"The toughest part is losing, and when you come under the pump if you lose four or five. No matter who you are in management, you will come under scrutiny.
"If you're at a big club like this one...you come under scrutiny very quickly."
Steve Bruce
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce is "under the pump" to use his own phrase after back-to-back away defeats to Arsenal and Crystal Palace have turned up the pressure on Tyneside and, ludicrously, has seen #BruceOut trending despite Newcastle having the best start in Premier League and Cup since 2014/5.
After 27 games of his maiden season as Magpies Head Coach, Bruce's Newcastle stand a respectable 14th position in the table on 31 points, fully 7 points clear of the relegation zone and have three more points than former boss Rafa Benitez had amassed last season at the same juncture.
Newcastle's current 'bad run' in The Premier League of 2 wins, 3 draws and 5 defeats in the last 10 games is also punctuated by two FA Cup wins in the last 10 in all competitions and compares very favourably with horrendous runs of defeats under his predecessor:
Bruce is beaten with the same stick that Newcastle fans to used to honour Benitez with despite a similar, indeed better, record especially when considering the former Double-winning Captain of Manchester United has also guided the black and whites to the 5th Round of The FA Cup for, remarkably, the first time since 2006.
Accused of being Lucky every time Newcastle win a game, Bruce receives scant credit and is crucified for every defeat and is on the receiving end of worse criticism for battling points gained against sides likes Wolves and Brighton at home than Benitez did for defeats against them in the same games last season.
Those points have proved very valuable over the course of the season and helped provide Newcastle that seven point platform over the bottom three which means The Magpies can attack West Bromwich Albion in the 5th Round of The FA Cup next week with confidence as just a few more wins and points will mean Premier League survival.
Refreshingly, Bruce is looking up the table as ever:
"We've got 11 or 12 games left (with the FA Cup clash at West Brom also to come next week) and we have given ourselves an opportunity.
"It's still realistic (to finish top 10).
"We're getting a few back from injury now and we have give ourselves a great opportunity.
"Let's try to grasp it over the next four, five six weeks.
"Let's look upwards.
"Let's see if we can do it.
"We're up against teams up and around us."
Keep Calm and Attack The FA Cup
Newcastle's continued involvement in The FA Cup means the season is alive with something to truly play for the first time in the second half of a top flight season since Alan Pardew's Europa League Challenge in 2012/3 lasted until the Quarter Final stages in April, 2013.
Its something that hasn't been lost on the players, namely match-winner from the previous round, Allan Saint-Maximin, who wants to make 'history' with Newcastle:
“We all know how important it is. Now we have to move on to the next game and win that.
“We must keep going for our fans. I know we can make history. That’s why we must prepare well and play West Brom.
“We must take the cup seriously.”
Allan Saint-Maximin (via The Chronicle)
While taking nothing for granted, Newcastle are well-placed in the Premier League to have a go at the FA Cup especially as the club have the best record against the Top 6 teams of any club in 'The Other 14' clubs and have three home games in the next four Premier League fixtures against Burnley, Sheffield United and Aston Villa to bolster Bruce's good home recording including 8 unbeaten games at St. James' Park in 2019.
Big players are set to return from injury in the case of JonJo Shelvey and Andy Carroll and enforced rest and rotation for the likes of Matt Ritchie and Isaac Hayden which will strengthen The Magpies at the right time in the right areas.
Shelvey is key to Newcastle's hopes as he is the side's playmaker-in-chief and this season has led from the front, top-scoring with 5 Premier League goals including this one against Sheffield United when he reminded everyone he's one of the most switched on players in the modern game:
When Shelvey plays, Newcastle's style is elevated to another level through his vision and passing and he is able to release wingers Saint-Maximin & Miguel Almiron and wingbacks Danny Rose & DeAndre Yedlin with panache and aplomb on the counter attack and provide the dangerous dead-balls Newcastle thrive from.
“The results this season have generally been good. We’ve been on some good runs and some not so good runs...
“For me, we just have to stick together, stay as we are, and win games the way we have been winning games this season. We’ve been a similar team for the last four years in the Premier League, so we must be doing something right.
“Speak to anyone who plays against us, and they all say we’re a tough team to beat. That’s what we’ll continue to be, and hopefully we can pick up three points through being that.”
Fabian Schar picked up the North-East Football Writer's Player of the Year trophy for 2019 at the weekend and echoed the confidence evident in the players's camp with a Back-To-Basics message that he hopes will bring victory and glory to The Magpies:
“I think we have quality in there, we just have to go back to our basics, to what we are good at and be positive for the next games.
“It is difficult to say exactly what it needs.
“It is just four or five games where we can get something, and our expectation of ourselves is to win.
“If we play to our strengths, I am confident we will get points and finish strongly.”
Bruce has felt "the pump" at times this season yet it goes the other way, too, as he found out in Autumn as an impressive run of form saw Newcastle rocket from 18th in the table to that Top 10 spot the Head Coach is still eyeing up with wins over Manchester United and Sheffield United and a draw with Man City.
Despite the ups and downs of the season, Bruce has remained upbeat throughout and has insisted while Newcastle are not going to win The Premier League, are more than capable of "winning 5 or 6 games" in a Cup competition and getting to Wembley.
With Andy Carroll remaining an unplayable centre forward when fit, Joelinton keen to extend his run of scoring in every round and both Yoshinori Muto and Dwight Gayle all with something to prove in the final run-in, anything is possible...
Stranger things have happened.
Comments