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Brendan Rodgers outlines very different ambitions and outlook to Steve Bruce after win at SJP

3 years ago
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Brendan Rodgers and his players find themselves now third in the table, only one point off top spot.

The win over Newcastle United on Sunday means the Foxes are 12 places above the Magpies, who haven’t now won in their last six games.

The only minimal consolation was that Andy Carroll scored his first Premier League goal for 33 months, a goal that was the first Newcastle have scored in over six and a half hours of football.

Steve Bruce claims all kinds of positives in recent performances, whilst he recently stated that his ‘remit’ at Newcastle United is survival.

Newcastle fans struggling to see many / any positives, unless you count gutsy backs to the wall efforts by the players as they are dominated by better teams playing progressive attacking football. When you say better teams playing better football, it is not just against the likes of Liverpool, Man City and Leicester, it was exactly the same against Leeds, Fulham and Brentford.

After winning comfortably on Tyneside yet again, Brendan Rodgers has outlined his hopes / expectations, declaring: ‘We want to be a team that, year on year, can get European football. Our job is, can we disrupt the hierarchy?’

Brendan Rodgers took charge of his first Leicester match on 3 March 2019 when the Premier League table looked like this:

After that opening game, Brendan Rodgers only lost two games in the remainder of the 2018/19 season, 1-0 away at Man City, 1-0 at home to Rafa Benitez and Newcastle United.

Steve Bruce came in to replace Rafa Benitez and in the transfer market since the two bosses took over, Steve Bruce has had a net spend of over £100m, whilst Brendan Rodgers has had a net spend of £24m (stats via Transfermarkt) in his time at Leicester so far.

Nobody would deny that Brendan Rodgers inherited a better squad but in less than two years he has improved them immensely, both by the players he has signed and most important, improving the players / team he inherited.

A fifth place last season when very unlucky to miss out on Champions League, playing Europa League football (have finished top of their group) this season and now third in the table and very much looking to ensure that Champions League football this time, maybe even compete for the title again.

It is comical that managers such as Brendan Rodgers (and Hasenhuttl at Southampton and many others, Bielsa at Leeds etc) all just get on with it, doing their job of improving individuals and the team.

All we hear from Steve Bruce is that survival equals success and not a single player has improved, apart from possibly the goalkeepers with all the practice they get!

Steve Bruce has more excuses than I had with my homework, many moons ago, he keeps saying things take time, over and over again. It is just yet one more big fat excuse. There has been zero improvement under Steve Bruce, despite that £100m+ net spend, Steve Bruce in his entire career hasn’t even finished top eight of the Premier League, no matter how much money he is allowed to spend, he never will.

Brendan Rodgers speaking after winning 2-1 at Newcastle United:

“We want to be a team that, year on year, can get European football.

“Our job is, can we disrupt the hierarchy?

“We might not financially – we don’t have the finances to go and get that £70m, £80m, £90m player – but we can in a football way.

“My ambition is to get into Europe again and for us to progress.

“What’s nice is our top players are getting their fitness back and that’s exciting for us in the second part of the season.”

Brendan Rodgers also talking to LCFC TV after the match:

“I thought it was a very good win.

“It was always going to be a hard-fought, tough game, but I thought we came through it very well.

“In terms of a defensive perspective, we knew they were going to be hard to break down.

“We saw that during the week against Liverpool, but yes, we break away with that speed and quality and we finished both goals really well.

“They were both very important strikes. You need to get the goal and that opened up the game a little bit. Once we got the first goal, we were able to do that.

“The game becomes a war.

“They’ve got big players coming into the box, so you have to show your mettle and show that ability to dig deep, and the players did that, which was very pleasing.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 1 Leicester 2 – Sunday 3 January 2.15pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Carroll 82

Leicester:

Maddison 55, Tielemans 72

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Leicester 57% (60%)  Newcastle 43% (40%)

Total shots were Leicester 9 (3) Newcastle 7 (3)

Shots on target Leicester 3 (0) Newcastle 2 (1)

Corners were Leicester 6 (3) Newcastle 3 (0)

Referee: Robert Jones

Newcastle United:

Darlow, Yedlin (Carroll 79), Fernandez, Schar, Clark, Matty Longstaff, Sean Longstaff, Ritchie, Almiron (Murphy 64), Joelinton (Shelvey 65), Wilson

Unused Subs:

Dubravka, Krafth, Gayle, Hendrick, Dummett, Manquillo

(Steve Bruce reflects on going six games without a win as Newcastle United lose to Leicester – Read HERE)

(3 Positives and 3 Negatives from Newcastle 1 Leicester 2 – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 1 Leicester 2 – Match ratings and comments on all the NUFC players – Read HERE)

(‘I’m finished with Steve Bruce – Absolutely furious’ – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 1 Leicester 2 Match Report – ‘Not as bad as expected’ – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 1 Leicester 2 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Sunday’s defeat  – Read HERE)

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