Courtesy of another late equalizer from Joe Willock, Newcastle United picked up a point at Anfield vs. Liverpool yesterday. That draw extends Newcastle’s unbeaten streak to four matches and Steve Bruce deserves some credit.
With only one loss in their last eight matches, the embattled Bruce has helped turn this club around at the most crucial moments of the season. When the pressure on him and his players was at its worst, the 60-year-old manager was exactly who Newcastle needed.
He has steered the club from a free-fall towards relegation away from the drop zone. The Magpies are now nine points clear of Fulham with five matches left in the Premier League season.
Like Bruce indicated in his post-match comments, the club scoring late goals shows a never-say-die attitude. While the players provide a lot of that, it’s also a testament to their manager.
With Newcastle United in great form, Steve Bruce has earned some praise for his club’s performance.
When Willock scored the equalizer today, he ran straight to Bruce and gave him a big hug. That’s not something you may have seen earlier this season and while a small moment, it was nice to see.
That’s not to say that Bruce has been without error lately. He’s still hardheaded when it comes to making changes to the starting XI. His tactics remain a bit too defensive.
Has Bruce earned our undying love and confidence that he’s the right man for the future? Of course not. He was a central figure in the club’s midseason struggles and still may be out of his depth in the top flight. But, for now, it’s only fair that Newcastle United supporters give the highly criticized boss