Alex Bruce

[tetsujin1979]

To fiorentina, of all places, according to some morning reports
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/11/12/ipswich-defender-alex-bruce-could-be-on-his-way-to-italian-side-fiorentina-115875-20888591/

[geysir]

"The 24-year-old Ipswich defender has been recommended to the Serie A club by Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni."

Is that what it appears to be, an actual fact or just the product of "logical" journalist thought?

[disabledrog]

"The 24-year-old Ipswich defender has been recommended to the Serie A club by Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni."

Is that what it appears to be, an actual fact or just the product of "logical" journalist thought?and he cant get into the irish r ipswich team,just proves how deluded trapp is.
bruce is average at best

[Kingdom]

The thing thats striking me about players like Bruce, O'Dea, etc etc is that they're not kids anymore. These are players that by all accounts should be playing football now not in 2/3 years.
Bruce is 24. If he's worth his salt he should be starting at a Championship club.

[third policeman]

and he cant get into the irish r ipswich team,just proves how deluded trapp is.
bruce is average at best


Either that or Bruce has qualities that are only visible to Italians.

[Billy-Green]

Dunne wouldn't make the Fiorentina defence I sincerely doubt Bruce has any chance.

Ah come on now

[Dodge]

Sendoras is a regular with AC Milan. haven't seen Bruce play in a while but Italian football has fallen hard recently.

[gustavo]

Sendoras is a regular with AC Milan. haven't seen Bruce play in a while but Italian football has fallen hard recently.

So regular indeed that he has yet to play for them:p

[Billy-Green]

Sendoras is a regular with AC Milan. haven't seen Bruce play in a while but Italian football has fallen hard recently.

and Sendoras genuiely doesn't know how to play football

[Dodge]

So regular indeed that he has yet to play for them:p

Seriously? Would've sworn I saw him play in UEFA Cup

I take it back so...

[gustavo]

Ah just checked now he did play for them , was injured for most of the season only just coming back , he wouldn't be first choice though they rested a lot of players for that game , Anyway with regards Bruce , it's really now or never if he wants to push on in his career

[gspain]

I think central defenders can take longer to come through than players in other positions. Still at 24 he should at least have nailed down a regular starting spot at Ipswich if he is going to be an International centre half.

I still think there is a chance here. I've seen him look a really good player (B game v Scotland last year) and look really bad for the U21s.

We don't have a huge amount of options in that position at the moment either.

[Dodge]

After watching Joe O'Cearuill this year, I'm never basing anything on performances for the u21s again. Everytime I watched him he oozed class. He's currently Pats 4th or 5th choice centre half.

[paul_oshea]

Seriously? Would've sworn I saw him play in UEFA Cup

I take it back so...

seeing him with once is hardly regular.

[Dodge]

Assumptions, assumptions

[the doc]

"The 24-year-old Ipswich defender has been recommended to the Serie A club by Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni."

Is that what it appears to be, an actual fact or just the product of "logical" journalist thought?

I wonder if Clap Trap has also recommended McShane to AC Milan too.

Maybe Trap should recommend that both get to play regular 1st team football over more than one season.

Bruce is second choice at Ipswich, whilst McShane has been disgarded by Sunderland for not being up to the required standard.

So going by this, you need to play reserve team football to make the Ireland Squad, total joke!

[gspain]

I wonder if Clap Trap has also recommended McShane to AC Milan too.

Maybe Trap should recommend that both get to play regular 1st team football over more than one season.

Bruce is second choice at Ipswich, whilst McShane has been disgarded by Sunderland for not being up to the required standard.

So going by this, you need to play reserve team football to make the Ireland Squad, total joke!

McShane is a regular in a team challenging near the top of the premiership. They have won at Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle. Sunderland are in a relegation battle are look one of the worst teams in the premieraship at the moment.

I'm not convinced yet re McShane either and I'd rather see him play at centre half. However it is great to see him playing regularly in a successful well run club.

[OwlsFan]

Daddy Bruce brought Alex to Birmingham. Daddy parted company with Birmingham so did Alex :eek:. Alex is now not getting his game at Ipswich. I have seen him play quite a few times and there is about as much chance of him going to Italy as Sheffield Wednesday signing Wayne Rooney (before he gets to 43).

[Lamper.sffc]

Daddy Bruce brought Alex to Birmingham. Daddy parted company with Birmingham so did Alex :eek:.

Just a quick point. Alex Bruce left Birmingham before his Dad not because his dad left first.

[irishfan86]

eleven-a-side reporting that Genoa and Napoli are interested as well...

[Qwerty]

So Bruce is off form a bit, he started 37 games last season. He has 124 career starts as they say in US which isn't bad. He is an option. And we don't have enough of them.

[the doc]

So Bruce is off form a bit, he started 37 games last season. He has 124 career starts as they say in US which isn't bad. He is an option. And we don't have enough of them.

So why have Ipswich decided not to offer him a new contract then?

In contrast St Ledger has just signed a new 4 year deal and has made nearly 200 appearances, in addition to sweeping the board at both Peterborough and Prestons player of the year awards, respectively.

[Qwerty]

So why have Ipswich decided not to offer him a new contract then?

In contrast St Ledger has just signed a new 4 year deal and has made nearly 200 appearances, in addition to sweeping the board at both Peterborough and Prestons player of the year awards, respectively.

Phone Jim Magilton and find out.

[Noelys Guitar]

I get the impression that Bruce is Trap's McCarthy. Lacks all the qualities of a top flight center half and yet....he is confident in his own ability and will tell better players than himself how to play. Magilton not recognizing his talents is no surprise.

[danonion]

I think Magilton is about to get the sack anyway. I don't think Alex Bruce is as terrible as he is made out to be (from my 2 times seeing him live). Mick was a better centre-half then he is given credit for as well.

[Stuttgart88]

I don't think Alex Bruce is as terrible as he is made out to be (from my 2 times seeing him live). Mick was a better centre-half then he is given credit for as well.Agree on both counts. I don't think Bruce is an aggressive centre back, he's more in the O'Leary or Breen mould.

[paul_oshea]

what he makes lots of mistakes?

[geysir]

He made a lot of mistakes in the USA friendlies, probably Guinness book of record proportions, but he doesn't bang his head on the turf about them, he just gets up and gets stuck in again.

[Duffman]

I saw him play twice for Tranmere a few years back and it was the first I had heard of him, didn't know that he qualified for Ireland back then. Thought he was very average for that division never mind coming from a premier league side. Anything I have seen of him since hasn't changed that opinion either.

[Predator]

Bruce is probably having one of the best games of his life at the minute alongside O'Brien against Arsenal.

[SwanVsDalton]

Being lauded on the Beeb text updates too:


1329: Leeds' defence very much the stand-out story of the match so far, with Alex Bruce and Andy O'Brien outstanding so far. Arsenal's failure to test the visitors' full-backs may wrankle with Arsene Wenger a touch.

1331: Kasper Schmeichel, too, has played his part in keeping Arsenal at bay so far - and he makes another neat save at the near post from Nicklas Bendtner on the back of a fine run into the box from the Dane. Alex Bruce, meanwhile, looks like he might be struggling with a knee injury sustained in a collision with his own player. They won't want to lose him, Leeds, that's for sure.

paultwentworth on Twitter: "Bruce and O'Brien looking resolute for Leeds - do Arsenal have it in them to break them down? Think a giantkilling is on the cards!

Has anyone been following him? I'd forgotten about him but Leeds are going well and Bruce seems to be more in form than O'Dea.

[Predator]

The whole Leeds side has been well disciplined and O'Brien and Bruce have been marshalling the defence well. Bruce is carrying an injury as well, but he could have been sent off after a high challenge on Chamakh, so I think it's safe to say that he's not the messiah, but a very naughty boy.

[balls]

pat dolan doesnt rate bruce anyway slated him at half time on setanta

[Predator]

Yeah, Dolan was adamant that he was not international standard, but admitted he was having a great game. Who knows what might happen? How many of us thought St. Ledger would be partnering Dunne?

Schmeichel has been fantastic today too.

[tetsujin1979]

pat dolan doesnt rate bruce anyway slated him at half time on setanta
pat dolan is the worst pundit in football tv history

[Philly]

With the awful time St Ledger has being having of late, I'd be all for Bruce getting a chance in the next Ireland game, or at least a call-up. St Ledger seems to have lost his confidence or something of late.

[Junior]

OBrien is 31 yrs of age. Can someone remind me again what was the basis of his retirement from International football? Was it just because he wasnt featuring too much, 26-27 is young to be retiring. I know he had a few patchy years and then went completely off the radar but as comments above suggest, the newcomers we have are either very young/inexperienced.

Not advocating a call up other anything before anyone jumps to that conclusion just an 'out of interest' question.....

[irishfan86]

Junior, O'Brien retired after being benched repeatedly during the aftermath of the famous Cyprus humiliation. Kenny and himself were the two main scapegoats if I recall correctly.

O'Brien is premiership/international standard in my view and I was upset when he chose to retire. If Trap wants him and he's willing to return as a squad player he'd be a good short term option.

[geysir]

I thought Bruce played very well against Arsenal, but he eagerly treads the thin line between total commitment and being a lose cannon. I can guess Trap might have his reservations. I don't why Keane got shod of him at Ipswich. Bruce is yet another player who has fallen out Roy and carried on to do very well elsewhere.

[peadar1987]

Junior, O'Brien retired after being benched repeatedly during the aftermath of the famous Cyprus humiliation. Kenny and himself were the two main scapegoats if I recall correctly.

O'Brien is premiership/international standard in my view and I was upset when he chose to retire. If Trap wants him and he's willing to return as a squad player he'd be a good short term option.

I thought the same. I think O'Brien was very harshly treated by an Irish media on the lookout for scapegoats as well, it might have had something to do with his retirement.

[SwanVsDalton]

To be honest I always thought O'Brien was like Gary Breen, only not quite as good or endearing.

[tetsujin1979]

I always thought he needed someone to organise the defence beside him, he was at his best when playing beside Cunningham

[irishfan86]

I thought Bruce played very well against Arsenal, but he eagerly treads the thin line between total commitment and being a lose cannon. I can guess Trap might have his reservations. I don't why Keane got shod of him at Ipswich. Bruce is yet another player who has fallen out Roy and carried on to do very well elsewhere.

I haven't seen much of him...saw him play right back and do OK for Ipswich a couple of times, but haven't been impressed for him in his brief Ireland cameos...I remember one particular play where he was turned very easily and the opposition scored against us.

He really hasn't played a lot for us though so I don't want to slam him, just didn't look impressive. But, as McShane teaches us, judging a player on a couple of matches should never be done.

[Kingdom]

Even though this is the Alex Bruce thread, I'd believe that Andy O'Brien was treated quite poorly by both the media and some of the fans. He was generally good for us. Underused for Ireland, although that coincided with his club career stalling the past while at Bolton. A very good friend of mine, a FAI Youth cup winning coach and massive Leeds fan has said he's been head and shoulders above most players since he's gone to Leeds and has steadied their defence no end. Still offers something to Ireland, but if Duffy or Clark (or Dody for that matter), then sure it's probably best to look to the future.

[Qwerty]

I thought Bruce played very well against Arsenal, but he eagerly treads the thin line between total commitment and being a lose cannon. I can guess Trap might have his reservations. I don't why Keane got shod of him at Ipswich. Bruce is yet another player who has fallen out Roy and carried on to do very well elsewhere.

Yes he did as did O'Brien, both are clearly limited players as were all the Leeds players but Arsenal couldn't really break them down, they showed what good organization can do. They were also helped by poor tactics from Arsenal, why they played a lone striker against lower tier opposition I don't know.

I think the game suited Bruce & O'Brien, they played deep and with 2 covering midfielders, if the game was more open they would be more easily exposed.

[Sullivinho]

To be honest I always thought O'Brien was like Gary Breen, only not quite as good or endearing.

The cruelty of that statement is surpassed only by it's truthfulness.

[geysir]

I think the game suited Bruce & O'Brien, they played deep and with 2 covering midfielders, if the game was more open they would be more easily exposed.

Maybe we should try 2 covering midfielders as well :)

Despite the cover, Bruce saw plenty of action in the Arsenal game. It would appear that Bruce's (lack of) ability was not the reason he left Ipswich. He has held his place at Leeds and he had done so with competence before O'Brien came. I don't know if he is any better than St Ledger. They look much of a muchness.

[Charlie Darwin]

From what I remember of the time, Trap approached O'Brien after taking over with a view to coming out of retirement but he declined.

[Predator]

I don't know if he is any better than St Ledger. They look much of a muchness.I agree. If he maintains his form, he should certainly be rewarded with a call up.

[Yard of Pace]

Maybe we should try 2 covering midfielders as well :)

Despite the cover, Bruce saw plenty of action in the Arsenal game. It would appear that Bruce's (lack of) ability was not the reason he left Ipswich. He has held his place at Leeds and he had done so with competence before O'Brien came. I don't know if he is any better than St Ledger. They look much of a muchness.

Sledge's knack of grabbing goals is nice though.