Steve Bruce has hit back at his haters with an explosive response to recent criticism – claiming that it’s “insulting” of fans to claim that he has been ‘lucky’ as if late.
This is despite the fact that his team should’ve been bested in both of their last two outings – and only came away with a result due to (you guessed it) a fair share of luck.
We were outthought and outperformed against both Tottenham and Newport, with only penalties sparing the manager’s blushes. But the results aren’t enough for fans anymore, and I can understand why. Large portions of the fan base are growing tired of the un-inspiring football and especially Steve Bruce’s vacuous attacking strategy.
The support for the manager has always been mixed but it’s now reached boiling point, with the Newport performance bringing criticism out in droves. And Bruce has now hit back at said critics…
“Look, I have had noise from the day I walked through the door”
“I don’t mind noise at all as long as it’s balanced. I can take criticism as long as it’s fair.
“I understand we have not played well enough but, for goodness sake, let’s have a little bit of balance to it. If we win tomorrow, then it will be I’m lucky that we win.
“To say that I’m lucky, I just find it a little bit insulting but I’ll keep trying to try and improve us, try and get better and try and make us play better and that will take a bit of time unfortunately because we’re trying to implement change.
“Have I been lucky for 20 years? What do you not understand? I’m going to question you lot – do you not understand what we’re trying to do?
“Can you not explain that to the supporters, what we are trying to do?”
“The style is a concern so all of a sudden we have to think we’re Liverpool, do we?”
“We’ve got four new players now who haven’t played together. I don’t think I’ve played my strongest team but we’ve done OK in terms of not playing well enough but showing a resilience and a bit of something in keeping going.
“I hope that will keep being the case.”
The manager also emphasised that he is in fact attempting to instil some sort of attacking philosophy in the team this season, despite fans claiming that he’s devoid of any action-plan.
“I’ve tried to play one off the front and I’ve done that in six of the seven games this season to try and go away from the back five, defending deep and playing on the counter-attack.
“We had 27 attempts the other day. That is what we’re trying to achieve. That’s what we’re trying to put into place and I would think that would be pretty obvious if you were balanced on it.”
“I grant you that we haven’t been as stylish as we would have liked. We were stylish against Morecambe, we were stylish against West Ham.“
These are some passionate comments by Bruce but it’s hard to sympathise with him when the football is so bad – from the outside it doesn’t look at all like a plan is in place.
Some of his overly defensive responses to fair fan criticism are also alarming, with seeming to have his head in the sand regarding some of the key issues that have been put his way.
Hopefully he can respond in the best way possible and deliver a win and positive performances against Burnley tonight!
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Gooogle these words “steve bruce louise taylor tactics”. Look at the first hit and then look at the date. It tells you everything you need to know about SB.
Mark(Quote)
INSTEAD OF MAKING EXCUSES AND BLAMING RAFA AND THE FANS WHY DONT YOU LOOK AT YOURSELF????
RAFA DOES NOT DICTATE THE TACTICS HE IS NOT HERE ANYMORE
THE FANS DO NOT DICTATE THE TACTICS BUT CAN SEE THE CLUELESS PLAYERS JUST DEFEND???
SO WHOS TO BLAME
THE MANAGER/HEAD COACH
MR BRUCE
steve(Quote)
I would have to disagree – yet again – with your comments.
We were not saved by penalties – we were saved by a piece of individual brilliance from Jonjo Shelvey, though Joelinton did his best to throw it away.
Explain how you would get our players to play like Liverpool when most of them would struggle to get into West Ham’s team?
Rafa said 2 years ago our players were not good enough to play attacking football.
Bruce had to agree and had to stick with that philosophy – if anything that should be credit to Bruce for seeing it before we lost a string of matches by trying to play a more attacking formation.
So we didn’t have the players 2 years ago. Joelinton has not turned out to be our saviour, this season we have a handful of new players who were either free or relegated, and somehow you expect us to get the upper hand on Spurs, whose team cost 5 times what ours did and they’re managed by Mourinho?
You are conveniently forgetting that last season Bruce outperformed Rafa. Of course, when Rafa did it it was a miracle. And so far Bruce has outstripped Rafa again – in the league and in the cups, but that doesn’t fit your agenda, does it.
Get real – give Bruce another couple of months to get the new players bedded in, and players fit and then you can start whinging with some kind of justification.
Until then, be a real supporter and get behind your team.
Helen Clarey(Quote)
This guy is a complete numpty – the years of heading the ball has taken a heavy toll – so lets get the truth out there….
…it was the Football Pundit’s that said that you were lucky!
NUFC fan’s are unlucky having you as Manager – you blagged your way into this job and have shown what a complete waste of space you are…
,..taking the value of player’s and the club through the floor with your lack of skills = you’ve been given the Benefit of Dought after seeing at Every club only start playing as a team ONLY after you’d been kicked out! Remember Aston Villa? You failed to mention the amount of money wasted and how you got them playing (!?)
He’s been crying like a girl to the Press at every opportunity and getting his drinking buds and family to big him up BECAUSE he’s doing a pathetic job at the club = on and off the pitch – it’s been terrible without any direction = not a manager!
The final straw is to beg for time by putting yourself in the same category as KLOPP (¡!!!???)
IF YOU LOVE THE CLUB = PLEASE GO
You
KK(Quote)
Helen, I’ve not seen a single comment on this blog from you that I agree with.
If we say black, you’ll say white 😆
Also, It’s amusing you want Shelvey to be protected (our worst player on the night before he scored), yet are happy to say Joelinton “did his best to throw it away” when he came on and changed the game. Got an assist and would’ve had another if Fraser took his chance.
So, maybe it’s you who needs to be a “real supporter and get behind your team”.
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
John(Quote)