Steve Bruce is ready to re-vamp his coaching setup after the shock sacking of Mark Bowen. I understand Bruce is keen to bring in TWO new coaches to help at first-team level after taking a ruthless decision to end his partnership with his highlyrated assistant. Former Coventry City manager Eric Black is in the frame but it is by no means certain that he will get a job. Bruce has felt for some time that Blues, for a Premiership club, are light on the coaching side and had been looking to ease the training ground workload on Bowen anyway. Nevertheless, his relationship with Bowen appeared a solid one after Blues won promotion to the Premiership in 2002 and progressed so well that the season just gone was the clubs best in 31 years. A row over a new contract for Bowen brought to a head some issues that Bruce felt had been festering and on Monday the former Wales international was called to Wast Hills by Bruce and given the boot. Bowen declined to go into any detail about what exactly has gone on behind the scenes. And as he is considering his legal position, all he would tell the Evening Mail today was that he was very, very shocked and disappointed. Bruce, who has flown back to Portugal and Euro 2004, also refused to make any comment because of possible future action against Blues by Bowen. For some weeks rumours have circulated that ex-Scotland international Black has been earmarked for a job at Blues but Bruce privately denied this. According to sources, Bruce wanted to work through the problems with Bowen but in the end felt he had to take such a hard line. Bowen had directly approached the board about a new contract just before the seasons end, which he had done before and understood to be normal practice. He had been on a one-year rolling deal since joining and has had his salary renegotiated at various times. Bowen, 40, ran the reserves for Bruce at Crystal Palace after they were introduced by a mutual friend, Wales manager Mark Hughes. When Bruce walked out for the Blues job, he took Bowen with him as first team coach. Bowens work on the training field has impressed Blues players and his thirst for knowledge and tactical acumen have marked him out as one of the games brightest coaches. He admitted he was hurt when Bruce stopped his part-time assistants role with Wales after promotion in order that he concentrated fully on his bread and butter at Blues. And although the two men were never truly close footballing friends the fracturing of their alliance has caused considerable surprise. Black, 42, was unceremoniously dumped by Coventry with one game to go last season. He had taken over after Gary McAllisters resignation in December and won 12 of his 26 games, hoisting the Sky Blues to the fringe of the First Division play-off zone. Black, who is settled in Leamington Spa, made his name under Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen where he won two league titles, four Scottish Cups, one Scottish League Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup. | 
