Nice for Allardyce, but no Brucie Bonus!

By on July 24, 2016

Former Hull City manager Steve Bruce failed to Play his Cards Right at the KC Stadium as there will now be no Brucie Bonus for him this year following his resignation as the Tigers boss. Despite gaining promotion back to the Premier League with the Yorkshire club, his relationship with their unsatisfied owners (who have put the club up for sale) reportedly broke down this year.

Bruce had wanted to dip into the transfer market this summer to help bolster Hull’s side in preparation for a grueling Premier League season ahead but the only recruit the Egyptian owners have made for the newly-promoted club is young goalkeeper Will Mannion from AFC Wimbledon. The eighteen-year-old, who signed a three-year contract at the KC Stadium, is unlikely to go straight into the first team and only cost Hull a tribunal compensation fee. Bruce was understandably frustrated at the lack of investment this summer and clarity over his future having shown loyalty to the club over the past four years.

The fifty-five-year-old had wanted the England job and was even interviewed for it, but FA instead opted for Sam Allardyce, who finally earned the role he has coveted since 2006. The sixty-one-year-old ex-Sunderland boss will take charge of his first match for the national side in a friendly at Wembley on September 1st, 2016.

With Allardyce signing a two-year deal to lead the Three Lions through the 2018 World Cup, both Hull and Sunderland need new managers heading into the upcoming Premier League season. Both could be candidates for relegation this season and with hardly any signings coming through the door, the Tigers currently only have thirteen fit senior players to choose from. Reigning champions Leicester City will be licking their lips if Hull are still in turmoil come 12:30pm BST on the August 13th.

Injured defender Alex Bruce (son of Leave Steve!) may also be wondering where his future lies now that his father has departed the managerial seat at Hull, but such are the dangers of playing for a club where your father is the gaffer! Alex Bruce could in fact lose both his Mummy and Dad from the club this season, as the disliked Egyptian owners want to follow Bruce Sr. out of the exit door this summer.  Hull could be bottom of the Premier League pyramid if they do not wrap up some deals in the coming weeks and bring in a new manger who can deal with the pressures of the top flight.

Wham Bam Thank You Sam!

Sam Allardyce seems to have an affection for the feline family, as he will progress from being a Black Cat boss to a Three Lion leader! It’s almost as if Allardyce has been playing Pokémon Go and now has the ability to evolve from a Black Cats type to a Three Lions type.

It’s the circle of management life as the sixty-one-year-old is set to be anointed the new Lion King, but failure in the England job could leave a Scar on his CV, after good work at club level with sides like Sunderland, West Ham and Bolton in the Premier League. Former Manchester United and Everton boss David Moyes is the favorite to replace the outgoing Black Cats manager, although another “dyce” in the Sunderland dugout is also a possibility with Burnley’s Sean Dyche having been linked with the job.

Allardyce started the summer in charge of the England Soccer Aid team and ends the summer in charge of the actual England team — perhaps former TOWIE star and occasional MOTD Kickabout host Mark Wright will be on free-kicks for England come the fall. Comedian Jack Whitehall and pop-star Olly Murs may also have their fingers crossed for a call-up.

Jermain Defoe is actually the most likely to make the jump from the Soccer Aid team up to the national team, having starred for Allardyce at Sunderland last season. Defoe scored a brace for the Soccer Aid team as they won a charity match 3-2 at Old Trafford, despite former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov scoring twice for the Rest of the World team managed by Claudio Ranieri. If Allardyce can keep that form going when in charge of an English side, the FA will be pleased with their decision to appoint Big Sam.

Homepage photo credit: Egghead06 [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

About Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis can relate almost anything to football and quite often does! You may have seen Richard's previous ideas and work in the BBC Match of the Day Magazine, from 2011 to present. He is a Manchester United and England fan, but has gone to see Leyton Orient play with his O's season ticket in the 2013/14 campaign. Aside from football, Richard has written articles on Doctor Who and studies English Language and Linguistics at the University of Westminster. Aspiring sports journalist.