Steve Bruce on what happened with Joe yesterday

[brady bunch]

I disliked Steve Bruce when he played, but I really like how he handles himself as a manager, love the bit at the end, where he says he would have been "chewing wasps" when he was younger if thi had happened then. lifted without the ads for you all to enjoy:

Steve Bruce has revealed that Joe Bryan was just 15 minutes away from joining Aston Villa.

 the 24-year-old had passed a medical and he was on his way to Villa's training ground when Fulham called to declare their interest. Bryan's mind was changed in the car journey from the hospital to the training ground and instead he went to sign at Craven Cottage. Bruce has now spoken about the deal at today's press conference:

“We were close and I’m totally disappointed. “He was here but we were probably 15 minutes too late.

“I’ve never had it that close before (and then missed out). “It was painful. “But in my job, you get used to disappointments.

“I think he would have been a terrific acquisition for us because Neil Taylor is our only naturally left-footed player in a wide area.

“He (Bryan) could have played in a few areas for us but it was not to be. “It has happened, it has gone.”

Bruce had been looking to sign Bryan for a number of years and was delighted to finally secure his man before the sudden last-minute change

“He came up, had all the medical tests and came back to the training ground,” Bruce continued.

“In that 15 minutes of coming back from the hospital to here, his agent had the phone call.

“Fulham didn’t get their No.1 choice. “And when the call comes from the Premier League, it’s hard to compete. “Financially, they blew us out of the water in terms of salary.

“To be fair he stayed in the Belfry for a couple of hours but the longer the day went on, the more the lure of the Premier League and financial package, made him decide to go to Fulham.

“It wasn’t to be.

“It is frustrating and disappointing because he fits the remit of what we are looking for - young, energetic and a good player who has played two or three years in the Championship and done really well, but that’s life.”

“When I was younger I would be chewing wasps and wanting to smash everything in sight, kick the cat and the rest of it!” he laughed.

“It is all the work you put in, hour after hour after hour. “But if it is not meant to be, it is not meant to be.”

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

And this just sums up just how incredibly difficult it really is to land a quality player proven at Championship or above.

Even the most blinkered of City fans must realise that Villa have got a much bigger fan base averaging a gate of 32000 and 42,000 for the bigger games.They have a much much bigger budget than us, huge history and so on.

Yet they can't get Joe Bryan to sign the minute a Prem club comes a calling with the big wages .

And if we go head to head against the big clubs like Villa, Leeds, Boro, Stoke ,WBA and even Forest- we're going to end up disappointed  90% of the time because we just can't compete. The only thing we've got is the prospect of first team football for someone who may not get it elsewhere and the prospect of shining as a big fish in a small pool and furthering their career with a big money move.

The gulf is getting bigger every season and we are pretty much now guaranteed to lose every player who has an outstanding season with us at this level. However, at least our club will make serious cash in the meantime and our Academy is providing a real route to sustainability.

Eventually, one too many clubs in the Championship will fall foul of FFP or just become too big a liability for the owner ( like Bolton did selling every asset they had) or Coventry etc.Villa came close, Birmingham are there and who knows how Forest will fare.

As for loyalty- there is none when doubling/tripling/quadrupling wages are concerned and nor should we expect any.

The only true loyalty is from fans who are more likely to cheat on their wife and family than have a secret moment trying on a blue and white quarters shirt.

[Swede]

Absolutely spot on.

What we also have is a very good coaching and backroom set up and top rated facilities. Which are also improving still further.

With Bryan & Reid as examples there is now a proven pathway for any academy player to make it to the Premier League which gives us a distinct advantage over a lot of clubs where players are bought in and potentially block the pathway.

The key is to keep evolving and improving along the way until ultimately we reach the next level.

[Bar BS3]

Looking from a slightly different angle, and I agree with all thoiints made above (apart from not liking Bruce as a player. He was one of very few Man Utd players that I didn’t dispise..!)

We could be increasingly attractive to the best up and coming young players, who will see players performing here, improving and moving on to the Premier league and it’s riches. 

With that being our deliberate business plan, our growing reputation could help us secure more and more of the best young replacements. 

[oldstandrobin]

Probably proof if it was needed that the Premiership is the God that all players will bow down to .....in the end. As an older supporter, my main hope is that we stay at Championship level until we can maintain that final challenge to reach the Promised land, but give us supporters something to look forward to each week and not the nail bite of the bottom six ! Yes of course I want us promoted but not at a cost that we suffered in the 1980's and I believe that patience ( an essential asset following City) will pay off even in the face of the competition we get in signing decent players. Personally, in the vote on OTIB the other week, I said 13th - 18th, not as a pessimist but as a result of 1. Our run in after Xmas last season. 2. Our departed players. 3. Turning our existing squad into a winning team which wont happen overnight. I hope we are nearer 13th though rather than 18th !

[DT The Optimist]

As we grow we can also pay more. The stadium and monies it generates are so vital. We are no longer looking at 14k gates but getting disappointed at only 20k

tv revenue grows and we should be able to match the likes  of Norwich West Brom’s and Forests of this world. 

I think we are doing it right. 

[sticks 1969]

I think Steve bull was the last loyal player 

 

[The Gasbuster]

7 minutes ago, sticks 1969 said:

I think Steve bull was the last loyal player 

 

Good choice.

I recall interviews with him after most, if not all seasons regarding his future.

"It doesn't matter how many millions are offered, the fact is I am staying", were his exact words.

Got to admire the bloke for that, only interested in playing for his home town club.

Despised him for the number of goals he scored against us, though !

[BRIAN WILSON]

30 minutes ago, The Gasbuster said:

Good choice.

I recall interviews with him after most, if not all seasons regarding his future.

"It doesn't matter how many millions are offered, the fact is I am staying", were his exact words.

Got to admire the bloke for that, only interested in playing for his home town club.

Despised him for the number of goals he scored against us, though !

Yep superb servant was Steve Bull, and am I correct in thinking he was the last second tier player to score on his debut for England (away at Hampden) ??

[The Gasbuster]

5 minutes ago, BRIAN WILSON said:

Yep superb servant was Steve Bull, and am I correct in thinking he was the last second tier player to score on his debut for England (away at Hampden) ??

Think you are probably right.

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, sticks 1969 said:

I think Steve bull was the last loyal player 

 

No ambition.

 

What ? just saying though.

[handsofclay]

42 minutes ago, BRIAN WILSON said:

Yep superb servant was Steve Bull, and am I correct in thinking he was the last second tier player to score on his debut for England (away at Hampden) ??

Slightly wrong. He was a THIRD tier player at the time!

[BobBobSuperBob]

6 minutes ago, handsofclay said:

Slightly wrong. He was a THIRD tier player at the time!

The last to represent England unless I’ve forgotten one

[Southport Red]

1 hour ago, sticks 1969 said:

I think Steve bull was the last loyal player 

 

Stephen Gerrard?  Jamie Carragher?

[bengalcub]

Matt Le tiss,  remained loyal throughout his career 

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

1 hour ago, BRIAN WILSON said:

Yep superb servant was Steve Bull, and am I correct in thinking he was the last second tier player to score on his debut for England (away at Hampden) ??

This "servant" lark is driving me mad. He never was a servant as he was not domestic, government , civil or unpaid. He was employed on ,even then, very big wages to score goals which he did for fun against us. If he hadn't been paid then he'd have played elsewhere.

Servants do not get Stands named after them and I've never seen a statue to Geeves.

 He never served any tea and black pudding sandwiches to any of his adoring Wolverines: so great player but crap servant.

P.S Since stopping playing he's been a great ambassador for Wolves and during his career which must be 25yrs ago now he was definitely loyal to his home town club. 

[handsofclay]

35 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

The last to represent England unless I’ve forgotten one

Something I forgot is to inform you that I've signed up for Sky Sports now. Will be installed the day before QPR game. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it as still had 14 months left on my BT contract. But then BT put their prices up so I had 30 days to quit without penalty and did so straight away. 

[WhistleHappy]

30 minutes ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

This "servant" lark is driving me mad. He never was a servant as he was not domestic, government , civil or unpaid. He was employed on ,even then, very big wages to score goals which he did for fun against us. If he hadn't been paid then he'd have played elsewhere.

Servants do not get Stands named after them and I've never seen a statue to * Geeves.

 He never served any tea and black pudding sandwiches to any of his adoring Wolverines: so great player but crap servant.

P.S Since stopping playing he's been a great ambassador for Wolves and during his career which must be 25yrs ago now he was definitely loyal to his home town club.     

Maybe he wasn't a * Geeves  (Jeeves) but he was certainly a Wolvester !   

[AshtonGreat]

1 hour ago, bengalcub said:

Matt Le tiss,  remained loyal throughout his career 

Knowing him, he probably couldn't be arsed to leave

[BobBobSuperBob]

1 hour ago, handsofclay said:

Something I forgot is to inform you that I've signed up for Sky Sports now. Will be installed the day before QPR game. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it as still had 14 months left on my BT contract. But then BT put their prices up so I had 30 days to quit without penalty and did so straight away. 

Excellent

Enjoy mate

[tin]

5 hours ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

And this just sums up just how incredibly difficult it really is to land a quality player proven at Championship or above.

Even the most blinkered of City fans must realise that Villa have got a much bigger fan base averaging a gate of 32000 and 42,000 for the bigger games.They have a much much bigger budget than us, huge history and so on.

Yet they can't get Joe Bryan to sign the minute a Prem club comes a calling with the big wages .

And if we go head to head against the big clubs like Villa, Leeds, Boro, Stoke ,WBA and even Forest- we're going to end up disappointed  90% of the time because we just can't compete.

You’re right - unless you get promotion to the top flight, in which case you hold all the aces (especially if you’ve got an ambitious owner like Fulham have in Tony Khan). 

The bottom line is attendances count for nothing, it’s all about the level of football and the wage you can command. It boils down to how much a club wants to pay a player - at any level. 

Bruce says by his own admission that Villa, a far bigger club with at least a 50% larger average attendance than Fulham, was blown out the water. 

Take Bournemouth, for example. They have no history, historically abysmal crowds and can pay the going rate. Why? Because they have the ambition our owner lacks. 

[BS4 on Tour...]

5 hours ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

The only true loyalty is from fans who are more likely to cheat on their wife and family than have a secret moment trying on a blue and white quarters shirt.

Top post Chief, I only edited the bit I quoted to save people getting frustrated when viewing on phones etc....I’ve posted this before, but (the controversial) Mr Steve Coppell said, when Reading boss, that “the only loyalty left in modern Football exists between fans and their clubs..” - a worthy quote....and on your ‘quarters’ point....back in the day, I used to play for a five a side team in a midweek local league, the other four players were sags and they obviously insisted on our team kit being ‘da quarterz’ - obviously I refused to put it on, even when they got me a shirt, so we always played with four jesters and me proudly sporting the ‘Hirerite BCFC 82’ top....they laughed at me then, but look at us now....mind the chasm....

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

1 minute ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

Top post Chief, I only edited the bit I quoted to save people getting frustrated when viewing on phones etc....I’ve posted this before, but (the controversial) Mr Steve Coppell said, when Reading boss, that the only loyalty left in modern Football exists between fans and their clubs..” - a worthy quote....and on your ‘quarters’ point....back in the day, I used to play for a five a side team in a midweek local league, the other four players were sags and they obviously insisted on our team kit being ‘da quarterz’ - obviously I refused to put it on, even when they got me a shirt, so we always played with four jesters and me proudly sporting the ‘Hirerite BCFC 82’ top....they laughed at me then, but look at us now....mind the chasm....

Quality!

[BS4 on Tour...]

3 hours ago, BRIAN WILSON said:

Yep superb servant was Steve Bull, and am I correct in thinking he was the last second tier player to score on his debut for England (away at Hampden) ??

 

3 hours ago, The Gasbuster said:

Think you are probably right.

Third tier.....back when if you were in form, you were picked no matter who you played for....

[CHIPLEY RED]

3 hours ago, Southport Red said:

Stephen Gerrard?  Jamie Carragher?

I would say these two along with Giggs Scholes and Neville are a bit different they all played for the biggest two clubs in the country if not world. Steve Bull played most of his career outside the top division and turned down the chance to move to much bigger clubs.

[reddoh]

2 hours ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

Top post Chief, I only edited the bit I quoted to save people getting frustrated when viewing on phones etc....I’ve posted this before, but (the controversial) Mr Steve Coppell said, when Reading boss, that “the only loyalty left in modern Football exists between fans and their clubs..” - a worthy quote....and on your ‘quarters’ point....back in the day, I used to play for a five a side team in a midweek local league, the other four players were sags and they obviously insisted on our team kit being ‘da quarterz’ - obviously I refused to put it on, even when they got me a shirt, so we always played with four jesters and me proudly sporting the ‘Hirerite BCFC 82’ top....they laughed at me then, but look at us now....mind the chasm....

I won't ever buy a bmw just because of their logo.

[RT's Vaseline Tub]

6 hours ago, sticks 1969 said:

I think Steve bull was the last loyal player 

 

The last loyal legend who played for England and possibly scored more goals against us than anyone else.

[Maltshoveller]

2 hours ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

 

Third tier.....back when if you were in form, you were picked no matter who you played for....

Really!!!

Apart from Bull give a few examples

[Maltshoveller]

13 minutes ago, RT's Vaseline Tub said:

The last loyal legend who played for England and possibly scored more goals against us than anyone else.

Matt la God Loyal

David Kelly for goals against us

[Southport Red]

1 hour ago, CHIPLEY RED said:

I would say these two along with Giggs Scholes and Neville are a bit different they all played for the biggest two clubs in the country if not world. Steve Bull played most of his career outside the top division and turned down the chance to move to much bigger clubs.

True, but Gerrard could have earned a lot more at Chelski.