ago, Disco said:

I’ve posted similar before. I definitely think there’s a conscious effort this season not to play at 100%/in a different way to conserve energy this season and it isn’t really working.

I’ve thought this, we’re so regularly passive that I’m thinking it’s an intentional set up from the manager. But it’s frankly suicide when you lack technical quality in possession which we chose not to go for in the transfer market. 

[midds]

Well regardless of who is telling who to play in the manner we are the situation is going to rectify itself next year. Playing so passively  - to prevent injuries - to keep the squad fit - to play all the matches - has meant that our play is so poor that we're unlikely to have this problem next season. 

 

Unfortunately failing to qualify for Europe will result in the better players leaving and trying to gild the lily the following season without our best players. We look fucking dire for most of the time in most of the games and the whole 'intensity is our identity' thing needs binning and forgetting about, that's a relic of the past when we had a team that showed up each fixture. We're a pale shadow of that side, we're soft as shite again and a dream to play against   

[Infinitely Content]

8 minutes ago, Disco said:

I’ve posted similar before. I definitely think there’s a conscious effort this season not to play at 100%/in a different way to conserve energy this season and it isn’t really working.

It's a reasonable assumption and I think it's likely the case, however what would be more appropriate and astute is a minor, more subtle variation of the system which we've recruited specific players to play, rather than what feels like an almost complete abandonment of it to something which feels nondescript.

[andycap]

He'll have input I'm sure but I can't see it been the main problem of why we don't press. 

We seem to have started that before he got through the doors. 

[lovejoy]

Blaming Bunce now are we? Jesus 😂

[madras]

1 minute ago, andycap said:

He'll have input I'm sure but I can't see it been the main problem of why we don't press. 

We seem to have started that before he got through the doors. 

We dont press because Wolt hasn't got the pace nor sustainability.

[andycap]

1 minute ago, madras said:

We dont press because Wolt hasn't got the pace nor sustainability.

Cannot just be that. We barely pressed last year either and he wasn't there then. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 minute ago, madras said:

We dont press because Wolt hasn't got the pace nor sustainability.

 

It's much wider than that. Woltemade could close down a defender if everyone else was running their arses off as well. 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by AyeDubbleYoo

[Heron]

3 minutes ago, lovejoy said:

Blaming Bunce now are we? Jesus 😂

Jesus can blame who he wants, it's his birthday soon.

[Novocastrian]

1 minute ago, madras said:

We dont press because Wolt hasn't got the pace nor sustainability.

Pressing is a team sport. He looks slow chasing across half the pitch to close down his man. A proper press shouldn’t involve that. He’s perfectly capable of pressing in a coordinated action. We seem to have forgotten how to do that though:

[madras]

7 minutes ago, andycap said:

Cannot just be that. We barely pressed last year either and he wasn't there then. 

Isak out a lot and being nursed through.

[madras]

8 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

It's much wider than that. Woltemade could close down a defender if everyone else was running their arses off as well. 

 

 

 

The central role during the press is to lead it (timing) and cut off the keeper, its a sharp move, one he is incapable of doing much at the minute.

[TheBrownBottle]

6 hours ago, Heron said:

Jesus can blame who he wants, it's his birthday soon.

I heard Jesus has forgiven James Bunce, which is very nice of him

 

He reckons Paul Mitchell is a bald cunt though 

[Elbel1]

9 hours ago, Heron said:

Jesus can blame who he wants, it's his birthday soon.

Bunce was critical in his rising from the dead in only 3 days

[Deuce]

On 14/12/2025 at 14:31, Disco said:

I’ve posted similar before. I definitely think there’s a conscious effort this season not to play at 100%/in a different way to conserve energy this season and it isn’t really working.

Which is wild, because our entire style of play, and the squad we’ve built, is predicted on high-intensity pressing.