Steve Bruce is currently out of work after becoming the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season when Sunderland gave him the boot at the end of November. In his first two seasons at the club he took them to 13th and 10th place finishes in the Premier League. However, following a poor start to the 2011/12 season he lost his job on 30th November.

Profile

Bruce’s first job in management was with Sheffield United with whom he joined in July 1998. However, he resigned shortly afterwards due to a shortage of funds and problems with the club’s boardroom. Next up for Bruce was Huddersfield Town but he didn’t last their long either and he was sacked in October 2000 after a poor start to the season.

After a short break from the game Bruce was appointed manager of Wigan in April 2001 and they just missed out on promotion to Division One after losing in the play-offs. Bruce caused uproar after he decided to leave Wigan just two months after joining them in order to manager Crystal Palace. Bruce was again involved controversy shortly after when he chose to leave Palace for Birmingham City just three months into the new season. He was rapidly gaining an unwanted reputation.

That same season Bruce took Birmingham up to the Premier League after the club beat Norwich City on penalties in the play-off final. In the following season’s Bruce led Birmingham to 13^th, 10^th and 12^th place finishes before they were relegated in 2006, only to make an instant return to the top flight. In November 2007 Bruce left Birmingham in order to return to Wigan. That season the club narrowly avoided relegation before finishing 11^th the next year.

In June 2009 Bruce jumped ships once again, this time taking over from Roy Keane at Sunderland, with whom he led to a 13^th place finish in his first season in charge. Sunderland started brightly last season but ended up finishing in 10^th.

Popularity: 1% [?]