Throughout his time as Newcastle United manager, the media did their best to preserve Steve Bruce’s reputation.
While the team struggled and fans protested against the head coach, pundits refused to budge on their assessment of the former Manchester United defender.
He wasn’t the problem. In fact, they saw him as the solution. That’s despite the fact Newcastle were playing terribly, the players were unfit, the fans were unhappy and the club was spiralling towards the Championship.
Bruce was never popular at St James’ Park. He had the unenviable job of replacing Rafa Benitez, which was a thankless task. However, he didn’t do anything to endear himself to supporters. If anything, he rallied against the crowd.
A lot of the time, the only thing that saved him was the fact the games were being played behind closed doors.
When Bruce was sacked by Newcastle in October last year by the new owners, the narrative that it was the fans’ fault was quickly spun.
It was all because of the nasty Newcastle supporters, despite the fact there was unrest in the dressing room and chaos behind the scenes.
But now order has been restored, and the Magpies are going in the right direction under Eddie Howe.
As for Bruce, it is the complete opposite.
New report details Steve Bruce’s damaged reputation
After initially stating that he would not return to management, Bruce took the West Brom job in February.
Under his watchful eye, the Baggies went from promotion contenders to battling relegation. Performances were bad, and then came the unrest with fans. There’s a pattern here…
With West Brom currently third bottom after 13 games, Bruce was sacked on Monday. His time at the Hawthorns is over, and the Athletic have provided some information on how he was received in the dressing room.
They state that the 61-year-old’s standing with his players was damaged by his horrendous spell as Newcastle manager.
Bruce normally commanded a lot of respect given his achievements, but his time at St James’ Park has really hindered him.
The Athletic add that he ‘severed ties with executives, players and fans’ at Newcastle, and subsequently struggled to influence the players he inherited at West Brom.
It feels like Bruce’s time as a manager should be over. Any top team that decides to employ him are ignoring history and will get exactly what they deserve.
He has achieved a lot in the game, both as a player and a manager. But the Newcastle job was too big for him, and he was there longer than he ever should have been.
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