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Have Sunderland made the correct decision in sacking Steve Bruce?
The Black Cats become the first Premier League side to change their manager this season - but have the North East club made a good call?
30 Nov 2011 18:32:00
By Chris Myson
Getty Images
POLL
Sunderland are the first Premier League club to pull the trigger on their manager after Steve Bruce was sacked late on Wednesday.
After a start to the season which has seen a lot of speculation but no actual managerial firings as we approach December, the Black Cats are the first club to make a change as their fans’ impatience over poor recent results proved to be too strong for new chairman Ellis Short.
Despite bringing in a number of new players such as John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Craig Gardner, Connor Wickham and Sebastian Larsson in the summer, the 2011-12 campaign was not going to plan for Bruce.
In 13 Premier League games so far, they have recorded just two victories and 11 points, meaning they sit 16th in the table, with the ex-manager himself having admitted he expected the team to be comfortable in the top 10 this year.
They had already exited the League Cup at an early stage after defeat to Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion and Saturday’s last-minute 2-1 home defeat to Bruce’s former club Wigan Athletic proved to be the last straw.
Sunderland had also had a disappointing ending to the previous season, struggling for momentum after the big-money sale of key striker Darren Bent to Aston Villa.
Were Sunderland right to sack Steve Bruce? If it was the correct call, is now the perfect time to act or should this have already happened by now given the club’s struggles?
Or was it the wrong decision? Should the experienced manager have been given more time to turn things around or are the bad current results even his fault?
Have your say by voting in our poll below and leave your comments – the best of which will appear in our poll results article on Thursday afternoon.
Follow Chris Myson on
Sunderland are the first Premier League club to pull the trigger on their manager after Steve Bruce was sacked late on Wednesday.
After a start to the season which has seen a lot of speculation but no actual managerial firings as we approach December, the Black Cats are the first club to make a change as their fans’ impatience over poor recent results proved to be too strong for new chairman Ellis Short.
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Despite bringing in a number of new players such as John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Craig Gardner, Connor Wickham and Sebastian Larsson in the summer, the 2011-12 campaign was not going to plan for Bruce.
In 13 Premier League games so far, they have recorded just two victories and 11 points, meaning they sit 16th in the table, with the ex-manager himself having admitted he expected the team to be comfortable in the top 10 this year.
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SUNDERLAND'S RECENT RECORD AFTER 13 GAMES
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 More on Steve Bruce |
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They had already exited the League Cup at an early stage after defeat to Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion and Saturday’s last-minute 2-1 home defeat to Bruce’s former club Wigan Athletic proved to be the last straw.
Sunderland had also had a disappointing ending to the previous season, struggling for momentum after the big-money sale of key striker Darren Bent to Aston Villa.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Were Sunderland right to sack Steve Bruce? If it was the correct call, is now the perfect time to act or should this have already happened by now given the club’s struggles?
Or was it the wrong decision? Should the experienced manager have been given more time to turn things around or are the bad current results even his fault?
Have your say by voting in our poll below and leave your comments – the best of which will appear in our poll results article on Thursday afternoon.
Follow Chris Myson on
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
Goal.com Poll
Poll runs from 30 Nov 2011 to 1 Dec 2011
Poll runs from 30 Nov 2011 to 1 Dec 2011
Should Steve Bruce have been sacked?
No - he should have been given more time
45.2%
Yes - and now is the perfect time
19.62%
No - it's not his fault
18.95%
Yes - but he should have gone before now
16.23%
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