Steve Bruce (now unemployed)

[The Prophet]

The Arsenal defeat was very telling. Although the previous games were tactically poor, we at least saw a form of effort and commitment from the players. In that game, there wasn't a shred of either. That's in the DNA of Mike Ashley's NUFC.

If you preach safety is the aim and the only aim season after season, it becomes engrained. So when the team goes nine points clear of the relegation zone with four games left, they mentally down tools, intentional or not. Bruce can make all of the excuses he wants, but the performance whiffed of 'job done, onto next season'.

[TRon]

13 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

The Arsenal defeat was very telling. Although the previous games were tactically poor, we at least saw a form of effort and commitment from the players. In that game, there wasn't a shred of either. That's in the DNA of Mike Ashley's NUFC.

If you preach safety is the aim and the only aim season after season, it becomes engrained. So when the team goes nine points clear of the relegation zone with four games left, they mentally down tools, intentional or not. Bruce can make all of the excuses he wants, but the performance whiffed of 'job done, onto next season'.

I'm not sure we did mentally down tools, it might just have been our usual supplication to the Big Six. Steve is a big believer in honouring the great clubs of this land ( which of course don't include us) so he may well just have convinced the team to accept a modest defeat before the kick off. 

[Wolfcastle]

3 hours ago, toontownman said:

Just four inspiring article headlines I saw this morning from Bruce:

"Forward planning is tough"

"The players are running on empty"

"Players can't wait for a break"

"We can still match last season.."

Excuse after excuse and an insult to fans intelligence. This is our manager and leader of our club.

 

It isn't so much his utter loser mentality as its his utter blissful satisfaction to wollow in the lazy cop-out of being a loser that narks.

Just getting paid millions in his self-professed dream job.

Bare minimum manager at the bare minimum club.

[Guest HTT II]

3 hours ago, Robster said:

"Players can't wait for a break"

That’s funny, because so do the supporters...

[Shearergol]

Just now, HTT II said:

That’s funny, because so do the supporters...

Bruce's neck? (That's for you Alex, just for you).

[nbthree3]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/do-not-expect-a-spending-spree-this-summer-says-newcastle-united-manager-steve-bruce-pl6nvsdrr

“Of course every club will be the same, they will be looking at Bosmans [free transfers], which are always attractive for obvious reasons,” the 60-year-old said.

“I have to say to everybody, I can’t see there being swathes of money anywhere in the Premier League. The discussions I’ve had with other managers, the Covid situation has left the football world losing millions. I can’t see a load of money being spent this summer.

 

[Pilko]

I mean given the roaring success of recent 'Bosmans' such as Mark Gillespie, Andy Carroll and Jeff Hendrick, why wouldn't you want to tap into that rich vein of free talent?

[ScottishMagpie]

19 minutes ago, nbthree3 said:

The discussions I’ve had with other managers,

a) I very much doubt any other pl managers are taking calls from this pathetic knacker.  and b) if they did, he would exhaust all his football chat in 2 mins. Bet he doesn't even like soccer. 

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

24 minutes ago, Pilko said:

I mean given the roaring success of recent 'Bosmans' such as Mark Gillespie, Andy Carroll and Jeff Hendrick, why wouldn't you want to tap into that rich vein of free talent?

Play that mother and her kids he's evicting as a back three next season. She'll need the cash, so I'm sure they'll come cheap.

[et tu brute]

11 hours ago, TRon said:

I'm not sure we did mentally down tools, it might just have been our usual supplication to the Big Six. Steve is a big believer in honouring the great clubs of this land ( which of course don't include us) so he may well just have convinced the team to accept a modest defeat before the kick off. 

Against the better teams in the league (if you can actually really class Arsenal as one), you cannot have your two central midfielders basically sitting right in front of your central defence, as that just invites wave upon wave of pressure and makes it very difficult to exert any forward movement and momentum. This was noticeably demonstrated by St Max time and time again coming deep into his own half to try and receive the ball. The warning signs were there against a ten men West Ham, who dominated the second half until the arrival of Willock.
 

It’s blatantly obvious the central midfield of Shelvey (especially) and Longstaff are too slow with not enough forward movement to make any positive impact on a game. Football has changed so much in the last two years never mind five or ten, however we have a dinosaur and totally inadequate manager, who is unable to see obvious problems with the personnel and set up of the team. I still can’t believe we are sitting 9 points clear with 4 games to go. He is lucky we have two players in St Max and Wilson who are better than players within the teams below us, and have been able to make some point winning contributions with the ability they have. 
 

We are and always will be under Ashley a club struggling to keep afloat before we eventually fail and disappear down the plug hole.

[Shearergol]

9 hours ago, nbthree3 said:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/do-not-expect-a-spending-spree-this-summer-says-newcastle-united-manager-steve-bruce-pl6nvsdrr

“Of course every club will be the same, they will be looking at Bosmans [free transfers], which are always attractive for obvious reasons,” the 60-year-old said.

“I have to say to everybody, I can’t see there being swathes of money anywhere in the Premier League. The discussions I’ve had with other managers, the Covid situation has left the football world losing millions. I can’t see a load of money being spent this summer.

 

Which in turn brings the price of ALL players down. Let's not forget that. It really isn't an excuse. Just means that the midfielder we* wanted for £25m is now probably worth £15m.

 

 

*obviously not NUFC, that would be £3m

[Paully]

So do we - YOU! You useless bellend!

 

[Yorkie]

Meaningfulness guff. 

[Shearergol]

Losing lots of games isn't the same as inconsistency though Steve. Sheff United have been fairly consistent this season.

Wish he'd remember that the reason we were "inconsistent" against the likes of Sheff United was how he set the team up. 

[Robster]

41 minutes ago, Paully said:

So do we - YOU! You useless bellend!

 

Someone should photoshop his arm pointing either towards himself or an image of Ashley.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Robster

[NG32]

Another season of this coming up .  

[9133818919]

52 minutes ago, Robster said:

 

Someone should photoshop his arm pointing either towards himself or an image of Ashley.

Terrible attempt

 

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by imChris
added text

[Lazarus]

[gjohnson]

Ok serious question time....

What is it Bruce has that has enabled him to take charge of 900 games over his career? 

Was he good enough at some point and just been left behind? Do a few promotions to the Premiership blind owners? 

 

[Robster]

I think the answer is that he's shown that he's OK-ish at a lower level. His personal man management of players has done enough in the early period at clubs to give him some sort of a reputation. He definitely did ok at Birmingham, relatively.
League One is where he should have been all his career. In 2021, he should be nowhere near the PL or The Championship.

[gjohnson]

Also...is it not possible that playing under arguably one of the best ever managers ever clouds owners judgements and puts a false reputation ahead of them?

Think of the players under Ferguson who have become managers...how many have actually been any good?

Hughes...fair to middling at best

Nevilles...both pretty rubbish

Ince....ego of Mourinho, performance of league one

Giggs....did ok, but not great

Bruce...less said the better

Solskjaer...doing ok, but nothing stand out

Bryan Robson....gave up after being relegated

Scholes...freely admitted he couldn't handle the hassle

Keane...Ok in Championship

Kanchelsikis...languishing in Uzbekistan

Sheringham...sacked from Stevenaage and an Indian club

Stam...sacked from Reading, last seen in MLS

Blanc...probably the best of the lot

Rooney...currently trying his best to get Derby into a relegation fight

 

Several more who get/got sacked within a single season.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Definitely. Football is (or was) a weirdly old fashioned place based on who you know and what your name is.

It's only fairly recently that managers like Tuchel etc have come through by actually being good.

[Darth Crooks]

 

[Sifu]

On 24/04/2021 at 15:45, et tu brute said:

Will he get manager of the month 

 

On 24/04/2021 at 15:49, Sifu said:

Ah fuck, this isn't beyond the realms of possibility 

So yep, nominated alongside Allardyce, Bielsa and Solskjaer.

[gjohnson]

6 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Definitely. Football is (or was) a weirdly old fashioned place based on who you know and what your name is.

It's only fairly recently that managers like Tuchel etc have come through by actually being good.

On a broader note...is this a new thing where fans can see a manager is terrible even before being appointed?

I mean who were the PFMs of the late 80's/Early 90's?

Consider Keegan for us....no experience, but came in and changed everything....who could do that now? Hatem? Cabaye?

There was a time just after he retired that I thought Beardsley would have been brilliant for us...(yes im well aware that he's been proven to be a terrible idea)