Bruce Manager of NUFC

[essembeeofsunderland 359]

1 hour ago, Ugly Mackems said:

Got to ask who spotted and recruited the current lot? 

Carr and Nixon I would have thought

[PaddockLad 2,638]

Daniel Storey F365:

 

The three Newcastle United myths
“Well they are never happy, are they? They want to win the Champions League but they’re not in it unfortunately” – Mark Lawrenson, November 7.

Well, yes and no. Of course Newcastle United fans would like to win the Champions League. Every supporter of every club wants their team to be as successful as it can be. But that’s not the point (and it’s not Lawrenson’s point either). He is insinuating (as many other pundits have) that there is an unhelpful entitlement amongst Newcastle United supporters, a lack of gratitude for their current situation. You’re 14th in the Premier League, guys – what’s the worry?

The worry is that they support a football team that barely even tries to attack. After 84 minutes against Chelsea on Saturday, with their team 2-0 down but with a throw-in close to Chelsea’s goalline, Newcastle played the ball back down the line, then into central midfield and then to their goalkeeper. Karl Darlow launched the ball upfield and Chelsea won back possession. That’s the worry.

Newcastle rank 20th in the league for shots per game. Newcastle rank 20th in the league for shots on target per game. Newcastle rank 20th in the league for touches in the opposition box per game. Newcastle rank 20th in the league for passes in the final third per game. Newcastle rank… 19th in the league for successful passes per game. Huzzah!

“Newcastle don’t have the personnel to play any other way.”

Nonsense. They have Callum Wilson, a proven No. 9 who will score when serviced effectively and probably still score a few when he isn’t. They have Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin, two exciting wide attackers whose confidence has been shorn to the point of disillusionment (see the comments of Almiron’s agent this week for details). They have Ryan Fraser too, and a collection of capable midfield holders. They have Jamal Lewis, an excellent attacking left-back.

It is true that Newcastle don’t have a squad capable of making a sustainable challenge for a top-six place or one suited to playing all-out-attack football, but then both of those are straw-man arguments. They do have a squad that might offer more if they didn’t sit 40 yards from their own goal and hope that their goalkeeper produces consistent brilliance to keep them in matches.

“Erm, they played exactly like this under Rafael Benitez.”

They did indeed play very deep under Benitez against Big Six opponents, particularly away from home. Benitez got plenty of stick for one defeat against Manchester City in which Newcastle also barely bothered to try and attack. But here’s the thing: They didn’t always play that way.

Between January 1 and the end of 2018/19, when Benitez managed his last game, Newcastle ranked joint-sixth in the league for goals, seventh for chances created and ninth for shots and shots on target. Their five most regular attacking starters were Salomon Rondon, Ayoze Perez, Miguel Almiron, Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie. Those options are not better than Bruce’s now, and were certainly less expensive.

But really, none of this matters. Because you do not get to tell football supporters how they should support their club, particularly those who have ploughed thousands of pounds and hours into it. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more than this (and it would be great if Bruce recognised that and was more adventurous). There’s nothing wrong with wanting your team to attack or even wondering what might happen if they didn’t sit so deep. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be entertained by your football team. Anyone that tells you otherwise is wrong

[Tom 2,993]

I mean I wouldn’t mind if we weren’t entertaining if we looked like our football could get us a result and it was sustainable.

However we aren’t playing any football at all. We can’t even press in groups, we never have the ball & when we do we can’t pass it properly or create anything. 
 

I don’t think I can remember a team failing so many of the basics at once.

[David Kelly 404]

I would love to know what we do practice in training as it's blatantly obvious it's not anything to do with attacking or pressing.  I can only assume it's on how to camp out in front of/just inside our 18 yard box and allow shots at the keeper.

 

 

[Tom 2,993]

There’s a reason Steve Bruce is popular with some of the players & Id bet it’s largely because he lets them doss about.

[Dr Gloom 2,932]

I told my mate down here the other day this is the worst it’s been since Allardyce. I think on reflection, it’s actually worse. The football then was tortuous to watch but at least there was a sense there was some coaching going on behind the scenes. Bruce ball is just clueless 

[trooper 420]

We have to remember as well Bruce was 13th choice for the job.

Next 5 games are...

Palace

Villa

West Brom

Leeds

Fulham

We need to be picking quite a few points from those games (I know) Because the next 3 Premiership games in the 7 days after Xmas are ...

City 

Liverpool

Leicester 

We could be in a relegation fight by then with Bruce still in charge 

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 509]

I am totally not worried about relegation 

[trooper 420]

23 minutes ago, Kevin Carr's Gloves said:

I am totally not worried about relegation 

You dont think it'll happen ? Or not bothered if they get relegated? 

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 509]

3 minutes ago, trooper said:

You dont think it'll happen ? Or not bothered if they get relegated? 

Both tbh. 3 of the bottom 4 currently will be relegated. 25 points will avoid the drop.

[Ayatollah Hermione 3,722]

The win over Everton probably kept us up already since that bottom 4 doesn’t seem like they’ll string two wins together at any point. The most wide-open league in years with regards to continental qualification and we’re still in the mid table mire, Christ

Edited November 24, 2020 by Ayatollah Hermione

[Alex 5,635]

Yeah, it would take quite a turnaround for it not to be 3 from the bottom 4 you’d think 

[Dr Gloom 2,932]

surely we're going to need more than 25 points though? it's only november - bit early to be making calls like that 

[Ayatollah Hermione 3,722]

I read somewhere that Fulham are currently on course to stay up with 17 points. The lack of ability in Sheffield United’s squad is finally being exposed, West Brom and Fulham are complete failures and Burnley shot themselves in the foot by refusing to freshen up the squad. Out of the 4, I’d say Burnley and Dyche are probably the most likely to find some form and stay up but if he walks, they could easily drop. Obviously losing Jeff Hendrick was a major blow.

[Dr Gloom 2,932]

massive

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 509]

37 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

surely we're going to need more than 25 points though? it's only november - bit early to be making calls like that 

It's just a fun prediction but I have done some research into previous seasons.

 

[Howay 2,177]

I mean I understand these pundits are his mates, but when the football is this fucking bad and we’re this far down on every single attacking (and quite a lot of defensive) metric, surely they’ll have to start holding their hands up soon and saying it’s not good enough? As Tom said there’s just nothing at all about this side, I have quite regularly watched them pass it back and forth between Central Mid and Central defense until someone inevitably wildly hoofs it up field to no one, or one of their simple 5 to 8 yard passes is misplaced and rolls out for a throw in, then there’s another 5 - 10 minute spell where we barely touch the ball. 
 

I also don’t understand the pundits constantly bringing up Benitez, the bloke left 18 month ago, we have this daft cunt now and however boring Rafas football was (imo it wasn’t particularly boring but it wasn’t thrilling so I see it both ways) this brand of football is definitely worse to watch. Again though I’m not arsed about Benitez now, he’s gone and Bruce is here, he’s the one doing the terrible job, of their entire point is that we gave Benitez more of a chance then yeah we probably did, Benitez is a manager that has won league and CL titles, Bruce has fucking nowt as a manager, Benitez had a plan in games, I really can’t see Bruce’s plan each week at all, I also fucking hate this assertion that football fans should give him a chance, why? I never wanted him near the club, I knew he is as shit manager, he’s turned out to be a shite manager, so I’m really not sure why I was supposed to give him a chance? I guess so that when he inevitably failed Ashley would be comfortable giving a contract to the next complete dinosaur of a manager knowing we’ll all give him a chance? And in all honesty my (and a lot of others) indifference gave him a chance, he certainly hasn’t done anything with it has he . To top it all off the bloke lays into the fan base on a weekly basis at this point, he’s just a wanker. 

[David Kelly 404]

I've known the man was a cunt since we beat Man Utd 5-0 and he claimed Peacock's goal shouldn't have been allowed despite the camera angle clearly showing it go over the line.  

I've known he's a shite manager ever since he started managing.

Why the fuck would I give him a chance?  His constant bleating on about work in progress and keyboard warriors as well as what the stats tell me and my eyes can see make me feel very comfortable that I never gave him a chance in the first place.  I'm just annoyed that there were suckers out there who did, particularly Ashley.

[Ayatollah Hermione 3,722]

I think Carver’s stint as manager may have been worse but at least that was brief and, if we’re giving him any slack whatsoever, he had a much poorer set of players than this complete joker. I dread to think who his replacement would/will be.

[Tom 2,993]

I think we’d do better if we just let the players crack on themselves.

We probably wouldn’t see Shelvey again but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

[David Kelly 404]

I'm not sure there's many managers still going that I'd want here less than him now.  I mean I know it's certainly not impossible that he would bring some clown back from years out of the game given he did that with Kinnear but I can't actually see him doing it again.  So the only person I can think of that would annoy me close to the level of Bruce would probably be Tim Sherwood.

The problem is all he actually wants is to get shot of us now and as long as we're in the premier league Bruce will suit his purposes.  Especially as it's very unlikely we're going to get any meaningful crowds in this season so he's at no risk of losing ticket sales.

[Sonatine 3,425]

[Monkeys Fist 7,011]

 

Just saying…

[strawb 830]

Pulis has just taken over Sheff Wed last week

[ewerk 6,203]

A natural stepping stone to the NUFC job according to Ashley.