Mike Ashley might be forced to make a big decision if Newcastle United fans continue to express their frustration over Steve Bruce.
Newcastle United finished the 2019-20 Premier League campaign in 13th place, and so far this season the team has claimed seven points in five games to sit 12th in the table. Newcastle United fans have been taking their shots at manager Steve Bruce for his tactical approach in recent games, but the problem started much earlier.
The Magpies had their moments of glory last season, but they also suffered multiple heavy, embarrassing defeats. Inconsistency has been a major problem for the Toon ever since Steve Bruce replaced Rafa Benitez.
Newcastle United have not won more than two consecutive league games with Bruce on the touchline, which shows just how up and down the team’s form has been.
In the final 20 games last season, Bruce only enjoyed four victories, and he failed to guide the team to three points in the final six games of the campaign. That poor run of form, and Bruce’s inability to prevent complacency among the players after securing survival is why the Toon Army has had enough of him.
In addition, Bruce’s reluctance to think outside the box and play attacking football like so many other teams around the league has fans extremely concerned that Newcastle United will fall behind their rivals. This is where Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley step into the picture frame.
Ashley has been far too generous to previous managers who put Newcastle United in serious danger of being relegated. Steve McClaren’s terrible run of seven victories over the course of 31 games essentially did send the Magpies down to the second tier of English football.
That is the problem, though, why on earth did Ashley wait 31 games to make that call? The same problem occurred with John Carver when he replaced Alan Pardew, whose extended stay on Tyneside created one of the most toxic environments ever experienced by the fans and the front office.
Carver took over in January and his record through the end of the season consisted of three victories, four draws, and twelve defeats. At one point during his tenure, Carver lost eight consecutive games, and his only victory after February came on the final day of the season to secure survival against West Ham.
Newcastle United have the most loyal and passionate fans in England, and they deserve much better than constantly being worried about their club because of clueless managers.
Ashley needs to keep a close eye on Bruce, especially now that the fans have simply had enough of him and his ultra-defensive tactics.
With an attacking force worth £100m in the final third, Bruce is yet to show that he knows how to properly utilize those players, and that should be a major red flag for the club’s front office.