Thought I could handle everything but its been very tough, admits Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce has admitted that it was tough to handle everything that was thrown at him as people wanted him to fail since day one of being appointed the manager of Newcastle United. Bruce was sacked by the new hierarchy that assumed the takeover of Newcastle United from Mike Ashley.
Steve Bruce replaced Rafa Benitez as the new manager of Newcastle United in July 2019 after Benitez resigned from his post due to a lack of transfer backing from Mike Ashley after finishing 13th in the Premier League in his last season with the club. The former Sunderland and Hull manager took Newcastle to a similar position in the league standings at the end of the 2019-20 campaign. However, the incoherent style of play as well as a failure to guide them into the top half posed questions about his sustainability for the role.
The Magpies welcomed new owners earlier this month after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) chaired by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bought the Premier League side from Mike Ashley. A change in ownership was inevitable but Steve Bruce's job has been on the fringes ever since the new owners took over. Things have now changed, despite assurances that Bruce wouldn't be sacked, with the club parting ways with the veteran manager.
It saw Bruce admit that his tenure was doomed to fail from the first day itself due to the constant barrage of hate and criticism from the supporters.
"New owners normally want a new manager. I’ve been around long enough to understand that. That decision is not up to me. I accept that and I will accept what comes my way. By the time I got to Newcastle, I thought I could handle everything thrown at me but it has been very, very tough. To never really be wanted, to feel that people wanted me to fail, to read people constantly saying I would fail, that I was useless, a fat waste of space, a stupid, tactically inept cabbage head or whatever. And it was from day one,” Bruce told The Telegraph.
"When we were doing ok results wise, it was ‘yeah but the style of football is rubbish’ or I was just ‘lucky.’ It was ridiculous and persistent, even when the results were good. It does take its toll because even when you win a game, you don’t feel like you are winning over the supporters," he added.
#NUFC can confirm that Steve Bruce has left his position as head coach by mutual consent.
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 20, 2021
The club would like to place on record its gratitude to Steve for his contribution and wishes him well for the future.