I was listening to the Gary Neville podcast today and Martin Tyler seemed to mention that Bruce scored 20 goals in a season for United, wiki suggests it was actually 19 in 1991-92, which would be second most on the team, behind Hughes and McClair, with 21 each. This was well before my time and it sounded unbelievable to me for a center back. I knew Irwin used to take free kicks and penalties but did Bruce do that as well? If not, how did he get to that? He head healthy scoring numbers for a center back but he did not reach that number again before or after that season in his career. Is that also the most league goals ever scored by a center back or even a defender?
How did Steve Bruce score 19 goals in 1991-92?
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I remember him being on pens but don't remember how many he took, can't have been that many though
edit: just looked it up 11 pens, thats a lot more than i thought!
edit: just looked it up 11 pens, thats a lot more than i thought!
He took pens, yes. Was very good at them as well until his nerve went.
He had a very unusual style of penalty taking, and it probably put a lot of keepers off!
It looks like it was 1990/91 — our stat expert @Mrs Smoker has it down as 19 goals that season.
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/man...nd-assists-1987-88-today.396084/post-16418285
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/man...nd-assists-1987-88-today.396084/post-16418285
Ye he was our regular penalty taker and got a few vital headers too - are there an regular penalty takers nowadays who are defenders?
Bruce was actually a great captain and pretty underrated as a player
I know Cantona took on penalty duties when he arrived in 1992 - cant remember if someone else was on them between Bruce and Cantona though, possibly McClair
Bruce was actually a great captain and pretty underrated as a player
I know Cantona took on penalty duties when he arrived in 1992 - cant remember if someone else was on them between Bruce and Cantona though, possibly McClair
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I don't think there are any in the Premier League just now because they would be a superstar for fantasy football managers! The last regular taker was perhaps Baines at Everton? Ramos takes penalties regularly for Real Madrid too.
One of the best non capped players of all time for me.
Pallister was pretty poor when he arrived and Bruce had to carry him until he settled.
Apparently even Bobby Robson later apologised to him for not selecting him.
Pallister was pretty poor when he arrived and Bruce had to carry him until he settled.
Apparently even Bobby Robson later apologised to him for not selecting him.
He was our penalty taker and great captain, he could make good tackling and header, but he was slow though.
Yeh I thought was underrated too, our defense used to be very solid with him and Pallister in defense, far better than our current one for sure. Let’s just say if Maguire worth 80m 2 years back, Bruce should worth 100m, comparatively.
Yeh I thought was underrated too, our defense used to be very solid with him and Pallister in defense, far better than our current one for sure. Let’s just say if Maguire worth 80m 2 years back, Bruce should worth 100m, comparatively.
I few central defenders such as Unsworth and Dicks also used to take penalties back then as well I think.
11 were pens, 8 from open play/corners.
Dicks was a left back & Unsworth started at left back so may have been playing from that position at the time.
Still impressive.
Mad numbers though.
He either kicked or headed the ball into the net. Do you watch football OP
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He was very good at attacking the ball on free kicks/corners. Timed his run & jump to the ball flight very well. The pens were a bonus.
Ye good shout on Baines - can't think of any current defenders on pens, there has been several over the years
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Babies or Bebe?
Peter Schmeichel scored 10 goals anyway!
Apart from his ability, what made it more of an odd decision was I'd have thought Robson would have seen the merits of playing two CHs who played together week in, week out.
That said, Tony Adams was no mug so I can accept him as an alternative. But still no idea how people like Keith Curle got capped when Bruce didn't.
Thanks for posting this
What did the rival trolls call him? Steve Pruce?
Telles, regular pen taker for Porto
Ray Stewart- never saw miss for WHU
The best of the lot IMO was Andy Brehme for Germany
Ray Stewart- never saw miss for WHU
The best of the lot IMO was Andy Brehme for Germany
All are full backs.... Any more centre halves?
Teun Koopmeiners is the designed penalty-taker for AZ Alkmaar, though he is not a pure defender like Bruce — and alternates between midfield and central defense.
- 14 penalty goals last season from a total of 16 (finished as the 3rd highest scorer in the team).
- 9 penalty goals this season from a total of 15 (currently the team's highest overall scorer and the 3rd highest scorer in the Eredivisie as a whole).
- Needs to score only 2 more penalties to overtake Kees Kist (a center forward who was European Golden Shoe in 1979) as the leading penalty-scorer for AZ in the Eredivisie.
Because he was both a Defender! and a Striker!
Fabinho was penalty taker at Monaco with a really good record (and I think is second choice after Salah now).
Ricardo Rodriguez — LB.
Telles is/was a shout too.
Beyond that... not many defenders.
He was great at sniffing out goalscoring opportunities.
I was hoping Maguire could of been the modern day Steve Bruce for us.
Doesn't have Bruce's fantastic anticipation & positional awareness. Bruce's lack of pace hardly ever caught him out, he was too clever.
Bloody autocorrect!
Didn't play at international level so much have been crap according to Roy Keane
His head has a similar density but he’s closer in style to Pallister.
10 pens I think?
Great season still and some important goals (could have been 20 if hughes did not take that first one in the cup winner cup final)
Though when you think Koeman managed 19 goals or more in 4 seasons and ended up with 239 goals in 685 games which is more goals in less games than Mark Hughes (224 in 799)it really does put "goal scoring defender" in context
Great season still and some important goals (could have been 20 if hughes did not take that first one in the cup winner cup final)
Though when you think Koeman managed 19 goals or more in 4 seasons and ended up with 239 goals in 685 games which is more goals in less games than Mark Hughes (224 in 799)it really does put "goal scoring defender" in context
Laurant Blanc scored more than 150 goals in his career
Keane didnt say that. He said being an international doesnt automaticly make you a top player.Didn't play at international level so much have been crap according to Roy Keane
Don't know off the top of my head.
Ramos,Blanc?
He has a massive bulbous head.
Maguire could learn a thing or two from him.
Maguire could learn a thing or two from him.
Thing is Maguire's goal attemptsare great clearances