[Archived] Steve Bruce

[blinddevotion]

Kenny speaks the truth. Even their Captain thinks he cant manage. It just gets better and better all the time. Just think Cunningham has played under Mick McCarty and Steve Bruce, he should be made a saint for not either killing them or ending up playing like a cabage.

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[Ronin]

Kenny speaks the truth.  Even their Captain thinks he cant manage.  It just gets better and better all the time.  Just think Cunningham has played under Mick McCarty and Steve Bruce, he should be made a saint for not either killing them or ending up playing like a cabage.

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407022[/snapback]

Be interesting to see what the Porno Boys have to say about what Cunningham said.

[rover6]

What infuriates me about these typical 'dismiss and tell' stories is WHY don't the players who criticise management styles say something when there's a chance of things being rectified?

Many a departing Rovers player (i think Flitcroft was one and Duff) were critical of Souness' training regime. Why say it when they exit? They should put their own positions in jeopardy for the sake of the bigger picture - that is the football club and its fans.

They don't even need to come public with it. They just need to go to the chairman and board and get the message across. And if things don't improve they should go public.

The players owe it to the fans not to turn a blind eye to amateurish management. The fans won't ever get to know about it and no-one else will unless the players take the initiative and get things changed.

[Philly Rover ®]

Kenny speaks the truth.  Even their Captain thinks he cant manage.  It just gets better and better all the time.  Just think Cunningham has played under Mick McCarty and Steve Bruce, he should be made a saint for not either killing them or ending up playing like a cabage.

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407022[/snapback]

How I love slagging off Brum.

The best quote from Cunningham is, of course, the following:

Birmingham seems like a stiff corpse in comparison to that. It has no heartbeat and, more worryingly, no soul.

I fear that while things remain the same fans and players will never experience the kind of success which I feel they deserve.

[Former Blackburn owner] Jack Walker and [Middlesbrough chairman] Steve Gibson are two individuals who have amassed significant personal wealth.

But I think their attitude to the football clubs differs hugely to the attitude of David Sullivan and the Gold brothers.

The difference is that these people were born into those areas and grew up alongside the football club and its supporters and as a result had a real passion for the football club and a love of the area.

Yay Rovers... boo Big Club.

[cn_barlow]

'it has no heartbeat and, more worryingly, no soul'.....

Blimey...who new footballers could be so deep!

[Esulx]

Rover6... much as I agree with the sentiment, do you really think that players would put their own position at a club in jeopardy for the sake of doing the right thing for the football club and the fans.

I think you have more faith in the modern day footballer than most people.

What infuriates me about these typical 'dismiss and tell' stories is WHY don't the players who criticise management styles say something when there's a chance of things being rectified?

Many a departing Rovers player (i think Flitcroft was one and Duff) were critical of Souness' training regime. Why say it when they exit? They should put their own positions in jeopardy for the sake of the bigger picture - that is the football club and its fans.

They don't even need to come public with it. They just need to go to the chairman and board and get the message across. And if things don't improve they should go public.

The players owe it to the fans not to turn a blind eye to amateurish management. The fans won't ever get to know about it and no-one else will unless the players take the initiative and get things changed.

407036[/snapback]

[blinddevotion]

Rover6... much as I agree with the sentiment, do you really think that players would put their own position at a club in jeopardy for the sake of doing the right thing for the football club and the fans.

I think you have more faith in the modern day footballer than most people.

407082[/snapback]

I think a good example of this is Roy Keane. Kicked out pretty much from World Cup and Man U for speaking out.

[philipl]

The reason Gold and Sullivan bought BIG CLUB

[dillo_dillo]

The reason Gold and Sullivan bought BIG CLUB

407675[/snapback]

[Alan75]

Whilst I know he's injured, but a certain midfielder missed Big clubs last game as he was in the box at the back of BBE.

[American]

I think you'd see that if Flopsy were to move, Birmingham would move far down that list!!

[Flopsy]

I cant argue with that

[American]

You could if you weren't too busy Googling porn!!

[herbergeehh]

Alan: Not sure what to think about that, it doesn't exactly make him Mr.Loyal..

[SouthAussieRover]

The East and West Coast cities of Australia must be desperate places to live in.

Whereas we in the South don't have to rely on the internet for any bedroom antics.

[92er]

Be interesting to see what the Porno Boys have to say about what Cunningham said.

407025[/snapback]

I saw an interview with one of the Directors in a newspaper on Friday. It was either the Daily Telegraph or the Independent. The Director-maybe Sullivan did not dish the article, but rather said that the club should take on a number of the criticisms and act on them in the future.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

The Birmingham City soap opera is certainly more entertaining than Eastenders or Coronation Street.

Last week it was players going on strike and refusing to play, followed by an outspoken attack on Steve Bruce by the outgoing captain Kenny Cunningham. I wonder what's in store for us this week - perhaps another attack on the players by David Sullivan, who likes to air his dirty linen in public.

"Some of the players can't be bothered and aren't earning their money," said Sullivan in March. "They're on £30,000-a-week and it does make you incredibly resentful."

I particularly liked the criticism of Steve Bruce by Cunningham last week. I thought he got it spot on when he said:

"The performance of the team is directly influenced by what happens on the training pitch and our preparation was nowhere near good enough. The reason we were relegated was due to a lack of organisation, preperation and attention to detail. And the person who must take responsibility is the manager."

"Birmingham has no heartbeat, and more worryingly, no soul," said Cunningham.

Some Brummie fans believe that a decline started when Mark Bowen was axed as Birmingham coach by Bruce in the summer of 2004. Cunningham himself said that conditioning levels deteriorated dramatically after their fitness coach Arnaud Bruchard was given the boot last September.

"Three weeks into the season Arnaud got the bulet and was made the scapegoat for our poor start. That left a lot of players very dispirited. Our physical fitness from that point on deteriorated," said Cunningham.

According to Cunningham, senior players, including himself, constantly warned Bruce that preparation needed to be improved, but Bruce ignored their concerns and buried his head in the sand.

As well as poor preparation by the management, scoring goals was very much Birmingham's achilles heel. Midfielder Jarosik was their top scorer with 5 goals, and Emile Heskey only managed 4 goals. When the best that your striker can do is 4 goals then you've got a problem.

Please God Heskey will not be joining Rovers. As Revidge Blue said a while back, we've already got one big useless lump up front in Kuqi and we don't need another one....

Edited May 14, 2006 by Anti Euro Smiths Fan

[Philly Rover ®]

Now I'm left with a dilemna... who is our most hated Premiership opponent for next year?

406434[/snapback]

After recent transfer rumors linking Spurs and Newcastle with everyone on our team, I think I've answered my own question. It's the arrogance that bothers me most--that's what I hate about Brum, and that's what I'll continue to hate about these two.

Edited May 14, 2006 by Philly Rover ®

[broadsword]

"Birmingham has no heartbeat ...," said Cunningham.

407807[/snapback]

Immediately brought to mind Brian Kidd at his lowest ebb.

Terrible days.

Maybe we won't see Birmingham back in the top flights for a long time.

[herbergeehh]

Blues hit back

[philipl]

I am sure every single player cannot wait to get out of that steaming pile. No wonder Dunny was at Ewood.

[Ronin]

Blues hit back

407850[/snapback]

"But throughout the 13 years we have been at Birmingham we have repeatedly asked for rich local people to invest with us in the club, or if they can do a better job, replace us.

"On no occasion has anybody stepped forward with any offer of significant investment."

Can't say that I'm surprised.

[BillC]

There is a downside to the Big Club's relegation. One day soon you will select P504 on ITV's teletext and get..... the Bolton Wanderers' page. You have been warned - the shock could be fatal.

[herbergeehh]

They're now trying to sign an ageing defender to help the young guys out, after releasing Kenny Cunningham - arguably the perfect fit for the description - a week ago. They are relegated, they have huge wages on their players AND they fall out with the team captain. To use a very well known line from this thread - couldn't happen to nicer fellas!

"If I read one more "Jewish boy done good" article about Gold, I will impale myself on one of his dildoes" - Simon Jordan

Edited May 15, 2006 by herbergeehh

[92er]

He's now been in touch from his holidays to say he is going to stay.