[Blue Baggie]

When it comes to picking a team...yep!

That's the price we pay for choosing old men set in their ways and have nothing to prove - da da da ........

Bruce looks to be on a cost cutting/slashing exercise, looking forward to see how many over 30's he brings in.
It's tradition we sign 3 journey men who want a last pay cheque.

I'm no SB fan at all, but I've got a certain amount of sympathy for a manager who's hands are tied in terms of having to do a serious rebuild with very little /no money to spend.
In this scenario there probably WILL be a few coming in that have got a good few miles on the clock; let's hope, though, that this is balanced by a few well researched players from lower levels /abroad PLUS a few of our home grown youngsters.

(The last one, Mr Bruce, is sure to get people on your side!)

I agree, Drewks, except that would have been made crystal clear to him when he joined the club. I'd also say that, if you read the article today by Dan Plumley, the financial analyst, he makes the point that we were (and still are) at an advantage to the great majority of other clubs in the Championship due to the parachute payments we still receive, although these obviously dwindle the longer we remain unpromoted.

As a Baggie like yourself, I have no option but to back the manager and I will; however, his dealings in the transfer/loan market will decide my opinion of him. I fear we will get a few players with "a good few miles on the clock" and they will likely have already played for him, probably with no great level of success. For me, that really is wasting the small wage bill we have. You rightly say that playing our home grown young players will go well with supporters and I would absolutely endorse that, but I think he needs to properly play them, not a ten minutes end of match wee cameo.

It's pretty obvious I'm no fan of Bruce - I never have been so his appointment filled me with despair. However, as the manager, he has the right to be judged on future performance....it's just that I'm not, in the least, optimistic. 

The parachute payments don't dwindle, they abruptly end completely after next season. Its costs roughly £70m a season to run WBA - parachute payments contribute approx £50m of that. It easy to see without the parachute money and an owner who refuses to invest we would be in a serious financial situation. We have no option but to gain promotion or we will be in freefall. Lai would be better chucking in £20 million - giving Bruce the chance to sign 4 or 5 reasonable players. Without support for Bruce we may as well begin to look towards relegation battles in the future.