We’ve heard some laughable attempts to defend Steve Bruce from the mainstream media over the past two years, and it seems former Brighton striker has joined that baffling bandwagon.
After deciding to hang up his boots back in May and having a crack at punditry, Murray has come out with his own theory on the under-fire NUFC boss.
According to him, we’ve had it in for Bruce ‘since day one’ because he’s a ‘local man that’s been around’, claiming he’d get ‘a lot less stick’ if he was a foreign manager with ‘all the right answers’.
That last line….you don’t say, Glenn?! We certainly would give someone less stick if they had ‘all the right answers’, but instead we have a man who blames the local press for our ‘negativity’ and refuses to take the blame for any of our shortfalls on the pitch, choosing to blame VAR, injuries and individual mistakes instead.
Oh, and as for us having it in for him since he first walked through the door, I think you’ll find that’s because we replaced Rafa Benitez with a Championship manager who arrived with one of the worst Premier League records to his name. It’s not rocket science.
Here’s what Murray had to say when speaking on BBC’s Football Daily Podcast this week:
“I’ve looked at Bruce from afar and I think he’s done a good job at Newcastle, a steady job”
“If he was a foreign manager with all the right answers he would’ve got a lot less stick.
“Because he’s a local man that’s been around they’ve had it in for him since day one.”
It’s amazing how us fans are painted out to be the bad guys in all of this, although it’s easy to make such short sighted and lazy remarks when watching from ‘afar’ – which probably translates to ‘I barely watch them, they finished 12th last season and he’s not been backed so get off his back’.
Bruce may have had a rough ride – fans have made their feelings clear and he looks fed up – but he also knew what he was signing up for under Mike Ashley; a man he doesn’t dare question, with journalists instead taking the brunt of his deadline day anger in recent press conferences.
Is this blog against Bruce? Yes, I don’t think one of our writers doesn’t want him sacked, but only because of the way he continues to conduct himself and his team on and off the pitch. It’s not a personal vendetta, it’s the fact we’re only heading in one direction if he remains – and that’s down.
His luck has ran out and ridiculous theories like this from the likes of Glenn Murray only fuel this false narrative we’re sick of seeing from uninformed pundits.
Sad just another pundit trying to defend a man who s totally out of his depth as a premier league manager, tactically inept at his own admission, as a former player you would think he’ d have some idea as to how to set up a team but no it’s us supporters who have to put up with the excuses he’s comes out with after another defeat, The sooner ashley and his yes men are gone the better their ripping the hope and pride out of the club!
davep(Quote)
The only bit he got wrong is the fact that fans despised him from day one because he managed Sunderland.
It can’t be based solely on his performance. Rafa performed almost exactly on a par with Bruce and the fans are so far up his ar5e they can see Charlie Bennett’s feet.
JFA127(Quote)
Benitez didn’t have Wilson, ASM and Willock though, did he?
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
David(Quote)
No he had Mitrovic who he sold and replaced him with Slimani (the bloke who barely pulled his boots on) forcing him to stick with Joselu
He then brought Rondon in who did well but no better than Mitrovic did for Fulham that same season
He also had Perez
Rafa legacy was to leave us without a PL standard striker knowing full well Ashley wouldn’t sanction the purchase of Rondon
AshleyOut(Quote)
Rafa replaced Mitrovic with Rondon – and the latter played much better in a black and white shirt than Mitrovic did.
One kept us up that season with 11 goals, 7 assists, the other went down with Fulham and is still in the Championship now…
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
No Olly Like I said Rafa replaced Mitrovic with Slimani and Joselu – Mitrovic scoring 11 goals in a relegation side
AshleyOut(Quote)
How about Bruce start playing Lewis and Manquillo at wing back and go from there Richie has been such a liability defensively
Sylvester(Quote)