When Steve Bruce departed Newcastle United in 2021, after overseeing 97 games of torpid, unadventurous and tactically-inept football, he insisted he had been given an overly tough ride from the fan-base.
He insisted they had ‘crossed a line’ and there was a ‘lack of respect’.
Concerning the first point, the former Manchester United defender had a valid complaint, with Bruce subjected to all manner of disparagements throughout his fractious two years in the North-East.
These included being nicknamed the ‘Corbridge Cabbage’ and being on the receiving end of outright untruths.
Broadening our scope, it is absolutely unacceptable the level of abuse a manager typically endures when his team loses more football matches than they win.
But respect? Really?
Where was there any respect for Crystal Palace when he tendered his resignation halfway through a promotion-chasing campaign back in 2001/02?
Bruce gone. Expect plenty of glowing tributes from his journalist mates - or at least journalists he's been sound with over the years - who will be very sympathetic and paint him as a hard-done-by figure. None of this will be strictly accurate.
— Stephen Tudor (@SteTudor123) October 20, 2021
The reason for his leaving was to up sticks for Birmingham, a direct rival of the Eagles to go up that season, them being neck-and-neck in the football betting.
Where was his respect for Sheffield Wednesday in 2019 when the Owls afforded him compassionate leave before he even took the reins due to the recent passing of his parents.
In return for his employer showing such empathy – that is rare in business and almost unheard of in football – Bruce dumped on them just 18 games into his tenure because Newcastle came calling.
Indeed, flitting from one job to the next has been a trademark of Steve Bruce’s managerial career but of course, not always has it been of his own volition.
On five occasions he has been sacked and given his tactical limitations it is frankly staggering that figure is not higher. Then again, so often he has walked before being pushed, bafflingly right into another job.
Too harsh? Perhaps, but consider a comment made on Radio Five Live deep into his disastrous stint with the Magpies.
Newcastle had recently appointed Graeme Jones to their backroom staff, to implement some structure to the team, and it was believed the beleaguered team short-priced in the online betting that year to go down was to set themselves up as a diamond in midfield.
The aggregate score of Manchester United vs Steve Bruce sides down the years is 54 - 15.
— Stephen Tudor (@SteTudor123) September 11, 2021
A panel was discussing this and one wondered aloud whether it was Bruce or Jones who was behind the switch.
The presenter – a journalist not known for airing derogatory opinions – openly scoffed in reply, saying, “As if Steve Bruce is capable of setting up a midfield diamond.”
Now consider the context of this.
Here was a man competing on the same playing field as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and the like – and being very well remunerated for it – who is so tactically naïve that even the suggestion he could organise a fairly basic formation was considered hilarious.
This depressing vignette will come as no surprise to fans of Huddersfield, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Newcastle or West Brom and what is equally as depressing is that a mediocre manager, living off his name and promotions gained 20 years ago, is repeatedly given another opportunity to prove he is mediocre.
It is an aspect of football that is counter-intuitive and broken.
In a strange sort of way Bruce deserves our admiration for taking full advantage of this entrenched flaw, of playing the game. But respect Steve, that will forever be in scant supply.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 15th February 2023
