Steve Brute

[KaKa]

People kept saying no one would want the job all summer and rumours of the likes of Van Bronckhorst and Blanc wanting it weren't true.

 

It's all coming out now isn't it. The club didn't even consider them but instead blew them off out of hand. Absolutely criminal man.

[Thomson Mouse]

[Guest]

Luke Edwards still painting the picture that it’s an impossible job. It’s difficult, but I’m betting all the other 19 managers in the league would have us doing better this season

[Wilson]

It's an impossible job for a manager to move the club forward, but it's not an impossible job to tread water with the current squad, unless you're and absolutely clueless 'manager'.

 

 

 

 

[Guest covmag]

Luke Edwards still painting the picture that it’s an impossible job. It’s difficult, but I’m betting all the other 19 managers in the league would have us doing better this season

 

 

Is he blaming fans or Ashley?

[Guest chopey]

Luke Edwards just wants and craves the ability to say "I told you so" it's more important to him than anything.

[Robster]

It's an impossible job for a manager to move the club forward, but it's not an impossible job to tread water with the current squad, unless you're and absolutely clueless 'manager'.

Rafa's an elite manager with a lifetime of experience, and most importantly, patience..

It think it's a very difficult job for most managers, especially the younger ones. Rafa is one of the few who could get results imo.

[Wilson]

It's an impossible job for a manager to move the club forward, but it's not an impossible job to tread water with the current squad, unless you're and absolutely clueless 'manager'.

Rafa's an elite manager with a lifetime of experience, and most importantly, patience..

It think it's a very difficult job for most managers, especially the younger ones. Rafa is one of the few who could get results imo.

 

I think as long as they're given some actual coaching and direction, the squad we have is capable of treading water in the league, and by that I just mean avoiding relegation. Bruce has them absolutely clueless with regards to what they should be doing.

 

You're right about Rafa, he's elite and because of that he done more than tread water, he had us further up the table which is more than most could do, but I think there's plenty out there who could get enough from this squad to keep us up.

[Yorkie]

 

There's definitely a layer of sympathy for what are the real problems in his tone there. He even corrected himself when starting to say they 'allowed' Rondon to go, changing it to - couldn't convince him to stay. Which is horseshit.

 

Bloke's a div and has no neutrality cos Bruce is his mate.

[steve_69]

I'd be really interested to know what Bruce is telling the players to do. Even some shit managers have a structure, style of play and loose plan that they adhere to, and after a few weeks it usually shows through, even if it isn't effective - lumping the ball long, get it to the wingers and swing crosses in, press high, hit it up to the big man to flick on to the little man, one touch passing, 11 men behind the ball etc.

Bruce has been managing for long enough that he must have some repeatable ideas, plans and behaviours that he instills at every club?  He can't just go into every job planning on winging it?!  I think i've watched all of our games so far and I can't see any sign of a plan, pattern of play or structure, nothing! What exactly is he trying to get the team to do FFS?! 

 

What were the teams he got promoted known for? Anyone?

[Nobody]

 

There's definitely a layer of sympathy for what are the real problems in his tone there. He even corrected himself when starting to say they 'allowed' Rondon to go, changing it to - couldn't convince him to stay. Which is horseshit.

 

Bloke's a div and has no neutrality cos Bruce is his mate.

Yup, Edwards is pathetic.

Drivel about him not having any pre season, he missed what, a week or two of it? Doing absolutely everything not to blame his mate at all throughout the interview.

[Guest chopey]

He's says Rafa Benitez Utd as though it's a bad thing but never mentions sports Direct United

[Disco]

▪️ 'Fans HATE the owner' - has absolutely nothing to do with performances on the pitch. Steve assured us he is great guy.

▫️ '#NUFC almost became Benítez FC' - Yes he was a very evil Spaniard who didn't favour the correct journalists but we finished last season on a high, with money in the bank and a solid defence. Also, unless I am mistaken Steve left his job to take this one.

▪️ 'No goals in the team' - Steve Bruce SMASHED our record transfer fee to buy a player he insisted he wanted to repalce Rondon, a player who he has since described as past it

▫️ 'Players NOT FIT to wear the shirt' - Not Steve's fault of course; he has no input in to this and should definitely not be blamed.

[Guest The Little Waster]

 

Methods , what methods ? ?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He's says Rafa Benitez Utd as though it's a bad thing but never mentions sports Direct United

 

It was only Rafa Benitez Utd because Ashley has run everything else down and nothing else is functioning.

[Kanji]

Edwards can fuck off. Only a pure moron has takes like his.

[Paully]

"Rafa Benitez Utd" - Jesus wept man - what a lid

[Kanji]

I’m quite sure Rafa was gracious enough to give him his utmost respect and time the little prick. Fucking idiot.

[marki]

I'd be really interested to know what Bruce is telling the players to do. Even some s*** managers have a structure, style of play and loose plan that they adhere to, and after a few weeks it usually shows through, even if it isn't effective - lumping the ball long, get it to the wingers and swing crosses in, press high, hit it up to the big man to flick on to the little man, one touch passing, 11 men behind the ball etc.

Bruce has been managing for long enough that he must have some repeatable ideas, plans and behaviours that he instills at every club?  He can't just go into every job planning on winging it?!  I think i've watched all of our games so far and I can't see any sign of a plan, pattern of play or structure, nothing! What exactly is he trying to get the team to do FFS?! 

 

What were the teams he got promoted known for? Anyone?

He says formost he has always prided himself on an honest hard working team

[marki]

moyes saying give him time , he,s been round the houses and knows what its all about

[KaKa]

Why do these creeps all stick up for one another when they're doing an awful job. It's so pathetic man.

 

Especially because they do the exact opposite when it's a foreign manager. Still stuck on this Brits vs Foreigners mentality, instead of just getting better at what they do and actually learning something. So lame.

[Darth Crooks]

These 80s 90s PFMs do seem a dying breed who are banding together

[KaKa]

Most managers are really open to allowing others to come in and observe their sessions and learn from them too, and so most of these guys could easily spend their time out of work doing this and getting so much better.

 

Alternatively, they could diversify their staff and look to include specialist tacticians from other countries as one of their assistants, which is something Fergie always did a great job of as the game increasingly became more tactical.

 

But no! Instead just fart around all day and then go on the radio/TV sticking up for some other gimp that has no idea what he's doing. Ridiculous stuff.

[steve_69]

I'd be really interested to know what Bruce is telling the players to do. Even some s*** managers have a structure, style of play and loose plan that they adhere to, and after a few weeks it usually shows through, even if it isn't effective - lumping the ball long, get it to the wingers and swing crosses in, press high, hit it up to the big man to flick on to the little man, one touch passing, 11 men behind the ball etc.

Bruce has been managing for long enough that he must have some repeatable ideas, plans and behaviours that he instills at every club?  He can't just go into every job planning on winging it?!  I think i've watched all of our games so far and I can't see any sign of a plan, pattern of play or structure, nothing! What exactly is he trying to get the team to do FFS?! 

 

What were the teams he got promoted known for? Anyone?

He says formost he has always prided himself on an honest hard working team

 

Sounds technical!

[Paully]

From 365;

 

Losers

 

Early loser Steve Bruce

 

Let’s start with a statistic, if only to give you something before it all gets a bit ranty. Rafael Benitez managed Newcastle United for 146 matches, and in that time they conceded more than three goals in a match on two occasions. The first of those was a 4-1 defeat at Old Trafford in November 2017, when Newcastle took the lead but eventually succumbed to United’s pressure in the second half. The second was in December 2018, when Liverpool scored two goals in the final 12 minutes at Anfield to beat Newcastle 4-0.

 

That is important, because it partly explains Benitez’s reason for often playing defensive football in away matches that Newcastle were favourites to lose. He figured that the chance of winning away at Big Six clubs was far smaller than the chance of getting a thumping, and a thumping can cause lasting psychological damage on the squad.

 

Even at the start of last season, when Newcastle were wretched, Benitez will argue that he was working on defensive organisation that would benefit the team later in the season. Only with that organisation in place could Newcastle look to attack. Over the last 16 league games of last season, only four teams scored more goals than Newcastle. They were transformed because they had a platform from which to attack.

 

Then there was a process. Now there is nothing. It isn’t just that Newcastle conceded five for the first time since the month before Benitez arrived. It isn’t just that this was a team that has had all the useful elements that Benitez forged unpicked and dismantled. It isn’t just that Steve Bruce is consistently picking players out of position, and then saying after the match that tactics are “nonsense” and it’s all about playing with pride despite Newcastle showing none of that either. It isn’t just that Bruce has a £40m centre forward that Benitez warned the club would be worse than Salomon Rondon and already looks vindicated on that point.

 

It’s that this was so utterly predictable from the moment it started. Bruce is not the disease, merely a symptom thereof. Newcastle allowed Benitez, the most capable manager they have had in 20 years, to walk because they couldn’t muster enough competence to convince him to stay. Benitez didn’t want vast transfer budgets. He didn’t even want the club to be jolted forward, merely pointed in the right direction. And in his place they appointed a Championship-level manager because he was likely to say yes and come cheap. This disarray is the result of that strategy.

 

Newcastle’s players have got worse since last season. The defence is far more open without Benitez’s defensive coordination (they have already conceded almost 30% of last season’s goal total). Sean Longstaff, Miguel Almiron and Isaac Hayden have all suffered a drop in form that coincides with the new manager’s arrival. Newcastle offer little as a counter-attacking threat. They are making individual and collective mistakes that Premier League teams are too good not to punish.

 

Finally, spare me the ‘poor Steve Bruce’ angle that I’ve seen in some places. He backed himself to do this job, and he deserves to be judged on what happens on the pitch as Benitez was. And what took place on Sunday was a total abdication of responsibility. The “tactics nonsense” quotes speak of a manager out of his depth and out of step with the modern Premier League.

 

This wasn’t a Leicester victory through excellence, because they did not need to be excellent. It was a victory through surrender. Leicester exploited the obvious flaws and Newcastle were lucky that they stopped pushing on at 4-0. The worst a struggling team should be is hard to break down. And goodness me, Bruce should know that more than most managers.

 

This might get a little better. Newcastle will not be drubbed every week and they may claw a few more unexpected points over this tricky run of fixtures. But make no mistake, they are now battling for survival and no well-timed takeover rumours will appease the wrath of supporters if the worst befalls them. Newcastle have been sleep-walking for half a decade. Maybe Benitez was the only thing stopping them slipping into a coma.