The answer to the lies not with Bruce
TOON SQUAD HAS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
AFTER a fortnight of soul-searching, it seems Newcastle United found some heart as well as answers.
After an abysmal 3-0 defeat at struggling Brighton, plenty of questions were asked of Steve Bruce and his players.
Against Tottenham on Sunday, they showed they might have found some solutions to help pull them out of the relegation mire.
If some of the players had hoped for a change after the calamity on the coast there were few signs of such thoughts during the 2-2 draw, where fight and tenacity were on display in abundance.
Last week, the United squad was told Bruce was going nowhere.
Nobody wants a relegation on their CV – many have already experienced the devastation here or elsewhere – so it was time for a change, just not in the manner some might have hoped.
Instead, the remedy to United’s woes would have to come from the players themselves. They too would have to work with what they have.
Bruce’s release fee is believed to be astronomical and at a club as frugal as Mike Ashley’s Newcastle it is not going to be paid out, not when the head coach is meeting the club’s ‘remit’ of avoiding the drop.
The only thing which could therefore bring about a change is Bruce resigning, something he has made clear time and again he does not want to do.
It is not just a question of money, though. Bruce feels he can weather the storm and wants another crack at things next season in the Premier League.
His players – all of whom shook his hand as they left the field against
Spurs – will decide what happens next and at the weekend they looked determined again.
The display on Sunday indicated there is still life in what looked like a club sleepwalking into the second tier for a third time in 12 years.
The class of 2009 only woke up when it was too late. In 2016, the club’s inaction proved costly as Steve McClaren was given too much time, leaving Rafa Benitez too little.
This time, the players stirred. With eight games left they look as if they might be ready to contribute to their survival bid. It is a start.
The responsibility is firmly on the shoulders of the players. Bruce has to shoulder a portion of the blame as head coach but now it is time for the players to step up and play their part to salvage this torrid season. Playing in the Championship would be a blow to many of them psychologically. After insisting you are a Premier League player to fans, to board members, to everyone, dropping into the second tier would indicate otherwise. Even money cannot heal all wounds. Some players may have thought the manager’s departure was the only way to get them playing again. While no player tries to lose a game on purpose, their mood and attitude towards the manager can make a major difference. Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson had players running through brick walls while Rafa Benitez’s style left players hungry to prove him wrong.
Given the current situation, it is quite remarkable to think in 2019 the squad as a whole was desperate to get Bruce on board.
One senior player even said during the pre-season tour in China the players believed Bruce was capable of leading them and the sense of gloom hanging around the club had to change two years ago.
Bruce knew he would need time to win the players over and he tried to keep the team onside by going back on his plan to change the formation. Initially, he wanted to play more attacking football but felt the players had been conditioned into a back five so stuck with it.
Finishing last season in 13th and reaching the FA Cup quarter-final
It is quite remarkable to think in 2019 the squad as a whole wanted to get Bruce on board Lee Ryder