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Steve Bruce has trust put in him by Newcastle owners, rewards them with this embarrassment

2 years ago
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Steve Bruce has been preparing the Newcastle United team for the game with Tottenham on Sunday.

A whirlwind takeover (in the end!) has left the new owners playing catch up.

Nine weeks into the season, the team without a win in their first eight games and second from the bottom of the league, not exactly the ideal time to be coming in and taking the keys to St James Park.

However, if the Saudi financed consortium hadn’t taken the opportunity to push the button on becoming the new Newcastle United owners, who knows if the opening would have presented itself at a later date.

Sorting out a decent level new manager is obviously a massive priority, after the shambles Steve Bruce has made of the job (no wins in eight games this season, only seven wins in the last thirty seven matches, conceding more goals than any other PL club these past ten months, no PL club accumulating less points than Newcastle in the last 34 PL games…and so on) and whilst they continue to look for the right candidate, on Friday the new owners confirmed Steve Bruce would be in charge on Sunday and until further notice.

Indeed, the new owners did everything they could to take the heat / pressure out of the Steve Bruce pre-Spurs press conference by 30 minutes earlier (at 1pm on Friday) publishing an official statement (see below) bigging up the current Head Coach, mentioning in particular how ‘professional’ he had been…

“We met Steve and the players on Monday and have given them the time and space this week to focus on preparing for what is a very important game on Sunday. Steve has been very professional in our dealings with him and he and his coaching team will take the team on Sunday. If we make any changes going forward, Steve will be the first to know but, in the meantime, we wish him the best of luck in his 1,000th match as a manager and will be joining you in getting right behind the team.”

Then we got to the actual Steve Bruce press conference…

Steve Bruce talking to the media ahead of Newcastle v Tottenham – Friday 15 October 2021:

“It is not about money with me.

“I want to be the manager of Newcastle.

“I will have a crack.

“Who wouldn’t want this opportunity [under the new NUFC owners]?

“I hope yous [journalists] are feeling heat from your bosses…because it [getting sacked] hasn’t happened, what you said, what you wanted.

“I have to just concentrate on my job.

“I have tried to keep my dignity.

“But I hope you guys [in the media] are getting a slap from your bosses.

“Getting a bit of heat.

“Whoever it was feeding you information, they didn’t get it right.

“All week, the ability I’ve had from the experience [in previous management jobs], is that I just had to get on with my job.

“After a brief ten minute conversation with the owners, I was told to just carry on.

“We are all looking forward to Sunday and let’s hope we can get a result [against Tottenham].”

Steve Bruce claims to be a Newcastle United fan, claims to want to carry on as NUFC manager, yet at such a delicate, fragile time for the club (new owners thrown in at the deep end, so much to do taking over during the season after over 14 years of Ashley neglect and in serious relegation trouble due to him (Bruce)!), instead of saying all the correct (professional!) things, he instead uses the opportunity to launch an embarrassing attack on the journalists who cover Newcastle United and does his best to undermine the positive post-takeover mood.

Honestly, what an embarrassment this bloke is.

I understand totally why the new owners have felt it best to keep him in charge for Sunday’s match (no ideal new manager able to come in at such short notice, seen to do the right thing / act professionally and take time to make the right decisions…) BUT I so wish he wasn’t going to be there!

What a selfish knacker, making it all about him rather than the football club, the fans and the new owners.

Those new owners must have been shaking their heads in disbelief, they had put their trust in Steve Bruce to be a safe pair of hands, to be the total professional…and instead they get that embarrassing mess. Can you imagine any proper decent manager going on like he did, having the nerve to talk about ‘dignity’ and then saying he hopes people are ‘getting a slap’ for just doing their jobs.

If anybody deserves a ‘slap’ for doing a bad job this season where Newcastle United are concerned, I know somebody who should be right at the front of the queue.

Newcastle United Official Statement – Friday 15 October 2021:

‘Newcastle United can confirm that head coach Steve Bruce will take charge of Sunday’s Premier League fixture with Tottenham Hotspur and in doing so reach his 1,000th professional match as a manager.

Amanda Staveley said:

“We have had an extremely busy week reviewing the business and getting to know people and it is imperative that we continue to be patient and considered in our approach.

“Change does not always happen overnight, it demands time and that we follow a carefully considered plan and strategy.

“We met Steve and the players on Monday and have given them the time and space this week to focus on preparing for what is a very important game on Sunday.

“Steve has been very professional in our dealings with him and he and his coaching team will take the team on Sunday.

“If we make any changes going forward, Steve will be the first to know but, in the meantime, we wish him the best of luck in his 1,000th match as a manager and will be joining you in getting right behind the team.

“Thank you for the warm welcome you have given us. We can’t wait to be at St. James’ Park with you.”

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