In reality, all we have to comment on and make assumptions on is what we’re fed from the media. But yesterday I found the messages coming from more than one Newcastle United player really alarming and damaging to the core.
It’s not bad enough that our form and results look like damning us to Championship football next season, but when the likes of Fraser and Clark come out with their statements it adds more worry and negativity to the fray.
Fraser claims the dressing room has never been worse and that no one’s talking, while the usually reliable Clark admitted that the players “weren’t up for it” at Brighton.
Then we have The Chronicle reporting that for 15 minutes or so after the game a lot of the players thought that Bruce had been sacked. Perhaps, and I know it’s conjecture, they were hoping he had been. It may have gone someway to explaining such an abysmal performance.
I often wonder what’s said immediately before kick-off when the players link in a circle and usually Lascelles leads them. Perhaps it’s “look lads if we’re really, really bad they’ll have to sack him!”.
It’s hard to imagine whatever is said motivates them as they break, take the knee, and then surrender to the fabulous footballing giant that is Brighton and Hove Albion in a relegation six-pointer dubbed our biggest game of the season. Then with the game gone here come the pressers/interviews and it gets worse.
Before I get into it, let’s step back a moment and look at the sides that Bruce is selecting regardless of his injury situation. You could hardly say they are a bunch of young inexperienced players that can’t cope with pressure situations. No, they are all experienced professionals.
That makes it all the more worrying for me. Now consider what Ryan Fraser said after the game:
“The mood is the lowest it’s been.
“We just weren’t good enough.
“It was a must-win game after doing alright in the last couple of weeks.
“It didn’t happen for us.
“It’s horrible,”
“No one’s going to be happy about it. Everyone is down, no one is speaking in there.”
Wow. This from a player that I concede has suffered from injury and bad management from Bruce but to me has never looked as if he’s wanted to be fit or cared and has been a massive disappointment.
Then, unbelievably, Ciaran Clark comes out with his statement that whilst it might show he cares it must surely anger and dismay the loyal NUFC fan base that invests so much time, energy, and money into following their Club.
“On Saturday night we weren’t up for it as a group of players.
“For some reason, it didn’t work for us.”
This really is the most damning statement of all. Consider this. These players get paid a vast fortune for doing something they supposedly love doing and quite simply are not giving anywhere near enough to justify their wages.
I don’t even like my job, apologies, and respect to those that haven’t got one, and I get paid peanuts in comparison for doing it. I’m too old and have little talent but goodness I have passion and would be willing to show it in abundance if Bruce picked me and do it for nowt!
We must have the worst Owner, Managing Director and Head Coach we’ve ever had and it’s clearly getting through to the players who are now really starting to come out and tell it like it is and unfortunately what it is, is alarming!
This is what happens due to serious management dereliction of duty, and as fans, we saw this coming years ago.
My Cashley is a cancer within this club and we need some seriously seious surgery otherwise it’s terminal.
Pirciestreet(Quote)
Yeah the team weren’t speaking after the match its the quietest its been in there very low point for the team. Why did the players think he had been sacked so soon after the match ? He obviously had interviews to take. As for Clarke comments he’s right, they weren’t up for it just like they weren’t up for it at home against them. We all know what a difference one player can have and we have 2 of them in wilson and maxi. Can’t expect this squad of players to play well every week without our main men. He should still be sacked going off trends from past years, however when we sacked managers in the past we still went down, therefore why not stick with him until the end of the season and then get rid.
Darren(Quote)
Going down and staying down. Collymore said exactly how it is. Neither Bruce or Ashley care, otherwise action would of been taken to fix the mess
Colin Heslop(Quote)
Any team who gets beat 3-0 again by the same team wouldn’t be happy and with 2 wins in 20 it won’t be a great place to work. Just like anywhere else. Tomorrow’s headline will be cut, copy and paste then rejig the headline. …….its getting boring now.
Cocobear(Quote)
Oh dear, how sad.
BT(Quote)