In news that won’t suprise a single Newcastle United fan, Rio Ferdinand reckons Steve Bruce should get a chance to work under the new owners and their massive cash reserves.
The former Manchester United defender sat down for a new video on his FIVE YouTube channel.
The video was heavily centred around the current struggles the Red Devils are having.
But right at the end talk turned to Newcastle.
Ferdinand initially praised Toon supporters for their incredible support on Saturday.
He then couldn’t help himself, as he suggested Bruce deserves a chance to turn things around.
He said: “I think he does (deserve a chance). I think he’s been harshly treated by the people up there, the media…
“Do you know, the mad thing is, he’s an actual Geordie. And it doesn’t seem to me like he’s been treated like a local lad, who loves the club.
“He hasn’t been treated like one of their own, for me.”
It is true that some people have treated him harshly. He has had abuse and personal insults, and that is completely unacceptable.
But the vast majority have called out his many, many shortcomings as a manager in a constructive way.
The comment about Bruce being a Geordie is embarrassing and frankly irrelevant.
The reality is, at Premier League level, he is a fish out of water.
Following yesterday’s defeat to Spurs, Bruce’s win ratio at Newcastle is just 29.2% – the worst during his entire managerial career (via Chronicle).
And it is not like he hasn’t had cash to spend. Yes, Mike Ashley could have invested more, but Bruce has spent £160 million since his arrival in the summer of 2019 (via Newcastle’s own statement in September).
Ferdinand is delusional
Bruce does not deserve any more chances at Newcastle. Even with this massive new injection of cash.
It is time for change now.
Maintaining a healthy relationship with the supporters is vital for a manager, and the 60-year-old has never been able to get people onside.
He simply hasn’t given them any reason to. His brand of football is awful, and he has routinely said the wrong thing in interviews and press conferences.
Only recently he spoke about keeping Newcastle ‘ticking along’. That came before the takeover went through, but it says it all about his kind of mindset.
Newcastle need someone with big potential, big ideas and big ambition to work with a big budget. The sooner Ferdinand and other pundits who take a similar stance realise this, the better.
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