Does Steve Bruce have three games left to save his job?

I often say that when NUFC are doing well they get a lot of media coverage in the North East and when they are doing badly they get even more. The fallout that is cascading after Saturday’s latest downward spiral is proving that so much.

I never thought we had a chance of a result yesterday and in the end we collapsed to a 4 – 1 defeat that had so many damning moments.

There were a few improved performances – Almiron did well and Sean Longstaff did OK – but it’s hard to believe that a defeat like that has so many picking out positives when that’s now no wins, one point from a possible twelve and more goals conceded than any other side in the Premier League.

We are, at the moment, simply not good enough and looking very likely to be digging a hole we might never climb out of. There is a theory that Bruce is a “lucky” manager and that just when you think he has to go he manages to get a result. Perhaps though his time is running out.

Luke Edwards insists he’ll be given time by Ashley, but Leeds at home on Friday without Callum Wilson is going to be huge. It could turn very ugly.

A poor performance and a defeat may well be the beginning of the end for Bruce’s agony. I say agony because it was hugely uncomfortable watching him yesterday after the game.

Not just the words – he blamed The Chronicle for fan negativity – and astonishing “its everyone’s fault but mine,” rants but the body language and facial expressions were absolutely damning and in a lot of ways sad to see. This is a man that is clearly suffering and looks just about all done in. He doesn’t look well and is reacting in a way that is worrying to see.

Goodness only knows what effect it’s having on his players and the atmosphere in the dressing room and at The Club. Confidence, if there was any in the first place, must be completely shot and motivation has to be at an all-time low. If neither are then Bruce is some kind of genius.

Unfortunately, we know he’s not. Leeds at home is followed by Watford and Wolves away before the next international break. As I said earlier even the Leeds game could seal his fate. But surely any less than one win from those three games and he has to be gone.

14 thoughts on “Does Steve Bruce have three games left to save his job?

  1. No way will he be sacked if we lose to Leeds. It would take three bad beatings in a row before the break for Ashley to even consider giving Bruce the heave ho. I mean are people forgetting that we went on a run of only two wins in twenty last season. The only thing not in Bruce’s favour this season is the fans being back in St James’

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  2. It’s been awful to watch – sorry but Bruce isn’t a Manager

    Only idiots like MD Charmless think because he came from a team with a GREAT Manager that some must have rubbed off = it was a different time when players JUST drank and even turned up for games drunk and on drugs

    He’s making a fortune on failure = millions on being paid off – wrecking young players career’s – wasting club’s money on wasters like Hendrick and Fraser…

    ..which we’ll be left with as impossible to get rid of

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  3. I honestly think that Ashley hopes Bruce will buckle under fan pressure & it will cost him nothing when he walks away , on the other hand being a fan also Bruce should put t his hands in the air & say “sorry lads I done my best but I’m not good enough ,” and save his pride & the club he loves a hell of a lot of cash .
    After all he has the worst record in prem history & toon history , do us & yourself a huge favour Steve & move aside for the next man

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  4. We’re 4 games in and you are coming out with this ****?
    On the 27th October 2019, after 10 games, Benitez had a grand total of 3 points, but that was acceptable because he was griping about the poor quality of his players, and moaning about not getting money to replace them.
    Which he did at Liverpool.
    And Real.
    And basically everywhere he has ever been.
    Remember the “It will be a miracle” speech?
    You were happy to give Rafa the time to sort it out, but Bruce has to go?
    It all boils down to the fact that some fans are unwilling to accept a manager who was at Sunderland.
    Obviously as fans you have the right to express yourself, but please don’t expect to be taken seriously!

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  5. BykerBill you must be Cabbage’s dad or brother. Maybe you are Richard Keys because you sure like to bring Rafa into the conversations.

    Four games in? What the hell are you talking about? Cabbage has had more than four games to show he is out of his depth. Where have you been? I can care less about him being a mackem, or a manc, or a green Martian! Doesn’t matter! His managerial career is there for everyone to see. Almost 1000 career matches he has been in charge with a win rate about 35%. His record for NUFC is 28-26-39 with a win rate even worse about 30%. How much more do you need to see? It’s awful to watch.

    The longer he sticks around waiting for the sack and his big payoff the worse off we will be and the bigger hole Graeme Jones will have to dig us out of. And believe me Graeme will be the replacement and though he will be an upgrade over Cabbage Head, he won’t be much of one. So the earlier we are rid of the Cabbage the better chance we have of staying up.

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  6. This blog is absolutely obsessed with Bruce – obsessed to the point of embarrassing

    There appears to be the belief that it can’t get any worse than it already is – completely ignoring the fact that Kinnear, Carver, McClaren and Bruce have already blown that theory out of the water

    It seems to be accepted that Ashley holds this club back with lack of interest and lack of investment but it’s always the lackey in the managers seat who takes the blame

    Anybody who makes excuses for Ashley is part of the problem – this blog is part of the problem

    Articles like this must have Ashley doubled over at the complete stupidity of constantly blaming the wrong person

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  7. AshleyOut:
    This blog is absolutely obsessed with Bruce – obsessed to the point of embarrassing

    There appears to be the belief that it can’t get any worse than it already is – completely ignoring the fact that Kinnear, Carver, McClaren and Bruce have already blown that theory out of the water

    It seems to be accepted that Ashley holds this club back with lack of interest and lack of investment but it’s always the lackey in the managers seat who takes the blame

    Anybody who makes excuses for Ashley is part of the problem – this blog is part of the problem

    Articles like this must have Ashley doubled over at the complete stupidity of constantly blaming the wrong person

    You clearly don’t read this blog much if you think we only class Steve Bruce as the problem…

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  8. Olly Hawkins: You clearly don’t read this blog much if you think we only class Steve Bruce as the problem…

    Steve Bruce isn’t the problem at all – he’s a symptom of the problem

    What do you and your like expect to happen when Bruce is hounded out like Pardew was?

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  9. AshleyOut: Steve Bruce isn’t the problem at all – he’s a symptom of the problem

    What do you and your like expect to happen when Bruce is hounded out like Pardew was?

    Totally agree with that first line – it’s actually almost word for word what I wrote in a recent piece.

    Ashley is the cancer and the one things leaving our club to rot, however he won’t be going anywhere soon and in the mean time we have a man in charge who, to me, has lost.

    Keeping Bruce at this point would be asking for relegation.

    I totally agree that we won’t ever thrive while MA sticks around, but there are managers out there capable of getting more out of this group of players than Steve Bruce. That I’m sure of.

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  10. Olly Hawkins: Totally agree with that first line – it’s actually almost word for word what I wrote in a recent piece.

    Ashley is the cancer and the one things leaving our club to rot, however he won’t be going anywhere soon and in the mean time we have a man in charge who, to me, has lost.

    Keeping Bruce at this point would be asking for relegation.

    I totally agree that we won’t ever thrive while MA sticks around, but there are managers out there capable of getting more out of this group of players than Steve Bruce. That I’m sure of.

    Of course there are managers out there who could get more from this set of players than Bruce – that was the case before Ashley decided to employ him

    My point on the subject of putting pressure on Ashley’s appointments and hounding them out is that it makes no difference whatsoever in the long term

    The puppets are inconsequential – ALL FOCUS should be on the puppet master

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  11. AshleyOut: Of course there are managers out there who could get more from this set of players than Bruce – that was the case before Ashley decided to employ him

    My point on the subject of putting pressure on Ashley’s appointments and hounding them out is that it makes no difference whatsoever in the long term

    The puppets are inconsequential – ALL FOCUSshould be on the puppet master

    I agree that Ashley is THE big problem, but are we as a blog meant to ignore the abysmal tactics, the pathetic press conferences and shambolic demeanour of our current manager?

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  12. Olly Hawkins: I agree that Ashley is THE big problem, but are we as a blog meant to ignore the abysmal tactics, the pathetic press conferences and shambolic demeanour of our current manager?

    If Newcastle Uniteds best interests are what we all genuinely care about then yes you should ignore Steve Bruce

    I can sum up every future article on this blog by saying that Steve Bruce shouldn’t be anywhere near a Premier League club let alone Newcastle United – the fact that he is here is down to Ashley’s complete lack of interest in us being a competitive club

    Can you assure me that if you get your wish and eventually hound Bruce out that he will be replaced by anybody who is going to make a difference?

    What is your end game given you fully understand Ashley’s 14 year shambolic ownership?

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  13. AshleyOut: If Newcastle Uniteds best interests are what we all genuinely care about then yes you should ignore Steve Bruce

    I can sum up every future article on this blog by saying that Steve Bruce shouldn’t be anywhere near a Premier League club let alone Newcastle United – the fact that he is here is down to Ashley’s complete lack of interest in us being a competitive club

    Can you assure me that if you get your wish and eventually hound Bruce out that he will be replaced by anybody who is going to make a difference?

    What is your end game given you fully understand Ashley’s 14 year shambolic ownership?

    You are basically saying there should be no accountability for anyone other than the fat man. Thats utterly ridiculous. Everyone, other than maybe Rio Ferdinand and a few other blind mice, know who is ultimately responsible for the club’s decline but that doesn’t mean everything else should be ignored.

    Cabbage head is arguably one of the worst managers in the top 2 tiers of English football. How are journalists and fans supposed to ignore his training methods, team selection, tactics, etc. He doesn’t get a pass just because the fat man sits on his throne above him. You don’t ignore all of the symptoms just because there is no cure for the cancer. You wouldn’t ignore players who are out of their depth on the pitch, or show no effort, if there are possible changes that can be made to improve the squad. So why ignore a manager out of his depth if there are possible changes that can be made to improve the performances?

    Sacking Bruce makes it no guarantee that his replacement will be better but I think enough have seen his track record to know that any replacement wouldn’t have to be great just to make things better.

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  14. It’s got nothing to do with ‘knowing’ that Ashley is ultimately responsible for the club’s decline – it’sgot everything to do with understanding that no matter how much bleating and moaning journalists and fans do it amounts to nothing other than leading to further problems on the pitch

    You talk about Steve Bruce’s track record and as I stated previously he should be nowhere near a PL club – on the subject of track records, I have seen enough of Ashley’s to realise that hounding out another one of his appointments will change nothing

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