NUFC - November/December



But it’s not Benitez tactics , it’s a formation many PL teams use, Bruce unlike Benitez seems to let his players drop off and not press teams, unlike Benitez who used to do it against teams in and around him.Thats the biggest difference I’ve noticed this season.Being mid table at this point is way better than I thought after 2 weeks or so.

I'm very surprised where they are after this stage. Fully expected relegation, but so far so good. Players seem comitted as well. I think only the defenders scoring is unsustainable though. Need more from the forwards, but they've looked decent in the last 2 games.
I think a problem will be if we are midtable and have around 25 points going into January, then the club won't be arsed about improving the squad, and Bruce will have to make do with what's there. Survival being the only aim of the club.
 
I'm very surprised where they are after this stage. Fully expected relegation, but so far so good. Players seem comitted as well. I think only the defenders scoring is unsustainable though. Need more from the forwards, but they've looked decent in the last 2 games.
I think a problem will be if we are midtable and have around 25 points going into January, then the club won't be arsed about improving the squad, and Bruce will have to make do with what's there. Survival being the only aim of the club.
Just like last January when you broke your transfer record.
 
What about the Norwich and Leicester results, were they down to Rafas blueprint?

Norwich was an abomination, and there was a total lack of urgency. He played Almiron as a striker alongside Joelinton in a 3 5 2 and had Kraft and Ritchie as wingbacks.
Players threw the towel in.

Leicester he went 4 2 3 1, and then went down to 10 before halftime when 1-0 down.
2nd half chasing shadows, players again gave up imo.

Before Leicester he tried a 5 4 1 against Brighton and it was dreadful as well. Got away with a 0-0. Hayden said during the game to Bruce on the bench "its not working". Players weren't sure who was meant to be where.
Bruce even said the players are used to a certain style. He's went with something similar to how we were last season, and it seems to fit the squad better. Results correlate with that.
Just like last January when you broke your transfer record.

Thinking more like January 2018 when we looked a lot more comfortable and signed Dubravka and Slimani on loan
 
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Norwich was an abomination, and there was a total lack of urgency. He played Almiron as a striker alongside Joelinton in a 3 5 2 and had Kraft and Ritchie as wingbacks.
Players threw the towel in.

Leicester he went 4 2 3 1, and then went down to 10 before halftime when 1-0 down.
2nd half chasing shadows, players again gave up imo.

Before Leicester he tried a 5 4 1 against Brighton and it was dreadful as well. Got away with a 0-0. Hayden said during the game to Bruce on the bench "its not working". Players weren't sure who was meant to be where.
Bruce even said the players are used to a certain style. He's went with something similar to how we were last season, and it seems to fit the squad better. Results correlate with that.


Thinking more like January 2018 when we looked a lot more comfortable and signed Dubravka and Slimani on loan
Ok so what you're saying is

Newcastle win = Rafas blueprint
Newcastle lose = Bruce's blueprint
 
Norwich was an abomination, and there was a total lack of urgency. He played Almiron as a striker alongside Joelinton in a 3 5 2 and had Kraft and Ritchie as wingbacks.
Players threw the towel in.

Leicester he went 4 2 3 1, and then went down to 10 before halftime when 1-0 down.
2nd half chasing shadows, players again gave up imo.

Before Leicester he tried a 5 4 1 against Brighton and it was dreadful as well. Got away with a 0-0. Hayden said during the game to Bruce on the bench "its not working". Players weren't sure who was meant to be where.
Bruce even said the players are used to a certain style. He's went with something similar to how we were last season, and it seems to fit the squad better. Results correlate with that.


Thinking more like January 2018 when we looked a lot more comfortable and signed Dubravka and Slimani on loan
Tbf we all told yous he'd get off to a decent start and probably have you in the top half by Christmas. It's after Christmas when things normally go to shit for him. But hey, who knows it might be different for you lot
 
Tbf we all told yous he'd get off to a decent start and probably have you in the top half by Christmas. It's after Christmas when things normally go to shit for him. But hey, who knows it might be different for you lot

Did you see a stat on sky sports news which done the rounds on Twitter etc, of managers with more than 250 PL games, Bruce had the lowest win %.
That's the sort of thing why people weren't happy with him. Because he's been demonstrably shite based on a large number of games
 
Yeah, we hated Hughton. Couldn't stand the lad.

Bruce experimented with his own style/formations early on and we were pasted by Norwich. We're much improved since he reverted to the blueprint that Benitez used, with tweaks to factor in the different players now available.

I think it's fair to say the majority of fans were underwhelmed by Bruce's appointment, a sentiment I'm convinced would be shared by the majority of Premier League fans (anmd no doubt a decent number of Championship fans too). He's not an exciting appointment. He's not the focus of the fans' ire, that is Ashley. If Bruce's limitations start risking our Premier League status, or should we be endure performances like we saw against Norwich and Leicester, then he deserves critisim, just like he's deserved praise for the wins against Spurs, Man Utd, West Ham and Bournemouth.

He wasn’t the people’s choice but he’s in the job now so the fans need to get behind him and stop dragging Benitez up all the time. That will improve the atmosphere, I think a lot of people don’t like him or didn’t want him because he managed Sunderland.

Bruce has played 5-3-2 at his former clubs, he played it at hull so he’s familiar with the system
 
Tbf we all told yous he'd get off to a decent start and probably have you in the top half by Christmas. It's after Christmas when things normally go to shit for him. But hey, who knows it might be different for you lot


And we all told you your owners were chancers
He wasn’t the people’s choice but he’s in the job now so the fans need to get behind him and stop dragging Benitez up all the time. That will improve the atmosphere, I think a lot of people don’t like him or didn’t want him because he managed Sunderland.

Bruce has played 5-3-2 at his former clubs, he played it at hull so he’s familiar with the system


It’s got fuck all to do with being Sunderland manager, the main bug bearers were that many hate Ashley and Bruce being a Geordie should know what he’s like but he couldn’t resist taking the SD coin.

Not my position, but that’s why we on the whole don’t like him, plus he isn’t very good in truth, however I admit he’s doing ok, for now.
 
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Imagine if Bruce had Rondon and Perez at his disposal rather than Joelshinton?
And we all told you your owners were chancers



It’s got fuck all to do with being Sunderland manager, the main bug bearers were that many hate Ashley and Bruce being a Geordie should know what he’s like but he couldn’t resist taking the SD coin.

Not my position, but that’s why we on the whole don’t like him, plus he isn’t very good in truth, however I admit he’s doing ok, for now.

There never seemed any criticism of Rafa taking the SD coin which he did for years. You are like my mates it’s killing you he’s doing well. It’s hilarious tbh
 
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And we all told you your owners were chancers



It’s got fuck all to do with being Sunderland manager, the main bug bearers were that many hate Ashley and Bruce being a Geordie should know what he’s like but he couldn’t resist taking the SD coin.

Not my position, but that’s why we on the whole don’t like him, plus he isn’t very good in truth, however I admit he’s doing ok, for now.
We were speaking from experience about Bruce. At the start of Donald's reign, what evidence did you have that he was a "chancer"?
 
And we all told you your owners were chancers



It’s got fuck all to do with being Sunderland manager, the main bug bearers were that many hate Ashley and Bruce being a Geordie should know what he’s like but he couldn’t resist taking the SD coin.

Not my position, but that’s why we on the whole don’t like him, plus he isn’t very good in truth, however I admit he’s doing ok, for now.
So Bruce joined for the coin and Rafa joined for a project.

Remind me who was paid the most again.
 
And we all told you your owners were chancers



It’s got fuck all to do with being Sunderland manager, the main bug bearers were that many hate Ashley and Bruce being a Geordie should know what he’s like but he couldn’t resist taking the SD coin.

Not my position, but that’s why we on the whole don’t like him, plus he isn’t very good in truth, however I admit he’s doing ok, for now


He’s doing better than Benitez at this stage last season, Wel see how it pans out but he’s proving he’s capable of doing what benitez did up to now
 
He wasn’t the people’s choice but he’s in the job now so the fans need to get behind him and stop dragging Benitez up all the time. That will improve the atmosphere, I think a lot of people don’t like him or didn’t want him because he managed Sunderland.

Bruce has played 5-3-2 at his former clubs, he played it at hull so he’s familiar with the system
We'll stop when he does. :lol:

If he was some elite manager who would deliver untold glories, do you think we'd give a toss that he used to manage you lot? Him managing sunderland is a f***ing irrelevance. He's just not very inspiring, not very ambititous, not very good.
 
We'll stop when he does. :lol:

If he was some elite manager who would deliver untold glories, do you think we'd give a toss that he used to manage you lot? Him managing sunderland is a f***ing irrelevance. He's just not very inspiring, not very ambititous, not very good.
He’s your manager and he’s doing as well as Rafa with no forward line to speak of. You should be really happy.
 
He was before the cult of Rafa. Buffoon.
So your entire argument is based on 1 appointment? Given that all other previous managers came before Benitez, and only Bruce after? Seems an awfully small sample size to base such a strongly held opinion on...
He’s doing better than Benitez at this stage last season, Wel see how it pans out but he’s proving he’s capable of doing what benitez did up to now
12 games, we'll see how he fares longer term. From what I read on here Bruce tends to start well enough, then it goes badly wrong
He’s your manager and he’s doing as well as Rafa with no forward line to speak of. You should be really happy.
How'd you figure that?
 
Bruce is a decent manager who should never have been sacked here.

Benitez was decent but over rated. He united the fans but his football was no better than Bruce’s. Same tactics and formation.

The fans should get behind Bruce and give him a chance, weird to keep fawning after Benitez. He’s gone and it’s time to move on. He’s clearly worried about his god like status because he’s talking about finishing the second half of the season 7th, almost undermining the job Bruce has done this season.

Bruce came in a few weeks before the season started so to be 2 points off 5th at this stage is a fantastic achievement. I do t think hel maintain this but no way they’ll get relegated this season and at the end of the day that’s the minimum expectation

Its still very early to be making a call on Bruce for good or ill.
 

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