Former Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has already started with the cliches at Blackpool.
Steve Bruce is back in management once again, despite considering retirement after losing his job at Newcastle United in 2021.
When Amanda Staveley and co moved Bruce on following the completion of PIF‘s takeover, it was suggested that Bruce’s managerial career could be over.
But he followed his Toon tenure with a failed stint at West Brom, and now he is in charge at Blackpool.
The 63-year-old has replaced Neil Critchley at the League One side, and has been involved in two games so far. Bruce started with a win over Exeter City on Saturday, but followed that up with a Carabao Cup exit to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night.
What Steve Bruce said after first Blackpool loss
Following the Tangerines’ Carabao Cup exit, Bruce spoke to the Blackpool Gazette.
“We’re disappointed we’ve gone out, but I couldn’t fault their effort,” he said.
“Overall the group stuck at it, but when we needed that little bit of quality, it wasn’t quite there. When we made the changes outside, it was a little bit better, but we never really created enough. We huffed and puffed all night.”
Elsewhere, Blackpool’s official X account quoted Bruce as saying: “There wasn’t much in it. We huffed and puffed but it just wasn’t enough on the night.”
Newcastle fans are very familiar with Steve Bruce’s comments
Those comments are very familiar to Newcastle United fans, who heard Bruce talk about huffing and puffing throughout his tenure at St James’ Park.
And various Toon fans have commented on X (formally known as Twitter) on Bruce’s latest interview after Blackpool’s 1-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday.
One fan posted: “Just re-use this after each game as this is the start of a well trodden path with Bruce.”
“Urgh… it’s like history repeating itself. Deepest sympathies Blackpool fans, but it won’t last forever,” commented a second Newcastle fan.
A third member of the Toon Army wrote: “The number of times we heard this… The man is a dinosaur.”
“Who else had ‘huffed and puffed’ on their Brucie Bingo cards tonight?” asked this supporter.
“Just got some severe PTSD listening to this,” commented another Newcastle United fan on X.
Finally, this Newcastle fan asks a very important question: “Delighted to see ‘we huffed and puffed’ is back but where on earth is ‘we’ve got to dust ourselves down and go again’?”
Newcastle having their own problems with interviews
During Bruce’s time on Tyneside, it was tiring listening to his interviews.
He used the same old cliches week after week, as his side huffed and puffed before rolling their sleeves up and dusting themselves down to go again. But no matter what, you could never question the effort of the players.
Thankfully, Newcastle United now have Eddie Howe in charge. He is engaging when he speaks, even if he is capable of the odd white lie when asked about the fitness of his players.
However, while Toon fans might recoil at the sound of Bruce and his cliches, an interview on Tyneside continues to cause issues.
Paul Mitchell’s comments after the transfer window did not go down well, resulting in an alleged ‘civil war’ at St James’ Park. Mitchell conducted a very clumsy interview, as he attempted to cover his own back after failing to make any major signings during his first summer as sporting director.
However, it resulted in him taking aim at what had happened at Newcastle before his arrival, with Eddie Howe then defending the signings he made.
It has been a very frustrating and avoidable situation, but hopefully Howe and Mitchell can roll their sleeves up and establish a working relationship.
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