Jump to content

Steve Bruce (now unemployed)


Yorkie

Recommended Posts

5 minutes ago, nbthree3 said:

Bruce arrived with a reputation as an excellent man-manager and, for a while, warranted it. Some players, exhausted by Benitez’s exacting methods, thought he “brought fun to training”.

That feeling did not endure. “With Rafa, because he’s so intense, you only realise what you’ve got when it’s gone,” one player said in private.

 

“You can’t always tell everyone what they want to hear,” says an agent. “Promises get made that can’t be kept.” Over time, Bruce’s openness, at least with some, faded. While Shelvey remained loyal, others felt disconnected as dialogue dried up.

 

A few weeks ago, one player told The Athletic something pretty remarkable.

“This club makes it difficult to be professional,” he said.

 

“Newcastle used to be well-organised and well-drilled,” says a rival coach. “But it isn’t the same now. The detail isn’t there.”

With Benitez, the specifics were everything and that was how he maximised resources. Bruce’s relaxed approach was initially welcomed and, for a time, just about worked.

 

Perversely, a player at a Champions League side privately remarked that he found Newcastle the “hardest team to play against” last season. It was a compliment and a criticism, referencing Newcastle’s lack of apparent structure. He was unsure Newcastle players were carrying out a clear game plan, so he found it difficult to know how to combat them.

 

Jones’ one-on-one coaching and keenness to communicate directly with individuals brought a change of dynamic. One player went as far as to claim, half-jokingly, that Jones, “does fucking everything”, but Bruce was still in charge. He picked the team.

Deploying players in unfamiliar roles became a regular occurrence during Bruce’s final few months. “Some started turning around and saying, ‘Hang on, that’s not my position’,” says a source.

 

Few lines from The Athletic piece

Christ, seeing the idea that players think about 'fun' in training [emoji38] you train for about 2 hours a day, man, have loads of fun for the rest of the day. Feels like something Shelvey would come out with.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just now, huss9 said:

mutual consent????

maybe they compromised on his pay out.

I think so. Probably a £4m upfront payment instead of £6m over 3 years. (Believe the other 2m of the 8 is sacking his staff)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...