[Archived] Steve Bruce

[gumboots]

They might well come back up but they'll probably go down again. Bruce is the kind of manager to get you out of the Championship but doesn't seem to have the staff or the managerial and training skills to keep them there. As for the big money for Heskey, it's partly because Wigan are desperate and partly because they don't actually have to sell that they got so much. Not due to any great negtiating skills. Just in this case a selleer's market. Anyone else sick of seeing Bruce on TV already and the season hasn't even started?

[Grabbi Graeme]

Another midlands Big Club in trouble

Villa players have their say over the running of the club

Deadly Doug saving money by:

Not having pitches watered

Stopped work on the new trainning complex

got rid of the masseur, and players have since clubbed together to get their own.

Refused to pay expenses to a physio after he claimed for a coffee he bought at a airport while on club duty.

http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=40...ayers+speak+out

[pleasure]

pennant says he's committed to 'big club.'

i see the article as a thinly disguised 'come and get me plea to LFC.

http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=40...+to+Blues+cause

[blue/white]

If there's any truth to it all, the roads surrounding Liverpool will

be that much more dangerous once this character moves over there.

A strong argument for taking mass transportation?

[gumboots]

He won't be able to drive anyway cos someone will nick his wheels!

[thenodrog]

If there's any truth to it all, the roads surrounding Liverpool will

be that much more dangerous once this character moves over there.

Imo the pavements in Lpool are far more dangerous than the roads.

[USABlue]

They have let go Sutton/Melchiot/Lazaridis/Anderton/Vaesen/Kuqi/Clapham/Butt and Cunningham. Izzet has retired.They have also released several reserve team players. They have sold Heskey. They have bought Jerome and the right back from Spuds.

Thats a fair turnover of staff.

They are linked with a 3m move for Collins John, the sale of emille will fund that.

On average relegation will have cost them 15-20m.

They will receive a parachute payment for going down but at the very least they will HAVE to get back up first time of asking. I cannot see brum surviving another season in the Championship and with the likes of

Leeds/Sunderland/WBA/Ipswich/Preston/Palace/Leicester/Hull/Stoke/Norwich/Wolves/Coventry/Southampton and Derby it is not going tobe easy getting back.

I dont think we will see them top flight for a few years at best.

You forgot the gap closing powerhouse that is Burnley, surely with their new "world class" player (Alan Mahon) they will be in the mix

[philipl]

Liverpool have bid £3.5m for Pennant who is not for sale but will sell him for a higher bid according to Karren Brady.

At this rate, Liverpool will have more jailbirds on the pitch than in the stands.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...ity/5213422.stm

Edited July 25, 2006 by philipl

[philipl]

Liverpool are reported to have had a £6.2M offer accepted.

[Hasta]

£6.2mill.

IMO that is too big a fee for someone who, whilst being fast and direct, lacks cutting edge and an end product to his talent.

[Eddie]

I'd agree. Birmingham have done well to get big fees this summer.

[rover6]

someone who, whilst being fast and direct, lacks cutting edge and an end product to his talent.

Got to disagree. From what I've seen, Pennant is an excellent crosser and can finish. His problems are off-the-field.

Edited July 25, 2006 by rover6

[Eddie]

He's a good player, but given the market he certainly isn't worth 6.2.

[Hasta]

I'm not saying he's bad, hes a good player but once again his price is over-inflated due to his nationality.

[AndyC]

Got to disagree. From what I've seen, Pennant is an excellent crosser and can finish. His problems are off-the-field.

agree with you there rover6.

he was big clubs best player last year by far & his crossing is one of the best parts to his game!

But - no way is he worth more than duff - that is just nuts!!

[Rainmaker]

English players = inflated value

Go figure

[Eddie]

Duff was approaching the last year of his contract.

[tcj_jones]

Pennant is a good player, that is not in doubt, but 6.2 million is quite an over-inflated price, in my opinion.

[philipl]

To repeat, there are three transfer markets:

1) Willing buyer, reluctant seller, player contract >2 years. Pennant at £6.2m, Boumsong at £8m, Duff at £17m, Rio at £29m etc

2) Willing buyer, confused seller, player contract of 1 year. Duff at £5m+ lots of bits, McCarthy at £1.8m (we hope) etc.

3) Bosman

To equate 2) to 1), multiply by at least 2. If we get £2.5m for Bert, we will have done very well. If Lucas forces our hand, it will be a miracle if we get £3m for him.

Back to BIG CLUB, BIG MOUTH has been talking again.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1830135,00.html

So everything football is now measured in Heskeys! What was Sullivan doing allowing super manager Bruce let Heskey get overweight?

What is noteworthy from that article is the way BIG CLUB are struggling to spend their transfer budget with players unwilling to go from the bench at low-ranking Premiership clubs to the Championship. Makes the fear of relegation even greater. Then again, perhaps the personalities of Gold, Sullivan, Brady and Bruce are the repellant.

I think the suggestion made by somebody (1864?) that Dunn has an understanding that he'll come to Rovers in January could be the most accurate observation made yet on the subject. With all this cash flowing in, Brum will fight like crazy to keep him if we bid now. Whereas in January, we can sign a pre-contract agreement with Dunn coming a free agent next summer and a relatively small fee should prise him away for the remaining few months of his Brum contract. By that time, we will see if he has remained fit and survived the clogging he'll get in the fizzy pop league. It will also give him a platform to parade his talents the way the Rovers' time in the wilderness did when he was a youngster.

Edited July 26, 2006 by philipl

[Flopsy]

yeah reading that it does appear that Sullivan doesnt do anything at Blues other than complain - I guess wages et al, signing of mercenaries etc is all down to Bruce and Brady

[Presty On Tour]

i couldn't beleve it the price when i seen the breaking news lastnight, 6.2million. i thought it was a laugh.

a good winger, fairplay big club have done the job in the transfer market, they didn't let their players leave on the cheap.

that is what worries me, if we go in for dunn, they may want around 5-6 million too.

[cn174]

i couldn't beleve it the price when i seen the breaking news lastnight, 6.2million. i thought it was a laugh.

a good winger, fairplay big club have done the job in the transfer market, they didn't let their players leave on the cheap.

that is what worries me, if we go in for dunn, they may want around 5-6 million too.

We aren't gonna pay that kind of money for Dunn, end of story.

[Flopsy]

he's got 1 year left on his contract and hes a perenial crock

They'll be lucky to get £1,000,000 for him

[thenodrog]

I think the suggestion made by somebody (1864?) that Dunn has an understanding that he'll come to Rovers in January could be the most accurate observation made yet on the subject. With all this cash flowing in, Brum will fight like crazy to keep him if we bid now. Whereas in January, we can sign a pre-contract agreement with Dunn coming a free agent next summer and a relatively small fee should prise him away for the remaining few months of his Brum contract. By that time, we will see if he has remained fit and survived the clogging he'll get in the fizzy pop league.

I imagine Brums league position hristmas will figure largely in that scenario.

[American]

he's got 1 year left on his contract and hes a perenial crock

They'll be lucky to get £1,000,000 for him

I missed the r on the last word of the first sentence at first.