The College Dropout Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I do think you create a fair bit of your own luck. Managers like Bruce and Pardew can sometimes build really great team spirit and morale, with determination you get the rub of the green more often than not. You make good chances harder for the opposition. Make the most of yours. Often it’s by not over complicating things. That’s where our biggest failures like Souness and SMC failed. One couldn’t build team spirit because he fell out with players. The other over complicated things and couldn’t motivate and build momentum. For Bruce It’s when they’re genuinely unlucky. Heads drop. Players start questioning their methods or the motivation wanes they can’t turn it around. But for now it’s working and he deserves credit for it. Worse managers would be in deeper trouble. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samptime29 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 We've defo improved on set pieces - we look more threatening and we're scoring more goals. Team morale looks good, we've picked up a reasonable amount of points from behind, and you can't accuse the team of a lack of effort. Bruce has no attacking identity. No evidence he's improved our passing/build up play etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_69 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 The easier side of management is making a team hard to beat. I'm not suggesting anyone can do it, but organising a defence isn't rocket science. Plenty of very average managers have made careers for themselves out of building a solid defence and concentrating on scoring from set pieces - it's limited football manager 101. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 The easier side of management is making a team hard to beat. I'm not suggesting anyone can do it, but organising a defence isn't rocket science. Plenty of very average managers have made careers for themselves out of building a solid defence and concentrating on scoring from set pieces - it's limited football manager 101. The key is getting the balance between putting the whole team in front of the opposition and actually being able to transition to attack then. We'd just kicked into gear and started that under Rafa, I suspect we're unlikely to see it in a hurry under Bruce. More likely we'll have more games where we score a few more and more where we get dicked. When he gets "his" players that is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 We also don't have Rondon and Perez, who were absolutely key to how we played. Seems this season is more hope for a counterattack with a couple of fast players, where under Rafa it was more structure and more based on winning the ball higher up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/it-quite-refreshing-not-having-17609622 Refreshing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenBartonCentrePartin Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/it-quite-refreshing-not-having-17609622 Refreshing. Fucking tedious. Haven’t added their own opinion at all. Not like he’s sanctioned the £40m signing of someone who clearly isn’t an out and out goalscorer, meaning we’re still embarrassingly light up front, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Crooks Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 All well and good saying that before the window is over. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Clearly Rafa was all words and just wasn't actually man enough to stand up to Ashley unlike local Geordie Steve Bruce who on multiple occasions has pointed out that he's definitely in no way, not one way whatsoever a puppet Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackyboy Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Bruce, like Pardew, do okay until they change the team from what they inherited to build THEIR team. That's when it falls apart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I wouldn't be surprised if some players liked Bruce more than Rafa TBH. Rafa's very formal and quite strict, even ex players who were successful under him don't always like how hard they were worked and how specific their instructions were. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nufcjmc Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 It's ok Bruce no need for strikers we playing well: "If somebody better can improve the squad, then I’ll try and grab. But what’s the point if Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle and (Yoshinori) Muto are going to be fit in the next two or three weeks? What’s the point of just bringing in someone if they’re not going to be any better? I’m going to be patient.” Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 He's got a point. How could we possibly do better than Big Andy and Gayle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Crooks Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Is that a quote? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nufcjmc Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Is that a quote? Yup https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/steve-bruce-gives-transfer-update-newcastle-united-1372092 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
huss9 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 he's probably asked for a striker but the FCB has told him he can't unless he sells one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackyboy Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 The more I look at this Bruce scenario the more I'm convinced that he was never 11th choice, I think he was first choice because he ticks all of the Ashley boxes. By putting out rumors that Bruce was 11th choice makes it look like Ashley and co tried really hard to bring in a top manager but I now believe that was never the case. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neesy111 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 The more I look at this Bruce scenario the more I'm convinced that he was never 11th choice, I think he was first choice because he ticks all of the Ashley boxes. By putting out rumors that Bruce was 11th choice makes it look like Ashley and co tried really hard to bring in a top manager but I now believe that was never the case. I can easily see him agreeing to that scenario as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Ashley must be kicking himself he didn't do it earlier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Was there any confirmation of interest from other managers? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strawberry Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 The more I look at this Bruce scenario the more I'm convinced that he was never 11th choice, I think he was first choice because he ticks all of the Ashley boxes. By putting out rumors that Bruce was 11th choice makes it look like Ashley and co tried really hard to bring in a top manager but I now believe that was never the case. Possible but we could have done a lot worse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Should have done a lot better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samptime29 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 The more I look at this Bruce scenario the more I'm convinced that he was never 11th choice, I think he was first choice because he ticks all of the Ashley boxes. By putting out rumors that Bruce was 11th choice makes it look like Ashley and co tried really hard to bring in a top manager but I now believe that was never the case. Possible but we could have done a lot worse. "Owen Coyle's Black and White Army" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 We could have done worse, not sure a lot worse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 In terms of managerial ability we could have done a bit worse. In terms of the mood around the club and getting Ashley out it couldn't have gone much worse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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