I can't believe what I've just heard from Steve Bruce - He's officially lost the plot..
Steve Bruce has delivered the news we’ve all been waiting for. After four goals in seven games, the lowest possession percentage in the league, and lowest amount of touches in an opposition penalty box, a tactical change is needed.
The expansive, swashbuckling approach simply has to go. It’s way to cavalier for our own good.
Now I’m aware sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but my wits are at an end with Bruce’s latest offering.
I was having a conversation with a fellow mag recently who said Bruce’s every word is being unfairly scrutinised, maybe this could be true but with the amount of contradictions he offers, and of course, his results, it isn’t surprising. So I’m going to do what apparently makes us the meanest most high maintenance fans out there...pick apart his quotes. Let’s start with this one.
Firstly, tomorrow is the eight game of this season, so if Bruce had this revelation after only the second game, then what’s he been waiting for? Sounds petty and of course the following game resulted in a gutsy, back’s to the wall win at Spurs, and the Liverpool game was a 3-1 defeat against one of the world’s best club teams, but what does he have to say about Watford, Brighton and Leicester? Was that even supposed to be attacking or were we trying to contain?
That brings me nicely onto my next point. All I hear Bruce supporters offer as one of his “qualities” is experience. He has himself said that he had little time pre season, he’s of course right and that isn’t his fault. So with all his experience, why try and change things too soon? Surely an experienced manager takes stock of what he has, then changes it gradually.
Bruce steamed in, lauding the new signings and the hierarchy, saying he was going to do this and that, without fully understanding his squad, and it hasn’t worked. So he’s reverting back to a system and style that was working last season.
This isn’t a question of comparing Benítez to Bruce or vice versa, this is a question of simply applying common sense when taking up a new position.
Then the very worrying statement of “out of seven games, we’ve been disappointing twice”......... I can honestly say, with no exaggeration, Norwich, Brighton and Leicester are in the ten worst performances I’ve seen in my life from a Newcastle team, so which one of these does Bruce think is acceptable? With the exception of Spurs, all the others have been pretty diabolical too.
I take no pleasure in constantly being negative about Steve Bruce. Sadly, he isn’t giving me any other choice.
