Alex Bruce has launched a scathing attack on Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope following our 2-0 win against Fulham.
Hope, who was banned by NUFC after leaking a true story about a dressing room bust-up, has been highly critical of our manager ever since he took over the reins at St James’ Park.
Steve Bruce actually ripped into the reporter in an explosive interview on talkSPORT earlier this month, calling him “negative” and saying he “needed put in his place”.
Now his son Alex has echoed his Dad’s views – albeit with slightly more aggressive language – after Hope criticised our manager for antagonising Toon supporters in his post-match interview on Sunday.
While Bruce junior is within his right to defend his Dad if he feels the criticism is unjust, the tone of his attack comes across as unprofessional and hardly something his old man is likely to be happy with.
Is there some truth in Hope being incapable of saying “well done?” Maybe, but his initial exclusive wasn’t wrong, so you’d have to wonder if there’s an agenda in the opposite direction when it got him banned from the press room by Bruce senior!
There are many Toon fans who appear unwilling to admit that we have had a good end to the season, and some may argue he is one of them.
That said, for Bruce junior to rip into him the way he did, in a personal manner, is wrong. Hope’s vendetta has never been personal, he simply doesn’t believe that Steve Bruce is the right man for NUFC, and he is well within his right to think so based on a lot of what we’ve seen, heard and read over the past 18 months.
The story he reported back in March is undeniably true – Bruce and Ritchie confirmed the bust-up – making NUFC plain wrong to ban him from the club.
Both father and son appear unwilling to accept criticism when it comes their way, even when it is justified, suggesting they really don’t have the ‘thick sin’ Steve Bruce constantly talks about.
This latest episode shows why the toxicity would only continue if Bruce senior remains in charge next season.
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Most managers in the premiership take total responsibility when things go wrong and do not throw the players they are supposed to be improving through being a good coach under the bus, they genuinely have a bit of class.
The only exceptions that I can recall of late are Steve Bruce and Jose Mourhinio.
Clubs normally get rid of the latter as has been shown with Jose, who despite his initial charm in my opinion has lost the plot.
Steve Bruce doesn’t even have plot, and should be thanking Graeme Jones for saving his job.
We did not start to play any attacking play until he arrived, and played the worst football and systems I have witnessed in over 50 years.
Joseph(Quote)
Hope doesn’t believe Bruce should have got the Newcastle job & he’s entitled to his opinion.
What is wrong is that he’s using his position as a journalist to try & run him out the club. Plenty of fans will be fine with that because they don’t want Bruce there either – but journalism should be impartial.
I don’t think Hope has remained impartial all of the time – and that’s what’s unprofessional.
Alex Bruce is just a passionate son watching his dad getting slaughtered consistently.
I don’t know what your relationship is like with your families, but I’m **** sure I’d be doing the same in his position.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Alexa Bruce is a little girl that’s already threatened NUFC fans with violence and for some reason the press are letting this numpty use their platform to promote his self promotion under the veil of standing up for his Dad
His Dad is old enough and certainly ugly enough to talk for himself
Would like to say – Just imagine just what NUFC could have done with a MANAGER instead of a p!ss soaked clown = WE NEED A MANAGER
KK(Quote)
In your “managers not taking responsibility” do you include Rafa Benitez, who threw the entire squad under the bus when he said it would be a miracle if he could keep them up?
BykerBill(Quote)
“for Bruce junior to rip into him the way he did, in a personal manner, is wrong.”
Aye – completely wrong. I mean that would be like fans on blogs ripping into Bruce, in a personal manner.
Are you honestly trying to say that Bruce isn’t allowed to stand up for himself or express his opinion?
I seem to remember Rafa, SBR and King Kev expressing their own not too popular thoughts.
It only seems to be a problem when people like you disagree with those opinions.
Many fans said that we were going down with Bruce at the helm but he’s kept us up for 2 seasons, both times pretty much equalling Rafa’s “miraculous” achievements.
I think Bruce is entitled to express his opinion.
As for his gobby son – his opinion counts for nothing. Just like mine, and just like yours, but he also is entitled to express it. And if you thought your dad had performed minor miracles and was being slagged off for it, wouldn’t you have something to say about it?
BykerBill(Quote)
This blog seems to have a personal vendetta against Steve Bruce. Nothing positive gets posted about him.
As for Craig Hope, if you’ve been reading the chronicle for a while, you’ll notice – most of his exclusives seems to be old news spun over and over to make it sound new. Everything is a copy paste from other articles in newsnow
Ron(Quote)
No personal vendetta, we’re just not going to drool over Bruce because he’s put out the fire he started.
We’ve admitted he’s proved us wrong regarding his ability to keep us up and praised him for our incredible end to the season – I did not see it coming – however his painful comments pre/post match, the digs at fans (called up keyboard warriors & questioned expectations), his constant lowering of expectations, tendency to throw his players under the bus and talk up the opposition, the awful brand of football / lack of tactics before Jones arrived & constant moving of players (e.g Almiron plays great in no.10 role then gets moved!) and changing of systems has made this season a mess in the main.
He’s kept us up – Ashley’s one and only target – and deserves a pat on the back for our end-of-season form, but he’s not the answer. This squad is capable of much more than they’ve produced for 75% of this season.
Olly Hawkins(Quote)