I'll try again, this bit:-

"In February 2007, Gunn was added to Peter Grant's management team as club liaison officer which will involve some coaching elements. ?He will be having an input into the work we do with the players but the main thing for me is to capitalise on Gunny's extensive contacts he's gained throughout the game. Sir Alex Ferguson, Steve Bruce, Martin O'Neill...the list goes on and on and I know that when other clubs pick up the phone to talk business and hear that it's Bryan at the other end that will be immensely valuable to us.?

After working as goalkeeping coach following the departure of James Hollman at Christmastime 2007, Gunn was appointed Head of Player Recruitment in May 2008. This followed the departure of Alan Wood, the Chief Scout. Gunn's role is to make use of his extensive contacts north and south of the border to lead a new-look scouting operation for the club, both here in the UK and abroad. Glenn Roeder told the club's official website: "Having worked with Gunny this last seven months, I feel he can do a good job in this vitally important area. He has a wealth of experience and, very significantly, is extremely well connected. Meanwhile I would like to pay tribute to Alan for the work he has done for the club over the past seven seasons and wish him well for the future."

Gunn commented: "I'm delighted to be given this exciting opportunity in what is a vital area of the club's work. Work starts immediately in what will be a very busy summer for us all. It will be my role to help assess players and this is an area where my contacts in the game will be important. 've really enjoyed being part of the technical team working with the 'keepers and now I am delighted to carry on working with Glenn and the staff. I will be going to games and travelling up and down the country - and abroad - in support of Glenn and his squad re-building. I've always been honoured to represent this football club and I'm delighted to be able to continue doing that in this crucial area."

After Roeder's departure from Norwich on 14th January 2009, Bryan was named as caretaker manager and oversaw the club's 4-0 thrashing of Barnsley on 17th January 2009. After a well-publicised Facebook campaign from his daughter, Bryan was named as the club's new manager on 21st January 2009, initially to the end of the 2008/9 season. He brought in Ian Butterworth as Assistant Manager, Ian Crook as first team coach and John Deehan as Chief Scout.

Gunn's appointment wasn't enough to keep City in the Championship and they were relegated on the last day of the regular season losing 4-2 at also-relegated Charlton. His contract was extended for the 2009/10 campaign on 13th May 2009. Delia Smith's husband Mr Wynn Jones said: ?The message quite simply and briefly that we have to convey today is that the manager for next season will be Bryan Gunn and his management team of Ian, Ian and John will remain with him. I think Bryan will have learned a great deal from his experience of last season and he's faced some tough lessons and we seriously believe that Bryan is the man to react very positively to those and to learn, which is an attribute of every manager, I believe, particularly a new manager. We're convinced that the team he has with him has exceptional knowledge of League One and I think that's vital. We think that in Ian Crook we have an exceptional coach who not only needs but deserves to have a chance to start with a fresh squad with a fresh pre-season and, stating the obvious perhaps, but the dedication and commitment of Bryan and his team are undisputed and that's equally important for the football club.?

Gunn assembled a new squad for the 2009/10 season making a dozen signings and had a good pre-season with winsover Crystal Palace and Wigan, and a draw against a Manchester United XI. However the new season started atrociously with a 7-1 home defeat against Paul Lambert's Colchester. Although a 4-0 victory over Yeovil followed three days later in the Carling Cup, Gunn was sacked on Friday 14th August with Ian Butterworth appointed Assistant Manager. Although speculatiuon linked Aidy Boothroyd, Mark Robins, Scunthorpe's Nigel Adkins, Southend's Steve Tilson, former Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez and former Celtic boss Graham Strachan with the post, it was infact Lambert who was announced by chief executive David McNally as the new City manager on 18th August 2009."

Reading that it just seems incredible now, impossible how bad things were. Amazing we're in the Prem. Thanks God for McNally & Lambert.

Posted By: jafski, Jun 7, 13:10:42