Steve Bruce has been speaking about all things Newcastle United this week during his appearance on Sky Sports’ Retrospect podcast.
He describes Mike Ashley as “one of the better Chairmen” he worked with, insisting he let him get on with the job and was persuaded into a £20m move for Callum Wilson; a player who was “against everything Mike wanted.”
Bruce then praised our 3-0 win over Sunderland last weekend, feeling there was a real “gulf in class” as we were “too good” and “too strong” for the Mackems.
The former Toon boss was then asked if Eddie Howe needed the win after suggestions he was under pressure. In response, Bruce stressed that a few “bad six or eight weeks” shouldn’t tarnish the “great things he has done” on Tyneside over the past two years, feeling Newcastle looked “back to their best” at Sunderland and will be “fine” if we can keep our “big players” fit.
Steve Bruce on Mike Ashley:
“I have to say, Mike Ashley was one of the better chairmen I had to work with. He never interfered, he let you get in with it. He didn’t try to say ‘I wouldn’t have picked him’. He was straight to the point.
“Of course, what we wanted was to open his wallet – which he’s never going to do! He did it a couple of times for me but he was never going to do that.
“My persuasive powers, and Lee Charnley helped me enormously, got Callum Wilson. He was against everything Mike wanted. (He was) 29-year-old, a bit of a dodgy knee but I knew he could score enough to keep us in the league.
“It was difficult but something which, I believe, is I did my job to keep them there (in the Premier League).”
Steve Bruce on Sunderland 0-3 Newcastle:
“It was easy for them. At the end of the day it showed you the gulf didn’t it. There was a gulf in class at the end of the day.
“It was a really really comfortable derby win. And over the weekend, the great thing is looking for that [FA Cup] shock, where it is going to come from. The lowest ranked club in the competition, Maidstone probably pulled off the biggest shock of the weekend.
“Yeah, I just thought Newcastle were too good, too strong for Sunderland, all over the pitch.”
“Did he (Howe) need the win? Well you know, there’s another one, he had constant… of all the the great things he has done and he has had a bad six or eight weeks. These things happen when you are at the top level. I thought they [Newcastle United] looked back to their best.
“They look as if they are getting a few injuries back. Important that the centre-halves [Botman and Schar] are available, Trippier available. They need their big players fit. And when they are all fit, I think they are fine.”
"It was a really comfortable derby win"
Steve Bruce says the 'gulf in class' was evident in Newcastle's FA Cup win over Sunderland 🔴🔲 pic.twitter.com/cfShLlShqx
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 8, 2024
Thick as mince. Ashley was the owner not the chairman – we didn’t have a chairman because he didn’t see the value of having such positions working to grow the club.
One of the best chairman – but wouldn’t spend money?!?!! What does a bad one do then?!.
Left you to get on with it?! We were sleepwalking into the Championship!!
Didn’t want to spend a minimal fee on a 1 in 2 ratio goal scorer.
Everyone else in football recognised Ashley was awful for NUFC, but Bruce rates him as one of the better ones – says it all really.
Sharpy17(Quote)