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Opinion

Steve Bruce 1 of only 5 Newcastle United Managers since SBR with 40 PL games – How they compare

4 years ago
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Where does the time seriously go, I turned 33 last Friday and it doesn’t seem that long ago when we saw Sir Bobby Robson disgracefully sacked by Freddie Shephard and replaced by Graeme Souness, one of very few Newcastle United managers I wanted to see sacked by the club.

I absolutely hated the bloke with a passion and couldn’t forgive him for the damage he did to the team at the time.

Very few players who have then played for Newcastle these past 16 years, would have got anywhere close to forcing their way into that Sir Bobby Robson line-up.

An exciting team with the likes of Shearer, Bellamy, Dyer, Jenas, Solano, Robert, Speed, Bernard and Given in it.

A very good side and the last team I felt was capable of winning something.

Souness ‘succeeded’ in destroying that hope and for me started the downward spiral from there on.

Since Sir Bobby Robson we have seen no less than 12 managers take the reins in 16 years. Great plan for a well run club!

The latest “messiah” at our once great club in Steve Bruce is now 40 Premier league games into his tenure. A record of 12 wins, 11 draws, 17 losses. Certainly nothing to shout about.

It got me thinking how many Newcastle United managers since Sir Bobby Robson have actually managed 40 Premier league games in these past 16 years?

So I looked back and found there have only been five, this is how they did in their first 40 PL matches with Newcastle United:

Graeme Souness – 11 wins 14 draws 15 losses 47 points

Glenn Roeder – 19 wins 8 draws 13 losses 65 points

Alan Pardew – 14 wins 15 draws 11 losses 57 points

Rafa Benitez – 11 wins 12 draws 17 losses 45 points

Steve Bruce – 12 wins 11 draws 17 losses 47 points

So the Scot who lost the plot and ruined SBR’s excellent team.

Glenn Roeder who statistically is the most successful, which really surprised me.

Alan Pardew who had his good moments but an overwhelming load of bad ones.

Before Rafa Benitez and finally our very own, Steve Bruce.

For me the football under the latest manager (Head Coach) is at its very worst standard ever, in the time period I refer to.

With Mike Ashley to blame for the demise of the club , the lack of ambition, the lack of soul, the lack of excitement, the lack of life altogether in the club.

Ashley has ruined a brilliant football club in my eyes and I find it quite laughable when I hear people claim he “saved us”.

The whole club feels pointless and every time I’m brave enough to try and fire myself up and be positive about the club , I’m left more angry and feeling down, when the club shoots itself in the foot on and off the pitch in countless ways.

Steve Bruce is currently sitting on a £100m net spend in the short 14 months since Mike Ashley shocked us all with his appointment.

So £100m net spend for two extra measly points on the back of the job Rafa Benitez did in stabilising the club and putting us on fairly solid ground (Rafa’s first 40 PL games at NUFC split between the final 10 games of the 2015/16 relegation season and first 30 of the 2017/18 one after promotion (Rafa’s NUFC won four of the final eight that season)).

I really do want Steve Bruce to do well and be the man that will bring the long awaited trophy to the club, I wish him nothing but the best, but let’s see some genuine honesty from the likes of Alan Shearer in his analysis on Newcastle United and stop hiding behind his friendship with Bruce. Only blaming the players for every terrible performance we witness, after all, the same core of players were running out for Rafa Benitez only 16 months ago, NUFC having the fifth best form and fifth highest goals total over the final 16 PL games of that 2018/19 season.

So please, let’s see a bit of honesty and not just see people in the media pretend Steve Bruce is doing such a wonderful job because it is an insult to every fan that wears black and white. Comments welcome.

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