Did he really expect anything else? When Steve Bruce took the poisoned chalice of trying to replace Rafa Benitez at Newcastle, it was hardly going to be a walk in the park.
The latter was a popular figure amongst the Geordie masses, and his departure simply added to the resentment surrounding the club. Appointing Bruce – a manager who has been around the block but hardly a star-studded name – was never going to lift spirits.
And judging by the performances on the pitch, his arrival hasn’t exactly reignited the Newcastle players either. After suffering a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Leicester last week, the Tyneside club face Manchester United on Sunday in the Premier League.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Bruce talked about the criticism he has received and insisted he is trying to turn things around.
He said: “Mud has been thrown my way since I walked through the door, that’s not going to change. The only thing that can change it for me is results. I’m a resilient so and so. You wouldn’t be human if it didn’t affect you in some sort of way but you try and get on with your job as best you can.”
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After hearing the manager’s comments, Newcastle fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on what the 58-year-old had to say.
Many Magpies supporters felt Bruce tried to play the sympathy card, and insisted he should have known what he was walking into when he took the job.
Check out some of the reaction of Newcastle fans below:
I’m normally quite positive on most things NUFC but Bruce has played the “poor me” card since he arrived, has he not!?
Just get on with the hard job he knew he was taking!
— Nufc Chants (@toonchants) 4 October 2019
He deserves every single scoop of that mud too!
— Mart McFly (@GeordieMcTavish) 4 October 2019
What did he expect? He knew what he was walking into. He was told not to take the job by several people including Shearer but he ignored them. Then there’s his tactics or should I say lack of.
— Skeems (@Skeems1) 4 October 2019
He’s brought it on himself! He is proving he cannot coach tactics within 90 mins and obvs doesnt relay much in training. He is plainly incapable of managing against top class competition. Players are a shadow of what they were 5 months ago, that is just wrong! #nufc @nufc
— Mick Maldini (@MickMaldini) 4 October 2019
Deserves everything he gets. Nobody with any football sense wanted him and we pretty much all predicted how bad #NUFC would be under him. No shock to see what’s happening with this inept and massively underachieving manager in charge. Another yes man to MA.
— Dilligaf (@The_Scoreboard) 4 October 2019
Making it worse if he wants to start being the victim not like nobody warned him
— BillyNellisV2 (@BillyNellisV2) 4 October 2019
This “poor me” narrative that he’s been rolling out since he got here is tiresome.
— The Steve (@TheMightySteve) 4 October 2019
Never mind mud, somebody throw him a P45
— Darth (@DarthHod354) 4 October 2019
