There is little doubt that very few Newcastle fans see Steve Bruce as the answer to take Newcastle forward, but there is also no doubt he got things bang-on today.
I have called for his head several times in the past week, and I stand by that opinion, but I am also honest enough to give credit where it is due, and admit that the big calls he made ahead of the win against Manchester United worked to perfection.
While bringing in Allan Saint-Maximin was something of a no-brainer, as was bringing DeAndre Yedlin back, but restoring Ciaran Clark to the lineup for local favourite Paul Dummett was a risky decision.
But undoubtedly the biggest call was drafting in Matty Longstaff to start alongside his older brother in midfield.
I questioned the selection before the game, especially in such a huge match, but Bruce had faith in him, and his belief paid off.
For all the promise he showed pre-season, I did not think Matty had a performance like that in him.
Both he, and his older brother, bullied a Manchester United midfield, and Sean’s display was back to those from last season, and will have many Red Devils fans wishing they had pushed harder for his signature in the summer.
Matty could have scored in the first-half, when his shot from distance grazed the bar, but he was not to be denied in the second.
It had fans hailing another local hero after the game, and his willingness and enthusiasm clearly brought the best out of Sean.
Matty Longstaff was trending on Twitter
It was a big win for Newcastle, and Bruce, and despite everyone contributing to a battling display of grit and determination, all the plaudits from fans rightly belonged to Matty Longstaff.
In fact, such was the impact of his goal and performance, Matty Logstaff was trending on Twitter an hour or two after the final whistle.
Here are a selection of the comments on his Premier League debut on Twitter:
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
