[Albion] Would you welcome Bruno back ?

[Green Cross Code Man]

Regrettably, whilst this was crystal clear from the very beginning, the THICKOS still don't seem to accept it and consider Bruno to be a snake-in-the-grass for accepting an offer of employment from another company in the same industry when faced with redundancy*.




* (Strictly probably not technically a redundancy, but without access to paperwork we'll never know. Or particularly care.)

Although I was far more devastated when he left than Potter, that's the view I tend to hold. I was still cross with Bruno but he was pretty much my favourite player for a number of years and IMO he's a fantastic bloke. I forgive (even though he's done no wrong in my book) and that makes the feeling he could return easier.

 

[Beanstalk]

Enough time has passed. Chelsea cast a damaging first blow by stealing all of our players and coaching staff and Bruno stung the worst. I think what has happened for us and the club in the interim period sort of shows that we won the war.

He'd be welcomed back with open arms by me. Has given the club more than enough service already, and if it was the right move for all parties then there is no issue as far as I'm concerned.

 

[fruitnveg]

I'd be happy enough to have him back so he can repair his bridges, but I wouldn't roll out the red carpet, clap or cheer for him until said bridges are repaired.

 

[Commander]

Still no guarantee of employment thereafter.

He had worked for us for ten years! Do you think employers can just boot an employee with ten years service because they fancy it and not pay them a penny?

Your argument just doesn’t stack up at all. If Bruno had gone to Bloom and said “Can you absolutely guarantee I will be employed by the new coach coming in?” then Bloom had no option but to say “No, of course I can’t.” That doesn’t mean Bruno would likely be sleeping under the bridge on Trafalgar Street when the new coach joined.

It’s just a convenient excuse- he took the money and a bigger job to try and further his career, as many, many people would do. It stung because of all the ‘once a seagull always a seagull’ stuff, but to get to where Bruno got to in life you have to be very ambitious, and that sometimes means pissing people off. And I’m OK with that- but that doesn’t mean we should then give him a get-out-clause because his gamble didn’t pay off. There will be far better coaches out there than him, if we have a vacancy for a coach.

 

[Half Time Pies]

I’d either:

A) Stay in my current job and see what happened, knowing that whilst continuous employment wasn’t guaranteed, there would be uproar among the fans if I was booted out- that scenario was always going to be highly, highly unlikely. Much more likely is a role would have be found with the new regime and I could continue learning and developing and have a genuine shot at the manager’s job one day.

Or:

B) Taken the chance and gone to a bigger club but much worse working environment for more money, knowing I’d almost certainly be unemployed again within two years, but hopefully with enough experience to help me get my next job, and with a wad of cash in the bank.

Either is fine. But if I chose option B I would absolutely not expect the Albion to come and rescue me once it had all gone wrong.

All the ‘he couldn’t afford to be unemployed’ stuff-you can’t just sack people because you feel like it and not pay them anything! He would presumably have had his contract paid up, so wouldn’t have been on the breadline, and would have had time to find another job, or more likely gone to join Potter at Chelsea at that point. That would have been the smart move- pay off from the Albion and new job with massive pay rise at Chelsea, with all bridges still intact at Brighton.

Footballers aren’t exactly known for making smart moves though.

I suspect Bruno had confidence in Potter and was sold a dream by the new owners at Chelsea who were spending millions on new players. I can't see him going in to that job expecting it all to fail.

 

[Dibdab]

He was not guaranteed employment with the new regime (whoever they maybe).

I just dont believe this. TB has more than proven he looks after our ex players and there is no way he would have let a club legend get the boot without finding him a role somewhere. At the end of the day he just wanted the big payday, end of.

 

[Clive Walker]

He had worked for us for ten years! Do you think employers can just boot an employee with ten years service because they fancy it and not pay them a penny?

Your argument just doesn’t stack up at all. If Bruno had gone to Bloom and said “Can you absolutely guarantee I will be employed by the new coach coming in?” then Bloom had no option but to say “No, of course I can’t.” That doesn’t mean Bruno would likely be sleeping under the bridge on Trafalgar Street when the new coach joined.

It’s just a convenient excuse- he took the money and a bigger job to try and further his career, as many, many people would do. It stung because of all the ‘once a seagull always a seagull’ stuff, but to get to where Bruno got to in life you have to be very ambitious, and that sometimes means pissing people off. And I’m OK with that- but that doesn’t mean we should then give him a get-out-clause because his gamble didn’t pay off. There will be far better coaches out there than him, if we have a vacancy for a coach.

OK stop now. He's not come back begging for forgiveness and neither should he. As you say, he did what he felt he had to do. He didn't do anything just to piss you lot off.

 

[Clive Walker]

I just dont believe this. TB has more than proven he looks after our ex players and there is no way he would have let a club legend get the boot without finding him a role somewhere. At the end of the day he just wanted the big payday, end of.

Then comes along the chance of signing RDZ and his 9 merry men. Bruno perhaps thought a demotion to the U23 or worse and thought of his career. Possibly, possibly.

 

[Half Time Pies]

I just dont believe this. TB has more than proven he looks after our ex players and there is no way he would have let a club legend get the boot without finding him a role somewhere. At the end of the day he just wanted the big payday, end of.

It very much depends on who the new manager is and if they get on doesn't it? These were unknowns at the time.
A lot of new managers bring in a completely new coaching team and someone like Bruno who has aspirations to develop his career is unlikely to be happy being demoted in a coaching set up even if he is offered another job within it, or doing something else for the club.

 

[Commander]

So you think Inigo Calderon is the best qualified U18s coach in Europe?

And Gary Dicker the best qualified U21s coach?

And Andrew Crofts the best qualified first team assistant?

And Gordon Greer, the best qualified person to arrange and oversee players' loan spells?

And Sam Baldock, the best qualified person to help Greer with that?

And Tomer Hemed, the best qualified *checks notes* 'mentor' to our academy players?

If we are indeed, 'past all that stuff' - finding opportunities for people, because they are popular former players - then all of those people having the absolutely best qualifications for those roles, is quite the coincidence.

And how many of those people have jumped ship at the first opportunity to a bigger club with more money? We gave them a chance because they had history with us, as we did with Bruno.

When it comes to a second chance, he should have to go through the same process as any other applicant for the role. Shouldn’t he?

 

[Clive Walker]

And how many of those people have jumped ship at the first opportunity to a bigger club with more money? We gave them a chance because they had history with us, as we did with Bruno.

When it comes to a second chance, he should have to go through the same process as any other applicant for the role. Shouldn’t he?

How many of those have had an opportunity to move to a bigger club?

 

[Commander]

I suspect Bruno had confidence in Potter and was sold a dream by the new owners at Chelsea who were spending millions on new players. I can't see him going in to that job expecting it all to fail.

More fool him- pretty much everyone else in the country could see it was going to, and said so at the time.

 

[Commander]

How many of those have had an opportunity to move to a bigger club?

No idea.

I’m not suggesting Bruno shouldn’t have taken the role. I’m saying that once you make that decision you can’t expect your former employer to do you any favours when it doesn’t work out. I genuinely can’t see why anybody would disagree with that?

 

[Clive Walker]

No idea.

I’m not suggesting Bruno shouldn’t have taken the role. I’m saying that once you make that decision you can’t expect your former employer to do you any favours when it doesn’t work out. I genuinely can’t see why anybody would disagree with that?

I don't disagree with that. Can't see the club employing him unless there is a need. FH backroom team is slim so perhaps there is a needs if Bruno's expertise is a match for that requirement.

 

[Beanstalk]

He had worked for us for ten years! Do you think employers can just boot an employee with ten years service because they fancy it and not pay them a penny?

Your argument just doesn’t stack up at all. If Bruno had gone to Bloom and said “Can you absolutely guarantee I will be employed by the new coach coming in?” then Bloom had no option but to say “No, of course I can’t.” That doesn’t mean Bruno would likely be sleeping under the bridge on Trafalgar Street when the new coach joined.

It’s just a convenient excuse- he took the money and a bigger job to try and further his career, as many, many people would do. It stung because of all the ‘once a seagull always a seagull’ stuff, but to get to where Bruno got to in life you have to be very ambitious, and that sometimes means pissing people off. And I’m OK with that- but that doesn’t mean we should then give him a get-out-clause because his gamble didn’t pay off. There will be far better coaches out there than him, if we have a vacancy for a coach.

I agree with almost all of this but I do wonder if, as some have implied this will be a development/academy role, there are better coaches out there than him at this level.

You're looking at someone who has been part of an elite, Champions League level coaching staff, has experience playing at the top level, and has managed at the top level (a 0-0 draw with Liverpool). It's a really good CV, arguably too good a CV, for a non-first-team position when you take the emotion out of it.

If it is the right move for the club, then I'm for it.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I just dont believe this. TB has more than proven he looks after our ex players and there is no way he would have let a club legend get the boot without finding him a role somewhere. At the end of the day he just wanted the big payday, end of.

He hasn't employed Zamora. Even though Zamora made 'noises'.

But I don't have any problems with Bruno leaving.

And (whisper it) he was very hit and miss with his passing as a player. And I thought the mural was a bit......much.

Has there been any serious discussion about Bruno returning, though? This seems a bit like one of those hypothetical clickbait threads posted by the likes of Mustapha.

 

[Commander]

I agree with almost all of this but I do wonder if, as some have implied this will be a development/academy role, there are better coaches out there than him at this level.

You're looking at someone who has been part of an elite, Champions League level coaching staff, has experience playing at the top level, and has managed at the top level (a 0-0 draw with Liverpool). It's a really good CV, arguably too good a CV, for a non-first-team position when you take the emotion out of it.

If it is the right move for the club, then I'm for it.

He was part of that coaching staff for less than a year. How many Champions League games did they play in that time? 'Managed at the top level' is definitely stretching it a bit

I agree with your last part. I'd be amazed if they rehire him, but if they do then I'm OK with it. Mr Bloom runs his business far better than I run mine.

 

[Half Time Pies]

More fool him- pretty much everyone else in the country could see it was going to, and said so at the time.

It's not about being a fool is it, you said yourself that Bruno is ambitious person and that most ambitious people would take the job. If you are ambitious then you tend to back yourself and the team around you to make a success of things and you tend to take risks.

I wonder what people said to him when he told them he was going to be leaving Sevilla and La Liga to join a pretty much unknown English team that was playing in the Championship and had only just moved out of a 8000 capacity Athletics Stadium.

 

[Commander]

It's not about being a fool is it, you said yourself that Bruno is ambitious person and that most ambitious people would take the job. If you are ambitious then you tend to back yourself and the team around you to make a success of things and you tend to take risks.

I wonder what people said to him when he told them he was going to be leaving Sevilla and La Liga to join a pretty much unknown English team that was playing in the Championship and had only just moved out of a 8000 capacity Athletics Stadium.

Of course they would. But it was Chelsea- everyone knew it was going to go wrong, it always does. But going wrong with a couple of years experience at the top level and with an extra couple of zeros on your bank balance is probably a gamble worth taking. I can't believe he went into that job thinking it was going to be anything other than that. And as it happened, it didn't even last a year.

 

[John Byrnes Mullet]

Don't want him back. We have moved on. Does he still live around Church Road?