Steve Bruce has had something very interesting to say about the Newcastle United takeover.
He was the manager when the £305million Saudi-backed deal was first rumoured in January 2020, and he was still the boss when it finally went through in October 2021.
Bruce didn’t last long after the deal was approved though. Newcastle got new owners on October 7th, and by October 20th they were looking for a new manager.
He took charge of the first game against Tottenham, saw his side put in yet another limp performance was relieved of his duties.
Since then Eddie Howe has came in and taken Newcastle to new heights, guiding them to safety with ease. The January signings certainly helped, but the way that Howe improved the original crop of Toon players was astounding.
The club has been transformed in such a short space of time, but Bruce thinks it might not have been possible if it wasn’t for him.
The takeover was all down to Steve Bruce apparently…
In an interview with the Mirror, Bruce spoke about his time as Toon boss.
“I knew what the team was doing on the pitch wasn’t what Newcastle United fans wanted. And I knew they were fed up. They wanted change,” Bruce said.
“But I had a brief to keep the club in the Premier League. And we finished 12th and 13th in my two full seasons. I know we weren’t entertaining or attractive to watch, I’ll hold my hands up.
“We were pragmatic, defensive. I did what I had to do. Keeping Newcastle United in the Premier League was worth something. Would the sale to the new owners have gone ahead if the club was in the Championship? I’m not so sure.”
Thank goodness Newcastle had Steve Bruce when they needed him most
Would the Newcastle United takeover have gone through if the club was in the Championship? Who knows.
The Independent did claim in March last year that the consortium would still look to complete a deal if the Magpies were relegated. If that’s true then Bruce’s seeming desire to be the hero is misplaced.
He did keep Newcastle up. In fact, he did it twice. But he managed the club at an incredibly difficult moments where tensions were at an all-time high. He oversaw the ‘behind closed doors’ era, guiding Newcastle through the silent COVID games.
It was a tough time to watch Newcastle. As Bruce said himself, we didn’t play good football. We were frighteningly negative at times – the memory of Sheffield United away will sadly never disappear. And Newcastle’s wretchedness was all the more painful given fans’ inability to attend games and release their emotions.
Did Bruce do what was asked of him? Absolutely, yes. He kept us in the Premier League twice, and ended up doing it quite comfortably on both occasions.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story. And the fact Howe has came in and made such a difference highlights how limited Bruce is as a manager.
Newcastle are in an infinitely better position right now, and if Bruce wants to pat himself on the back and say it’s all down to him then good luck to him.
The funniest part about the Mirror’s Bruce interview is the words ‘the Geordies’ loss could be the Baggies’ gain’ from writer Neil Moxley. I think we’re alright Neil, and West Brom fans would probably beg to differ too given what’s happened at the Hawthorns…
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