Newcastle United have the talent to become a top ten side, but Steve Bruce is holding this squad back.
Managing Director, Lee Charnley:
As a fervent supporter of the great, historic club that is Newcastle United Football Club I am utilizing this platform to echo a common concern that has been expressed by the Toon Army across all social media outlets.
Newcastle United are in crisis mode at the moment, and the club has been in this status for quite some time. So, what exactly is this crisis I am referring to?
The club has completely lost its identity. Consistency is no longer in the supporters’ vocabulary because we have forgotten what that is since Steve Bruce was hired last July. The Magpies have not won more than two consecutive games under Bruce.
I will admit that the criticism Bruce received from fans before a ball was even kicked was unfair, but, nearly 18 months later he has done very little to win fans over.
Since taking the job, Bruce has been in charge of 50 Premier League games, and of those 50 games he has only celebrated victory 16 times. The ratio of goals scored and goals conceded is 54 to 79.
On average, Newcastle United are only claiming 1.2 points per game. With the attacking talent this team has, that record is unacceptable, and, quite frankly, the club has sacked managers that had better records in the past in a shorter amount of time.
Moreover, Bruce does not have a concrete game plan that he can implement long-term. He has spent the last year-and-a-half experimenting with ten different formations. Not two or three, but ten.
Already in this early stage of the season, Newcastle United have been embarrassed by three or more goals in games against Brighton (0-3), Manchester United (1-4), and Leeds United (2-5), with two of those results taking place at St. James’ Park.
Since the start of last season opponents have scored three or more goals against Newcastle United on twelve occasions, and three of those defeats saw the Toon concede five goals… five!
For the most part, the core players have remained unchanged from the Rafa Benitez era, but Bruce does not know how to properly use the talent he has at his disposal.
How many more times do fans need to see teams like Wolverhampton and Burnley fight for places in Europe? Look at Southampton this year. Look at the confidence Aston Villa and Leeds United play with week in and week out, and then take a close look at Newcastle United.
This club has enough talent to stay up, but what good does that do for fans if there are no ambitious targets? Bruce’s outdated tactics are placing a low ceiling on the club during a time when the Premier League is wide open.
There are several qualified managers in England and across Europe who can work wonders with this team. Pursue them before it is too late.
Based on how weak four or five other teams are this season, relegation is a nominal concern this term, but Newcastle United will certainly be in that discussion next season and the season after that if things do not change. It is time to secure the services of a progressive manager.
The front office has done well to bring in a mix of young, dynamic players and Premier League veterans, but those players need a manager who is able to effectively consolidate their skills.
As the Managing Director, you have the power to initiate this process, and I, along with the majority of the Toon Army, hope you do.