Quite often, managers will be defined by not just their results but what they say. There’s supposed to be a lot of weight in a manager’s words. Their words can echo round the club corridors like a memento of what makes the club something for the fans.
Newcastle have been treated to some perfect, era-defining quotes from managers such as Robson’s “What is a club in any case?” to Benitez’s “We are not a stepping stone.” Many will point at Kevin Keegan’s “I would love it” moment as his most iconic, but the one that sticks in my mind is that beautiful, damning destruction of Ashley’s reign insisting that “He is one man. We are a city.”
I’m glad I reminded myself of these quotes, because Steve Bruce has now made his era-defining statement; confirming everything I thought about the man, the pathetic excuse of his management and the absolute falseness of his fan credentials.
His statement reads as the following:
“What do you gauge as success?
“I gauge success last year as matching Rafa’s tally of points.
“He was a world-class manager. Where did he finish (10th & 13th)?
“Is that success?
“We matched the mighty Rafa.”
The part that really irks me here is that last bit. That last snarky, sarcastic, nasty comment should define him for the disrespect he consistently shows us fans no he’s completely lost the plot.
How dare we dream and enjoy something under a different manager! How dare we look forwards towards a better future! How dare we take more heed from the words of greater men that him!
He really is the most spineless, narcissistic cretin of a person and shows how he cannot be ever considered a real Geordie.
For context, Steve, we were promoted as champions with Rafa after he decided to stay at what could have been a sinking ship, he gained us a top 10 finish on a shoestring budget, he had a clear plan from day dot and he didn’t insult the fans with nauseating negative comments every time he was asked to speak about the club.
Rafael Benitez was adored by many of the fanbase because of the message of his era-defining statement, whilst you are despised for the message of yours.
He then follows up this absolute detritus of an opinion with this:
“I’ve been in it and managed nearly 500 games in the Premier League and would like to think that deserves a little bit of respect.
“When you are on a bad run, of course, accept it.
“But some of the stuff has bordered on being outrageous.
“Maybe people need to change and give the club a little bit of respect rather than always being negative.”
“Unless that changes it doesn’t matter who will sit here, anybody could. That is why it is so difficult.”
God only knows if he understands the irony of his statement on ‘negativity’ from the press and fans on social media, because it’s one of the most ridiculous things to come out of his mouth (and there’s been a lot).
I’m not going to comment much more on this but instead flip it around to him: Maybe you need to change and give the club a little bit of respect rather than always being negative. After all, this is the man who played a 5-4-1 formation featuring four centre-backs and only two attacking players in the entire line up against a rock bottom Sheffield United who hadn’t won a league game for SIX months until Bruce-ball rocked up.
Steve Bruce is the luckiest man in football to live in a world where Newcastle fans can’t currently visit St James’s Park, because I can promise him that he would know our true, vehement, unrestrained feelings if we could.
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Yup pressure is nothing new for Bruce as everywhere he goes he leaves a legacy of bad management and totally unbelievable tactics. He will b a very rich man the amount of times he’s been sacked lol. Get rid of this muppet before it’s to late and we head into the championship.
Marty(Quote)
good thread mate,and true
icedog(Quote)
His comment about matching Rafa’s points tally is only poignant because idiots like you insist on referring to Rafa as a genius, then slag off Bruce.
There’s a piece on NUFC.COM today that says statistics prove that Bruce is one of the worst managers we have ever had because of the points tally he’s gained over his 56 games in charge in the Prem.
It conveniently neglects to mention the fact that Bruce, bad as he is, still has more points in those 56 games than Rafa got in his first 56 games in charge of us in the Prem.
And to give Rafa a fighting chance, that rings true if you decide to count the 8 games in charge before he took us down, or just the ones after we came back up.
“…..he didn’t insult the fans with nauseating negative comments”. Does that include comments like “these players aren’t good enough to play attacking football”, and “if I keep this team up it will be a miracle”? Or are they just not nauseating enough?
“The part that really irks me here is that last bit.” Here you show us that you are just one of the many deluded Toon fans who cannot get over the fact that Rafa dumped us for a richer team.
The painful truth of the matter is that points are the only indicator that matters, and Bruce is doing better than Rafa, so if you think Rafa good, Bruce bad, you don’t really have a logical leg to stand on.
Does anybody else remember the good old days when it was possible to write an article on a blog that didn’t slag off the manager, Charnley or Ashley?
BykerBill(Quote)
The true comparison lies in points gained per £ spent. That is where you will find Bruce lacking. Rafa didn’t get the same kind of backing despite having an actual plan to improve the club and kick on from the work done. Your idol Bruce has taken us backwards with a huge spend, I’m pleased that makes you happy.
CSH(Quote)
Good Lord, what a good post, I am laughing my head off! You could see the improvement in individual players on a monthly basis under Rafa. Spending loads of money, living off Rafa’s legacy and relying on Lady Luck is no substitute for a proper manager building something rather than surviving in a job week to week and presser to presser.
I can’t wait for your next contribution.
PS I like Brucey personally but I love my club more.
Peter Stabler(Quote)
Some fans are daft on Rafa and don’t see the similarities in stats.
Yes organisationally we had more structure under Rafa – but the results were very similar, and it certainly wasn’t enjoyable to watch.
But, what Bruce needs to appreciate is that regardless of how his stats stack up against Rafa – they stack up very badly against the other PL teams in the league now – and ultimately that’s what matters!!.
If he gets more points than Rafa, but less points than 17 other teams in the league – he still gets relegated ??♂️.
I think Bruce thinks he’s coming out fighting with comments like this. But he admits himself that performances haven’t been good enough recently. If he wants respect, it’s earned!! – play well, win games & then there is no argument to be had.
Sharpy17(Quote)
How utterly stupid are you to think Steve Bruce gets any say whatsoever in who comes and who goes? He’s The HEAD COACH. Not THE MANAGER. Massive difference. And you seen the **** Rafa bought when he was MANAGER – were stuck with a lot of it now.
Davy Scott(Quote)