This time last season we had two points under Rafa Benitez. But super Steve Bruce has got five points on the board, mainly down to a big win away to Tottenham.
If you accept that at face value, then Bruce is doing better than Champions League winning manager Benitez. But as all fans know, that points tally is irrelevant.
In the aftermath of Newcastle’s 5-0 drubbing at Leicester, former Toon boss Sam Allardyce pointed to the fact that Newcastle have more points after seven games than they did last season. He even pondered why Bruce is getting stick and Rafa didn’t. It’s almost as if he’s a footballing dinosaur.
Newcastle were tough to beat under Benitez
We’ve conceded three goals or more three times already this season. That didn’t happen in the first seven games under Benitez. It only happened four times all season.
The 5-0 loss to Leicester was the first time we’d conceded five goals in a game since February 2016 when Steve McClaren was in charge. It never happened when Benitez was manager.
Last season we narrowly lost to Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City in the opening seven games. A 2-0 defeat to Leicester on September 29th 2018 was the only disappointing performance where we let ourselves down. Had Kenedy been better from the spot, we would’ve got a win away to Cardiff.
This season, we’ve looked toothless away to newly promoted Norwich, fell apart against a slack Arsenal team, been swept aside by title chasing Liverpool and smashed for five by the Foxes. Draws against Watford and Brighton were far from good results.
What is Bruce’s gameplan?
During the opening seven games last season, we had a clear style. We looked to stifle the opposition and play on the counterattack. It nearly worked on multiple occasions, which is why we didn’t get a hiding away to Manchester City. We didn’t see much of the ball, but that was okay.
Under Bruce, we don’t see much of the ball either. The only difference is we’re nowhere near as solid at the back, and when we get the ball it’s like watching a kids game on a Sunday morning (which is offensive towards some kids who can actually pass a ball to their teammate).
The fans didn’t get on Benitez’s back because we believed in the process. The team had a clear identity and we knew the Spaniard would eventually get the wins we needed. And he did.
As for Bruce, why should we believe in his process? We’re no closer to finding out the style of football he wants to play and he’s hardly got a glowing CV to fall back on like Rafa.
He may have more points, but Bruce’s Newcastle United are a million miles away from Benitez’s. In fact, they’re not united at all.
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