Newcastle make their best start since the Championship, but Bruce still gets no respect
Posted on December 8th, 2020 | 7 Comments |
In their first ten games, Newcastle have won 14 points with a 40% win percentage, not the greatest until you consider that in 2019/20 they’d only won 3 points, and before that, Benitez only won 3 too, though he equalled Bruce’s first ten game total in our first season after promotion. Bruce and Benitez have had similar league finishes, both have played a similar style, counterattacking football with a big target man up front which isn’t the most exciting to watch, and yet one was almost worshipped and the other is treated with disdain, but why?
As Joelinton said in an interview: “When he [Bruce] arrived, he came under a lot of pressure, part of the crowd didn’t want him because of his old work.”
The main criticism levelled at Bruce is that he plays old fashioned ‘defensive’ football, ceding possession to the opposition for most of the game and hoping for a good opportunity to hit teams on the break. This has been true on many occaisions, but that was also true of Benitez. For a Spanish manager, Benitez has always had a rather ‘English’ approach to the game. I remember going several times to watch his giant killing Valencia side at the Mestalla in the early noughties. Back then he had a very big Norwegian target man called John Carew, who later played for Aston Villa.
As well as this, Bruce has taken the Magpies to the quarter finals of a Cup competition for the second time in a row, last season the FA Cup and this time the League Cup. This time they would like their chances of going even further this season if they beat Brentford in the League Cup Quarter Final. The best Benitez managed was the fourth round of the Cup. Newcastle have had a problem with scoring enough goals for a long while now, Bruce’s side have only averaged a goal per game in the Premier League, but Benitez was barely better with 1.1. They have a almost identical Premier League win percentage too with Bruce’s 31.3% vs Benitez with 31.4%.
The results are all but identical, the style of football is similar, so why is there such a huge difference in perception with fans? Of course, it is because Steve Bruce hasn’t won the the Champions League, nor has he managed Real Madrid, though both of those would be a shock, admittedly. One team Bruce has managed is Sunderland, which hasn’t helped either. Whatever it is though, the evidence suggests that it isn’t really about the football.
NUFCBlog Author: workyticket
workyticket has written 1095 articles on this blog.
A poorly outlined reason as to why neither the fans or anyone I know would agree with, but then you always praised that well known defender Williamson, who was for the most part slow, couldn’t defend and someone who was for the most part useless.
As for praising both our Brazilian center forward and Bruce, one who directs play, the other who so far has scored three goals, just doesn’t make sens
At least Benitez brought in a goalscoring Center forward, Rondon, that was then told to get lost, who did well in China under Benitez .
And to compare the two, obviously one is a European Champions League winner who has a good track record with
someone who has little to recommend him and plays a purely defensive game, and lucked out be acquiring a few free transfers but really has little idea about tactics, nothing more boring than watching any Nufc game.
And yes a number of clubs started gaining points early, as did we, but when they come up against decent sides it’s obvious their job is to avoid relegation at any cost, well that is as long as it doesn’t cost Ashley anything.
I guess Bruce is the last of the English and Scottish re-treads
as I hear BSA made himself unavailable and who can blame him.
If things don’t change (getting both a decent manager and spending a few bucks) we are about to go the way of a number of sides, Sunderland and Boro.included, who have spent more time outside the top league , but I have an idea Ashley needs the money for investment in his real business
The Rag Trade and only by selling the club will we become a side who can compete and let others vie for the security of the EPl.
After all fifty thousand spectators combined with the riches of the EPL, should be enough to keep us both in the EPL and to introduce a decent standard of football, not the garbage witnessed by to-days fans, who I project will begin to drop in numbers, I mean who wants to watch this defensive rubbish,
,A game that begins with the premise that we have to defend and according to Worky either score from break aways or set pieces, not me ! though it sounds a bit like a BSA type game.
And attempts to blame Rafa for introducing it, listen anyone who compares Bruce, with Rafa, and who thought Williamson was a decent defender, obviously needs to get out more.