Remember Colo wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:15 pm
Bodacious Benny wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 9:05 pm
Listening to Townsend's post-match, saying Rafa doesn't praise you, he keeps wanting you to improve.
We've got Steve "we did ever so well and played fantastically" Bruce after every defeat. Wonder why standards have nose dived. Whether people liked Rafa or not, anyone who claims there's not much difference between him Bruce needs to book themselves into their local mental hospital for an evaluation ASAP.
I definitely won't compare the two as managers. Both may feel most comfortable with conservative play, but one is exacting (sometimes to a fault), while one doesn't seem detail-oriented in the slightest. Specifically, one is incredibly demanding about the roles each player must fulfill, and how to fulfill them - and those not doing as he wants probably won't play much. And the other well, doesn't.
Though, I will say that what a manager says in the presser after has a lot more to do with how he wants to project and influence expectations on himself, and may not reflect what he says to the players behind closed doors or on the training pitch. So I wouldn't necessarily assume Bruce is actually praising players in private when it matters. Just as Rafa rarely roasted his players in post-match interviews - even though you knew he was probably giving them a bollocking in training.
Afternoon Colo
How's work?
Yes there could well be an element of that, and I would imagine Rafa would happily bollock his players behind closed doors.
For Bruce it seems he hasn't had any coaching or thought in how to respond to the media. He's easily wound up and takes everything personally. I don't like Lee Ryder at all, but his question about whether Bruce went on holiday was a fair one as it is something a lot of fans had been wondering. Bruce took it as an outright personal attack, and his wording when talking about the fans and the paper being to blame for "what they're like" was incredibly poor judgement.
I do have some sympathy for Bruce as he's literally hung out to dry on the club by everything and it can't be a nice position to be in. Nobody else ever comes out to explain things, other than the occasional unnamed written statement. But a lot of fans frustrations he brings on himself in the way he speaks about the fans and their 'unrealistic expectations', the disorganised, chaotic approach to matches and his bizarre and every changing team selections. It's no wonder the players look clueless on the pitch.
Take Woodman. Young GK, new to the PL. He's played 4 league games, and in those games had 4 different combinations of defenders in front of him. It makes no sense at all. Yes he made mistakes against Man U, but with such disorganisation in front of him he doesn't stand a chance. Then Hayden. The game before last he was our most advanced midfielder (God only knows why), then last match he's at CB.
Manquillo. Not played a league game for ages then is put straight in at RWB away to Man U (who in fairness, he should be getting more game time as generally does well when he plays).
Joelinton. "NOT A STRIKER" says Bruce on repeat. Wilson is out injured, who does he play? Joelinton. What's Gayle done? He did well in pre-season, got a new three-year deal, not played in the PL this season! Just play him for a game or two, he'll sniff out more chances in the box.
Fraser, decent pre-season tbf to him. Got his fitness back, scored a goal or two. Where is he? Occasional 90th minute substitute appearance in CM...he's a winger! I could go on.
This turned into a rant
I'm the scumbag outlaw. You're the pillar of justice. Neither of us like looking at ourselves in the mirror. Do we have a deal?