One of my favorite Premier League managers is Steve Bruce and I am sorry that he was pink-slipped by Sunderland today.
ESPN's Dale Johnson has an excellent piece on Bruce as a player and manager and is well worth reading at:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/manager/_/id/32/steve-bruce?cc=5739
From across the pond, I always liked Steve Bruce as a manager. He was quotable, showed respect to opposing teams and seemed to be an inspirational leader. He endeared himself even more to me when I could almost see smoke coming out of his ears when his star striker Asamoah Gyan dumped on the Black Cats and jumped ship to play on loan in the United Arab Emirates for Al Ain.
Bruce was a hard-nosed player whose style of play was a factor in his nose being spread across much of his face. Friends of mine who knew him while he was at Wigan describe him as personable and a truly nice man. He is good for football and I wish him a speedy return to the managerial ranks.
As for his replacement, one name mentioned sends shivers up and down my spine and that is Rafa Benitez. Martin O'Neil, Mark Hughes? Fine, but please spare us from a return to the EPL of the sour Spaniard.
Yours faithfully,
Sir John
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Posted by Adam Taylor on 12/01/2011
Steve Bruce is a good example that if you don't keep up and don't innovate you become obsolete.
He was a poor manager when it came to tactics and creativity. Hard nosed just get it done all blood and glory may have worked in the 80s but not anymore.
Goodbye Steve, Sunderland and PL deserve better.
Comment:
To be creative you need to have people capable of creating something. Selling Darren Bent was a massive loss, although, Bent has not exactly ripped holes in opponents nets at Aston Villa.
Don't expect Bruce's replacement to get any more out of a roster that is a collection of journeymen only marginally better than the junk at Bolton, Wigan and Blackburn.
Brown and O'Shea are Man U rejects, Cattermole is a hot head and Bardsley can't stay healthy and Frazier Campbell is out until April. As for Bendtner, the Dane's opinion of himself hardly matches his performance on the pitch.
Sir John
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Posted by Mike on 12/03/2011
lol, Rafa is far too high a level for Sunderland, but O'Neill is perfect. Benitez was boring for daily quotes/trash talk, but is one of the nicest/brightest dudes you'll ever meet in person. I think Bruce was an okay manager, but like Roy Keane & to a lesser extent Mark Hughes was too dependent on his Man U past and always loaning or buying their rejects. He is Roy Hodgson level, able to keep a team competitively afloat but not much more than that
Comment:
Nice perspective. Thanks.
Good to learn from you that the Spanish ice berg has a personality.
Sir John
Posted by Roxie on 12/15/2011
I'm really into it, thanks for this great stuff!
Posted by Zaylin on 12/17/2011
Super informative writing; keep it up.
Comment: Thanks for the kind words. The blog is a lot of fun and it's good to know people read it.
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John Culea is an American living in San Diego who became hooked on football while serving in the Navy for two years in London. A former TV news Emmy award-winning anchor/reporter, John manages the Premier Fantasy league MCMUARTN and goes by the Fantasy honorary title of "Sir John". John is a devoted Chelsea supporter and offers candid, often off-beat commentaries on the Premier League from an American perspective. He invites open discussion on his blog and can be contacted at 
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