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Over 64% of Goal.com readers believe Sunderland were wrong to sack manager Steve Bruce
Black Cats were the first side to pull the trigger on their boss in the Premier League this season, but the majority believe it was too soon for the former Manchester United man
1 Dec 2011 12:52:00
By Chris Myson
Getty Images
Over 64 per cent of Goal.com readers believe Sunderland have made a mistake in sacking Steve Bruce as manager.
After a start to the season which saw a lot of speculation but no actual managerial firings as December approached, the Black Cats were the first club to make a change as their fans’ impatience over poor recent results proved to be too strong for 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 and we asked readers whether the correct decision had been made.
Despite the club's struggles, almost two-thirds (64.14%) of our readers feel Bruce should have remained in the North East. Of the voters, 45.14% felt the ex-Manchester United defender simply deserved more time to turn things around, while an additional 19% felt the poor results simply weren't his fault.
Alternatively, 19.63% of our readers said the right decision had been made at the perfect time and a further 16.23% agreed with the board's move, but felt it should have already have taken place before now.
Steve Bruce should not have been sacked. He had assembled a really good Sunderland squad and now it's all going to go waste. Sunderland would've turned their season around for sure. This is a bad decision. Unless they replace him with a high profile manager, there is no justification for sacking Bruce. - Siv, India
If you lose two top quality strikers through no fault of your own what do you expect? Gyan and Bent are not easily replaced. The board should have seen that and understood it will take time after that set back. - Rob, Surrey
They should have terminated some of the players contracts, not Bruce's. - Shane, South Africa
Steve Bruce is an extremely nice person and it is very sad to see him lose his job but some of his recent team selection needs a lot to be desired in particular leaving out Gardner, who scored a number of goals for Birmingham last season which we could well have done with this season. Let's be honest, they do not look like scoring and it needs a fresh approach and new ideas. - Telboy, Shoreham-By-Sea
His lack of ambition to win matches and pick an attacking side was his final downfall. Against Wigan he had a Korean international forward and a prolific young reserve striker available but chose to play a full-back as striker. That tells you why the fans had had enough. - Spelkender, Lincolnshire.
I think it was time for Bruce to leave. When you cannot see where the goals are going to come from then you aint gonna win! The abuse he got was unfair though. - Anth, Sunderland.
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After a start to the season which saw a lot of speculation but no actual managerial firings as December approached, the Black Cats were the first club to make a change as their fans’ impatience over poor recent results proved to be too strong for 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.
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 and we asked readers whether the correct decision had been made.
Despite the club's struggles, almost two-thirds (64.14%) of our readers feel Bruce should have remained in the North East. Of the voters, 45.14% felt the ex-Manchester United defender simply deserved more time to turn things around, while an additional 19% felt the poor results simply weren't his fault.
Alternatively, 19.63% of our readers said the right decision had been made at the perfect time and a further 16.23% agreed with the board's move, but felt it should have already have taken place before now.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Steve Bruce should not have been sacked. He had assembled a really good Sunderland squad and now it's all going to go waste. Sunderland would've turned their season around for sure. This is a bad decision. Unless they replace him with a high profile manager, there is no justification for sacking Bruce. - Siv, India
If you lose two top quality strikers through no fault of your own what do you expect? Gyan and Bent are not easily replaced. The board should have seen that and understood it will take time after that set back. - Rob, Surrey
They should have terminated some of the players contracts, not Bruce's. - Shane, South Africa
Steve Bruce is an extremely nice person and it is very sad to see him lose his job but some of his recent team selection needs a lot to be desired in particular leaving out Gardner, who scored a number of goals for Birmingham last season which we could well have done with this season. Let's be honest, they do not look like scoring and it needs a fresh approach and new ideas. - Telboy, Shoreham-By-Sea
His lack of ambition to win matches and pick an attacking side was his final downfall. Against Wigan he had a Korean international forward and a prolific young reserve striker available but chose to play a full-back as striker. That tells you why the fans had had enough. - Spelkender, Lincolnshire.
I think it was time for Bruce to leave. When you cannot see where the goals are going to come from then you aint gonna win! The abuse he got was unfair though. - Anth, Sunderland.
Follow Chris Myson on
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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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