Bruce has belief that Toon can beat City and end 75 years of hurt
Newcastle head coach Steve Bruce is desperate to be the man to bring an end to a domestic trophy drought which stretches back to before he was born.
The 59-year-old was a ball boy at Wembley in 1976 when the Magpies lost to Manchester City in the League Cup final, two years after he was unable to get a ticket for their FA Cup final defeat by Liverpool.
This evening, he will send his troops into battle with City with a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup – the last piece of domestic silverware the club collected in 1955 – at stake and scarcely believing that barren run.
Bruce said: “It is quite remarkable, it really is. It’s such a long time – that’s even before I was around.
“That’s the way it is, that’s why there has always been that clamour. How can a club of this stature have gone so long without winning anything?
“That’s got to be the priority, whoever is sitting in this chair, that is the remit they need to have. Can they win something? Can the club win something?
“Maybe it will be this year. We’ve given ourselves a wonderful opportunity. Who knows? Let’s see.”
If they are to stand a chance of ending their wait for success – the 1969 European Fairs Cup win represents the only oasis in the desert – they will have to get past a City side which has enjoyed vastly different fortunes in recent years.
They were forced to surrender their Premier League title to Liverpool on Thursday evening, but Bruce fully expects that disappointment to galvanise them for the new campaign.
He said: “They have lost the league, but they will react to it, although with Liverpool winning it so early with so many points, it will be tough.
“They will be looking at it and seeing where they can get better – that’s why the Premier League is so great.
“Who would have thought it would take Liverpool 30 years to win the title when they were so dominant before then?”
Meanwhile, Manchester City will form a guard of honour for new champions Liverpool when the sides meet next Thursday, manager Pep Guardiola has said.
When football resumed after lockdown
earlier this month, the Reds’ trip to the Etihad Stadium had been earmarked as the potentially decisive game in the title race.
But City’s loss at Chelsea last Thursday put the Merseysiders mathematically out of reach and Guardiola feels it would be sporting to pay tribute to Jurgen Klopp’s men.
“Of course we are going to do it,” said Guardiola. “We are going to do the guard of honour, of course.
“Always we receive Liverpool when they come to our house in an incredible way. We are going to do it because they deserve it.”
It has been suggested City’s hunger may have dipped but Guardiola insists that is not true.
He said: “A team that wins eight trophies in the last three years have passion, in every single game, in every competition, everywhere. No one in this country can say that.”
City still have much to play for, including the Champions League, which will resume in August, and the FA Cup.
Guardiola said: “Right now it is a priority because it is the next game and we can get Wembley again in the semifinal. I saw Newcastle and they have the weapons to punish us.”
Ian Baraclough has been confirmed as the new Northern Ireland manager, following talks over the past 24 hours involving his agent and the Irish FA.
The former Motherwell boss steps up from his role as Under-21 boss and succeeds former head coach, Michael O’neill. He’ll take charge of Northern Ireland for first time in September against Romania and Norway.