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Opinion

Steve Bruce journalist friend defends his mate and goads Newcastle United fans to predictable reaction

4 years ago
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Steve Bruce is in the spotlight.

The 4-0 defeat to an Arsenal team who had won only two of their last seventeen Premier League matches, meaning questions were always going to be asked.

In reality it was no different to the vast majority of games this season, only this time the opposition made their dominance count, punishing Newcastle by scoring the goals that the stats (number of shots, shots on target, possession, expected goals etc etc) pointed to.

Steve Bruce though pointed to Newcastle United’s ‘Achilles heel’, as he has done previously. This ‘Achilles heel’ supposedly the failure to take chances that are created…

Laughable really, yes actually Newcastle had more chances than usual but it was only one or two decent chances and one or two half-decent chances, as opposed to the usual one decent and one half-decent chance.

Only two shots on target and indeed in three Premier League matches this season there wasn’t a single NUFC effort on target.

Newcastle fans since Sunday haven’t really been reacting to a 4-0 defeat, they are reacting to a season full of games where most weeks it could easily have been 4-0, if not for a superb Martin Dubravka, a gritty decent quality set of centre-backs, a good character in the squad, plus massive helpings of luck.

Standing against the tide of public opinion is Luke Edward: Chairman of the ‘My Mate Steve Bruce is great and why don’t you all stop pointing out the truth about him society’ (Still accepting new members, a very diverse bunch, already signed up are D Wise, S Jordan, Mrs Bruce, A Bruce, S Ameobi, J Carver, M Ashley, S Allardyce, Talksport, L Charnley, B Moncur).

Luke is also North-East sports reporter for The Telegraph, covering Newcastle United, very good mates with Steve Bruce and indeed Bruce appears to have made a very good impression on most of the journalists, largely due to when they dealt with him during his Sunderland days, judging by their very soft handling of the NUFC Head Coach and refusal (with one or two exceptions) to hold him to account.

Luke Edwards – Going into battle on Twitter following that 4-0 defeat at Arsenal:

“I really shouldn’t but screw it, what I don’t get with the anti-Bruce mob including one or two in media is, ok, the team hasn’t been playing well.

“It’s been hard work at times but they’ve not been on a losing run, they’ve stayed clear of trouble all season and still they hate

“It goes back to what I’ve been saying for ages, some actually want him to fail, take perverse pleasure in team losing and there are some determined to undermine him regardless of results.

“It’s been a horrible season in that respect. Anyway vital games ahead let’s dance again soon.”

Newcastle fans reply:

Delmore Clancy:

‘Ooh lads, don’t be howwid to my fwend Steve.’

JPQuinn:

‘Because some can see past the results, which aren’t a reliable indicator of future success.’

Ali Pericles:

‘But Luke, the last 12 games we’ve picked up 2 wins in 90 mins and drawn 6. 4 of those wins/draws were against league 1 opposition. Start of the season we had 9 points from 10 games. We had one good run where we picked up points, it’s eerily similar to the days of Pardew.

We got exactly the same flak from some areas of the media about Pardew, and the point is that the decline in the team is worrying, and at some point the wheels are going to come off, it is very similar to where we were that season under Carver.’

LeLouvre:

‘Have you forgotten what football is about? Why 50+ thousand want to turn up at St James Park?

It’s not for stats, it’s not even for 3points. They turn up to be entertained, to watch football that inspires, that takes you away from whatever mundane sh.t is going on in your life.’

Northshieldsmags:

‘Why do you find it strange people don’t like him or wanted him in the first place, the poison starts with Ashley because he is seen as a Yes man he will never win fans over.’

This Dave:

‘Because performances matter. That’s why Benitez ( I know but stay with me) was given more leeway during the terrible start last season. The fans could see that the system was sound, the performances were alright on the whole, that faith was rewarded later on. Bruce has no system.’

PardewFan55:

‘These are some trump-esque takes Mr Edwards, spin it any way you want, we are certainly not safe and the January recruitment was negligent if we’re being nice.’

Mark:

‘What I don’t get with the pro-Bruce mob is how they can have their heads buried so deep in the sand. The football being served up is utterly turgid with seemingly no purpose. Our sole tactic is to give it to the tricky lad and hope he can do something.’

Dan Bell:

‘Bruce has taken us backwards. Worst team to watch in the league with zero identity. But let’s blame the fans.’

Jamie Elliott:

‘You talk about the “anti Bruce mob” like the people who don’t rate Bruce are some dark underground movement out for chaos. We aren’t. We are fans that are concerned for our team because a proven failure is in charge. That’s perfectly normal.’

Andy Husband:

‘Again, why are we a ‘mob’ ? Why can’t we be well informed football fans who have a view ? Bruce is incapable of producing an internally consistent argument. He contradicts himself constantly and some of the things he does beggars belief. Not everyone who disagrees is an idiot.’

Craig:

‘What’s not to get? He’s a limited manager, way out of his depth, full of excuses who shouldn’t be managing at the top level in 2020.’

Steven:

‘I mean, if he wasn’t your mate you’d be saying the exact same things Luke. Try and spin it as much as you want but he hasn’t got a plan, tactics are dreadful when we need to change things. And he’s persevering with a ‘striker’ who couldn’t score in a brothel.’

mightymagpie99:

‘Bruce appears to be imitating Pardew ( dreadful excuses , yes man , heavy defeats etc).Might be a nice bloke & your mate but that’s hardly a recipe for success.He of course is just a patsy & Ashley is the real villain.Why not write about that instead of blaming fans?’

DavidM:

‘Because last season with the addition of Almiron and the improved fitness of Rondon the results were good as were performances. This season there has not been more than a couple of decent performances. Most are along the Carver/McLaren lines with a little fortune.’

Lee Shearer:

‘Serious question: what does Steve Bruce bring to nufc? What attracted Ashley / charnley to him? Surely it couldn’t have been his at best mediocre record which he’s continuing at nufc. I’ve got nothing against him but everything about his record suggests mediocrity then relegation.’

Joe:

‘That you don’t get it is a reflection on you Luke, not the rest of the NUFC fans. You are in an extremely small minority. If you can’t see the prehistoric methods and sheer fortune of this, then you can’t be helped. Relegation imminent next season if this set up stays in place.’

Brady:

‘Fans want the best for our club, is Bruce really the best we can get. Forget his track record for a moment, the team is playing abysmal stuff, with a front line worth 80m and attacking wing backs and this is the best Bruce can produce, 10 men packed around our own box. Amazing!!’

Liam:

‘We made bottom of the league Norwich (look) like they were fighting for Europe.’

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