Steve Bruce

Bruce's lazy laissez-faire, "I'm everybody's pal" nature is what kills every club he works at. He's not a motivator, he's a sympathiser. Not a tactician, more an agony aunt. He can help carry an unhappy club to happier places, but in every other aspect he's hopeless. The number of insipid displays have increased under Bruce probably more than any other manager in NUFC's history. He's weak and pointless, players who need motivating don't get it from him, they either find it from within or get it from someone, somewhere else. There's no repercussion for failure, if you're in his good books you'll be beyond blame and above de-selection. It's a jobs for the boys mentality and it's toxic for clubs, hence why so many of his ex-clubs simply get worse over time as there's no attempt to be more professional, to be dynamic, driven to achieve - it's about smiler and friendliness, nothing more.

 

One stat sticks out in my mind. You can argue all day that results have improved coincidentally since Jones came in and our big players came back from injury. In all of our PL games this season we've had more possession in the whole game than the opposition in only 1 game. Yes that's right, 1 ****ing game where we had the ball more than the opposition. That game was against Crystal Palace....which we actually ****ing lost I hasten to add.

Sorry but that is a ****ing joke and an embarrassment. Possession doesn't win you games I know so please don't start with the cliches etc, but we have to be bottom of virtually every ****ing stat table you can look at. The sooner Bruce is gone the better for me, takeover or no takeover.

 

I absolutely agree, but unfortunately Mike ashley hasn't got a clue and he just sees nufc are safe and that's great, so Bruce will stay aslong as Bruce wants to.

We're stuck with Ashley and Bruce for a long time without a takeover and it doesn't matter one iota what the fans think or try to do about it.

There is simply nothing the fans can do and in actual fact the more they kick and scream the more Mike Ashley will to the very opposite of what they desire

 

He's just rubbish. I mean, utter, utter rubbish. I've never seen a worse manager at SJP in my lifetime.

I think the point here is that Rafa had us playing this way, due to what he called the short blanket analogy. More accurately, we had to play without the ball because Ashley is a penny pinching twat and subsequently we run each season with a Championship level squad of mediocrity. As a result, playing WITH the ball was harder as we were so useless. Enter Bruce.

What's happened since is the players have only ever looked comfortable playing the way Rafa had drilled them to play. What this means is Bruce is fundamentally incapable of instilling a style of system into these players, he cannot coach them to be better, he cannot play to strengths and he cannot improve the team. He focuses on camaraderie and comfort ahead of professionalism. We end up with unfit players, too many injuries, no strategy across the season and the directionless, aimless plodding seeps into the very core of the players he has, ending up with turgid seasons like this. If this idiot is still here next season, this club will go down.

 

Just got a text with some stats:
Newcastle 37 points from last 38 games and 38 goals
Manager of the year material.

 

You can't buy consistency like that.

I mean, 36 points we're on and could very realistically finish, safe, on 36 points. Very fine margins have been the difference, but with a budget of zero and a skeleton crew continuing to keep the club in an induced coma, next year will be worse. Relegation under Ashley is inevitable, it's when, not if.

 

Hmm except he didn't did he? He suggested that ASM played too deep due to frustration at the poor quality of supply to the frontline. As in he was asked a pointed question why ASM hadn't lit up proceedings like in previous weeks. He was basically defending him, and actually had it spot on. The central midfield again weren't good enough, the supply to the front three was comical in terms of quality, so ASM went searching like many good players do to try and change the game. This resulted in him dropping deep looking for the ball, which meant he wasn't using his energy in the right areas.

I can't actually argue with Bruces assessment of ASM's performance at all. He's right it wasn't his fault, it was other **** hawks.

Another one for the "I'm desperate to blame Bruce for something" bin.

Still a ****e manager of course but I think its best to keep it in the realms of reality.

 

Bruce picks the midfielders so surely he has to take some responsibility.

 

He's an idiot.

 

Come on, there’s no need to talk about Pouchy like that. Of course it’s true but can’t you do it behind his back like everyone else?

 

So why blame ASM or to the point (like you’d say) highlight what happened to him?

Why not say the midfield where utter clart and that it’s their fault etc. That cm performance was utter rubbish but they where drilled to sit deep. Ok if we got past half time at 0-0.

But we conceded early and the manager didn’t change it until it was to late. They score again. Game over.

He is to blame for that utter pish performance. We can say about the lack of investment over years crap as well but the fact is the squad we have in my opinion should be higher up the league.

 

If he saw the problem why didn't he change it? He just talks out his arse.

Like matt ritchie said its never him

 

The last two matches will be open to fans now apparently.

unfortunately for fat head.

 

He's lucky he only has 1 home game.

 

Premier League says NO away fans allowed
when stadiums reopen later this month

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56996565

 

Hmmm so you can go to a rave but not to a match...

 

He was asked why ASM hadn't performed to the same standard as previous games. He said the supply line wasn't good enough so ended up going deep in search of the ball. He is literally defending his performance.

You appear to be moving onto another subject of why he didn't change it and who is to blame for the performance etc. I can't explain why he is a poor football manager. But I'd say its always a collective responsibility with the manager bearing the brunt of it. That's what they sign up to in my opinion.

However him being a poor football manager is irrelevant to the point being discussed about why he sold out ASM in the press. He clearly hasn't. We have things being created as a stick to beat him with again is the point. Quite why I'm not sure, because there is a ****ing pile of sticks he has kindly provided to beat him with.

 

Most certainly does. I'd say he has to take the lions share of the responsibility for any performance, the life of a manager. I was simply pointing out he didn't blame ASM in the press at all and people have struggled to stay objective about him from day 1. GG and Chaos being two of the largest jackanory's when it comes to him. Pardew had it the same from some of ours.

It was actually quite the opposite with ASM, he was excusing him because of a lack of quality supply from the midfield. He is 100% right about that too. Obviously that is partly Bruce's responsibility because he picked Shelvey and Longstaff. Would it matter who he picked? In the main no, but young Willock looks better with the ball than both so he did have one better option in my humble opinion.

What I would say also is its not always the managers fault. Players have to take responsibility themselves too for how they perform. Bruce, Rafa, Pardew etc can't go and kick the football for them.

 

Pass, I don't know him well enough to know if he's an idiot. It doesn't change he was actually defending ASM though

 

It’s all Steve’s fault. He’s the manager. If he can’t manage them to get results then he is at fault.

The stick is provided by him constantly getting things wrong. Players out of position. Sticking with the same players playing poor. Throwing people under the bus. Blaming everyone but himself.

His track record speaks for itself. The stats. He’s proved to be a poor manager in the premier league and he continues to be.