Give the Toon fans a cup ... and Rafa rants will all stop, Bruce

PRAYING FOR TIME Steve Bruce needs results now, not later

STEVE BRUCE will be cut some slack by Newcastle United supporters – but only if he can spring an upset and reach a major cup final.

Former Newcastle centre-half Steve Howey says the Magpies boss still has his work cut out convincing the Toon Army of his merits – though a trip to Wembley could change all that.

Bruce is two ties away from a date in the Carabao Cup final.

The veteran boss steadied the Toon ship last term – but every defeat since then has brought questions about his ability.

Howey said: “Given the circumstances Steve inherited, I think he’s done a decent job.

“His biggest problem is Rafa Benitez. Steve is not Rafa – and

Rafa could do no wrong. If they surrendered 95 per cent of the possession and won the points, it was a Rafa tactical masterclass.

“If Steve does the same, he’s getting pelters.

“Only by getting to a semi-final or a final will the fans start to give him leeway. Some do, but a lot of them are giving him stick, no matter what he does.

“If they can beat Brentford on Tuesday, will it get them off his back? Probably not.

“The fans will think, ‘OK, we’re in a semi-final, but we’ve still got to get past Everton, Manchester City, Arsenal... and we’ve been here before. We know how it ends – we’ll be let down again’. It was the same with the takeover. The fans were dreaming of signing players like Neymar – and that’s fallen on its backside.

“But if Steve’s side can turn one of these big boys over to make the final, then, absolutely, he will be cut some slack.”

Howey was a Toon mainstay in the glamour days of the early 90s when Kevin Keegan’s side sent pulses racing wherever they played. After Keegan, Newcastle reached the FA Cup final in consecutive years, losing to Arsenal and Manchester United.

Howey knows the effect a big final can have on a city that is crying out for something to smile about. He said: “The only proper silverware the club has won in the past generation was the Championship under Keegan. Hundreds of thousands lined the streets to greet that.

“Imagine what winning a proper trophy would do.

“Steve has a set of good, honest professionals. Is the real quality there? No.

“But I believe there’s a chance if you reach a final – Wigan beat Manchester City, Birmingham beat Arsenal. Everyone wants the underdog to win.

“Newcastle fans have been kicked so many times, they’re becoming numb to it all – but you never know, there’s always that glimmer of hope, isn’t there?”

Brentford v Newcastle United is this Tuesday in the Carabao Cup sponsored by Carabao Energy Drink