fucking ridiculous from edwards and wilson....
Callum Wilson interview: 'It was a blessing not having fans in during our bad run - the booing doesn't help'
In an exclusive interview, the Newcastle striker admits he has not enjoyed his first season as much as he expected
By
Luke Edwards
21 May 2021 • 12:00pm
Callum Wilson interview: 'It was a blessing not having fans in during our bad run - the booing doesn't help'
Callum Wilson says he has not enjoyed his first season at Newcastle as much he would have thought CREDIT: Serena Taylor /Newcastle United
Newcastle United is not an easy club to play for when things are going badly and Callum Wilson has not enjoyed his first season in black and white stripes as much as he thought he would.
It is to his credit that he can admit as much. Wilson is not looking for excuses to explain what has gone wrong and neither does he want any sympathy for the problems they have overcome.
He knows the team’s league position is not good enough and insists the supporters have had every reason to be frustrated, but he is not the only player who feels manager Steve Bruce has been unfairly maligned.
Bruce was booed by sections of the crowd after Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Sheffield United, even though that result made it four wins from their last seven games. He heard it and was stung. So, too, were the players.
It was the first time Bruce has been on the receiving end of such direct abuse, but it has been evident on social media all season. In fact, it has been a constant since he was appointed in July 2019.
Wilson, though, insists he does not deserve to take all the blame for a miserable winter that saw Newcastle win just two out of 22 games and drop to within two points of the bottom three. In fact, he believes he prevented a perilous situation turning into a catastrophic one, even though 95% of supporters wanted Bruce to be sacked in March, according to a poll in the Newcastle Chronicle.
“The manager was really good in that period,” Wilson explained. “He was just himself, kept smiling. He had to try and pick the best side that he could with the players we had out and keep going.
“He gave us a lot of encouragement. He’s a really good man manager so when things aren’t going great, when the lads are low on confidence, he was in there boosting them up and got us all pulling in the right direction. That’s what you want from a manager really.
“It was really difficult for him, that period, it was a bad run, there is no hiding from that.
“I think with fans in the stadium then [in the winter], it would have been even more difficult. It was probably best for us, at that time, there weren’t fans inside the stadium because it was hard enough without the extra demands they would have made.
Callum Wilson interview: 'It was a blessing not having fans in during our bad run - the booing doesn't help'
Steve Bruce has been the subject of a torrent of criticism from the Newcastle fans this season, with 95 per cent calling for him to be sacked in March CREDIT: PETER POWELL /Pool via REUTERS
“If you’re getting boos and stuff going on, it doesn’t help the players or the management. It was a blessing in disguise at that stage.
“He definitely deserves a chance to come back. I don’t know why you would change something that is working.
“We are not going to have the finish in terms of league position that we would have liked but if you take everything into consideration, the injuries, Covid and those negative things that have been going on around the club, I think he’s done well.
“I’m not saying it’s been a successful season, this isn’t what the players or the manager wanted, but the way we have finished the season, that shows what we are capable of when we have our best players available.
“The last few weeks, we have been playing well, we’ve had some good results and I think it is the type of football the fans want to see as well."
Wilson has more than justified Bruce’s decision to push hard for his signing. Despite injuries, which have restricted him to just 24 starts, the England international has scored 12 goals, with five assists, since Newcastle paid Bournemouth £21m last summer.
He has, along with Allan Saint Maximin, been Newcastle’s best player and while he was as frustrated by anyone in the middle of the campaign, he revealed there was always more unity than had been suggested in reports claiming the dressing room was divided and that some players wanted Bruce to be sacked.
“When we got to March, I think we all knew things were going badly and we were in trouble,” explained Wilson. “But I played for a team that got relegated last season at Bournemouth. I remember seeing the dressing room begin to split, little groups forming and people whispering this and that.
“I didn’t see that here. There were reports that the dressing room was divided, but nothing could have been further from the truth.
“When you’re in a tricky period like that, it can go one or two ways. You can start feeling sorry for yourself and turn on each other or you can stick together.
Callum Wilson interview: 'It was a blessing not having fans in during our bad run - the booing doesn't help'
Steve Bruce has endured an up and down season at Newcastle, but has managed to keep them in the division despite bad luck with injuries and Covid CREDIT: Richard Sellers /PA
“Yeah, we had a few meetings after those leaks occurred talking about how we need to work harder, on and off the field. As one of the senior players I was in those meetings and I know what was said.
“What we realised was that people from outside the club were trying to get in [to the dressing room] and they were trying to bring negative vibes into the place.
“I don’t know what their motive was but we talked about sticking together and staying united and we’ve seen the benefits of that.” With the campaign drawing to a close, all Wilson asks for is a fresh start when the next one begins.
“It is an emotional football club,” Wilson explained.
“There were times when we needed the fans inside the stadium to give us a kick up the backside if I’m honest.
“It’s a football club that demands results and rightly so. At times this season we haven’t been good enough… But we want to start next season afresh. It’s a whole new season and we will have the fans back which I think will be massive for us.
“For me, having fans there will give me another 10-15% in my performance levels. I think next year will be a good year, I have no doubts about that. If we get the same investment we got in the squad last summer, we are going to improve again.
“The best is yet to come from me. Having fans inside the stadium, it’s going to feel like I’ve joined a new football team.
“Getting the crowd behind you, how passionate they are about their football team, scoring a goal in front of them, I will feed off that energy. It’s definitely going to be a positive for me.”
Whether it ever will be for Bruce remains to be seen.
