Newcastle United: The alarming stats that scream Bruce Out

These numbers do all the talking… Newcastle United need to give Steve Bruce the boot.

From the outside looking in, neutral fans will think Newcastle United supporters are delusional for wanting Steve Bruce out. Well, neutral fans already think the Toon Army is delusional, in general, so their opinion means nada in this case.

Yes, Newcastle United find themselves ninth in the table with four points from their first three games, but the team has shown no fight in their last two games.

The Magpies looked like a team destined to reach new heights when they won 2-0 against West Ham on opening day, but were quickly snapped back into reality when Brighton won 3-0 last weekend.

Bruce’s men took the field against Tottenham earlier today, but VAR bailed the team out with a late penalty to make it 1-1 in the 97th minute. When taking a close look at the numbers over the last two weekends, neutrals will understand why #BruceOut is gaining traction.

Take away Callum Wilson’s penalty, and one will quickly realize that Newcastle United have not had a shot on target in 180 minutes of Premier League action. Two consecutive games without a single shot on target raises a big red flag.

Moreover, the Magpies have only created 12 chances in their last two games – six each – compared to the 15 they created against the Hammers a few weeks ago.

The numbers on the other end of the pitch are just as alarming, and could cause major problems down the road if they are not addressed immediately. The Toon have allowed their first three opponents to create 51 chances against them.

• West Ham – 15
• Brighton – 13
• Tottenham – 23

Of those 51 chances, 21 shots forced Karl Darlow to take action between the sticks. A lot of work needs to be done across the pitch to turn things around.

Offensively, the tactics need to be modified to bring out the best in Callum Wilson, Miguel, Almiron, and Allan Saint-Maximin. Hoof-ball obviously is not working.

Defensively, too much time is being spent watching the opposition on the ball. The coaching staff needs to remind the back line to be confrontational, not reactive.

So, for the neutrals out there who think the Toon Army is delusional for wanting a new manager, think twice before making that assumption. It has only been three weeks, and luck is already carrying this team more than the “tactics” deployed by Bruce.