The Premier League has moved on apace over the past few seasons, both in the way that it’s marketed across the world and in how football is being played.
There was a time when Sam Allardyce’s long-ball tactics were seen as de rigueur, and the likes of Steve Bruce, Alan Pardew and Harry Redknapp et al would be the go-to names if clubs were looking for a new manager.
Since Pep Guardiola rewrote the manual in England, after doing so in Spain and in Germany, the way in which football is understood in this country has changed immeasurably.
Steve Bruce could land Jamaican national team post
It’s no coincidence, therefore, that those names mentioned have found it nigh on impossible to get any jobs at the top end of English football and have had to scrabble around in the lower reaches of foreign leagues to see if any clubs are willing to hire them.
Bruce, by way of example, hasn’t had any managerial work since being sacked by West Bromwich Albion back in 2022.
All of that could be about to change for the former Newcastle and Aston Villa man, however.
According to the Daily Mail, sources suggest that Bruce is a serious contender for the Jamaican national team job.
The official FIFA world rankings put Jamaica as the 59th best country in the world, which, frankly, is some come down for a manager that has been in charge of over 1000 professional matches in his career.
However, it goes to show just how poorly Bruce and his fellow ‘old school’ managers are perceived these days.
There’s little doubt that they’ve put in the time and dedication to their craft, but the modern game has crept up on them and passed them by.
Bruce is still coaching a game that belongs back in the 1990s, and the Jamaica job, if he lands it, is likely to be as good as it gets.