SHA Small Heath Alliance

You could see how other people might think that that was the case, looking from the outside, but yes, of course it suited him.

It suited Blues of course, because he was surely on his way out anyway at that point, and actually getting compensation for him was a great piece of work.

Of course, SB could have said that he'd stay and fight for the right to be manager of Blues. 😁

Win-win all round really. Well, apart from us being relegated, although IIRC we did better under McLeish that season but it wasn't enough

Tam

You could see how other people might think that that was the case, looking from the outside, but yes, of course it suited him.

Itvsuited Blues of course, because he was surely on his way out anyway at that point, and actually getting compensation for him was a great piece of work.

Of course, SB could have said that he'd stay and fight for the right to be manager of Blues. 😁

Win-win all round really. Well, apart from us being relegated, although IIRC we did better under McLeish that season but it wasn't enough

Yeah, it's how I remember it - remember Sully in particular trying to unsettle Bruce (as ever, he saw the money coming) and Bruce had had enough of Sully by then, the love in with the fans had long gone as well. Right time for both - having said all that Bruce can go and eff himself. They way he rimmed the vile and its fans once he got the job turned my stomach.
Hope they get relegated.

Don’t know how football fans can criticise football mangers for ‘lack of loyalty’ when it seems you only have to lose a game or two and ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ and you need sacking.

Bruce was always after the better opportunity (money). What’s new. I didn’t like him because after the first stage with us his football teams played dull football in the main. Knew how to set up a team defensively but that’s about it. Surprised anyone would take him now.

His teams played pretty dull/pragmatic football full stop, but when we were the underdogs people tolerated.

People, quite understandably, were less tolerant when Bruce was allowed to put together an expensively assembled team of internationals and nowt improved.

[www.theguardian.com]

According to this Sullivan wanted to give Bruce a contract, though with how patchily we’d started our season he may have got cold feet so I get your points.

Bruce, as per here, tried to simply dump all over the owners though for his departure. Baring in mind that he chose to walk, and that he’d previously kept his job after a relegation and a patchy start to the next season in the Championship (I personally think he was a game away from the sack in the October of that season, and that arguably he underachieved by not winning the league even if he took us up) then I find that ridiculous if not completely ungrateful. If G&S had given him the boot around that time he may have been done and dusted as a manager.

Can’t stand the bloke.

Sishi Runak

[www.theguardian.com]

According to this Sullivan wanted to give Bruce a contract, though with how patchily we’d started our season he may have got cold feet so I get your points.

Bruce, as per here, tried to simply dump all over the owners though for his departure. Baring in mind that he chose to walk, and that he’d previously kept his job after a relegation and a patchy start to the next season in the Championship (I personally think he was a game away from the sack in the October of that season, and that arguably he underachieved by not winning the league even if he took us up) then I find that ridiculous if not completely ungrateful. If G&S had given him the boot around that time he may have been done and dusted as a manager.

Can’t stand the bloke.

👍. Yeah, it's all water under the bridge now. The only issue I've got with him is the one I already mentioned, his creeping to the vile, all the 'massive club' and how lucky I am to be here' to a fan base that never wanted him from day one, in fact - they hated him from before he got the job.

No problem with managers 'bettering' themselves or looking to further their careers, but I totally lost respect for him over that.