Don't Look Back in Ashley

[MonkeyHarris]

Feel bad for Wednesday, mainly because it's close to the start of the season and another club shouldn't have to suffer from Ashley's incompetence. Get Chris Hughton in and perhaps in six months' time you'll be better off than if Bruce had stayed. And he's bound to fail at Newcastle, which everybody from the clubs listed above will enjoy.

With that said, the outrage and hostility shown by the majority of NUFC fans to his potential appointment has me wishing him relative success. The two loanees he had last season should slot straight into our left side, put Schar at right back if he doesn't go to Milan, give Muto, Sorenson and Gayle chances up front under a different system and bring in a big man (yeah, I'd take Carroll back on an average first-team salary with appearance and goal bonuses) and we're not one of the three worst teams in the league. And if we are, and the boycott actually happens, then Ashley might sell the club.

[Patrick Thistle]

He seems to have form for jumping out of frying pans into fires e.g. going to work for Carson Yeung. But hey, the money's probably good and he always has his literary career to fall back on.

[longeared]

Rumour has it that he'd be on a lower salary at Newcastle, but with the carrot of a huge bonus if he keeps them up. Ambition from Ashley there.

Hughton is a popular choice for our new manager, but that assumes he'd actually want to join us. We don't seem a particularly attractive proposition at present - possible ongoing embargo, questionable accounting that the EFL may take some interest in, interference from chairman and his background advisor Amadeu Paixao. He could probably do better by waiting for some job like Stoke or Fulham to become available during the autumn sacking season.

[beak]

[longeared]

Go on Chansiri, sue the arse off both Bruce and Ashley.

The Club is disappointed to learn via public statement issued by Newcastle United that it has appointed former Sheffield Wednesday staff Steve Bruce, Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence.

Regardless of the fact that the staff resigned from their positions with the Club on Monday, there remains outstanding legal issues to be resolved between the club and the staff and Newcastle United. The Club is currently considering its position and taking the appropriate legal advice.

No further comment will be made by the Club concerning this matter.

[Kevin S]

I see #BruceOut is already trending from NUFC fans.

[Nocturnal Submission]

The start of his reign has just been marked by a 4-0 humping by Wolves in a pre-season kickabout.

[Patrick Thistle]

Odds on his sacking? I predict Boxing Day, in time to get someone else in for the January window.

Was it someone on here who said that Steve Bruce has made more money out of being sacked by clubs than being employed by them? Or was that someone else.

Also, how much longer is left to run on Alan Pardew's 8 year contract?

[Benjm]

The start of his reign has just been marked by a 4-0 humping by Wolves in a pre-season kickabout.

Pre-season kickabout?

I think you'll find that they are competing for the none-more-valid Premier League Asia Trophy, while Wolves have also fitted in the opening of a Shanghai megastore and launch of a new high end fashion line.

[Sits]

WTAF?

[jeanmid]

Newcastle's Chinese fanbase aren't happy either

https://twitter.com/SkyJohnnyP/statu...37610277056512

[Ray de Galles]

I've got the same issue with this as I had when Mark Hughes was appointed manager of Southampton. I genuinely believed Steve Bruce had already managed Newcastle United in his career. I had to check Wikipedia to be sure he hadn't.

Obviously this is partly down to the hackneyed "proud Geordie" stuff he's always come out with but I think it's more that he's one of those interchangeable second/third class managers and Newcastle are one of those interchangeable second/third class clubs that any new pairing of the teams and bosses in question seems like the repeat of a previous appointment.

[Tony C]

I've got the same issue with this as I had when Mark Hughes was appointed manager of Southampton. I genuinely believed Steve Bruce had already managed Newcastle United in his career. I had to check Wikipedia to be sure he hadn't.

Obviously this is partly down to the hackneyed "proud Geordie" stuff he's always come out with but I think it's more that he's one of those interchangeable second/third class managers and Newcastle are one of those interchangeable second/third class clubs that any new pairing of the teams and bosses in question seems like the repeat of a previous appointment.

All very true. Read earlier that Bruce was their 11th choice for the post which is astonishing if true for a club of that size. However if even Allardyce turns it down the toxic nature of the post must be such that pretty much any manager with an ounce of self respect would give it a pass.

[sw2borshch]

Bruce won't get sacked this season. Half his job is to be a lightning rod.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Bruce won't get sacked this season. Half his job is to be a lightning rod.

Top of the Milburn Stand, do you reckon?

[Ray de Galles]

Ajax innit. Only got to see Frenkie de Jong play live twice in two seasons, which isn't enough. Man's a joy to watch. First time I saw him he was at centre-half. Kept wondering who was this silky child running the game from defence. Shame he's gone to Barcelona. Can't stand them. If the team continues to be dismantled and doesn't perform as well as this year, I hope to get a season ticket for the next campaign. Always new talent coming through though, and the lack of long ball football means it'd be worth stumping up for even without this year's performers.

Did you used to be someone else on here, Monkey? Sure we had another Amsterdam-dwelling Newcastle supporter on here, maybe Ale?

[MonkeyHarris]

Beak's in Amsterdam. Must be thinking of him.

[Ray de Galles]

Ah, thought the Ajax thing meant you were too - you're in another part of the Netherlands then? I did think beak was Amsterdam based but given he was still around knew you couldn't be him!

[MonkeyHarris]

Oh right, no I'm not Ale and I'm also in Amsterdam.

[Janik]

I've got the same issue with this as I had when Mark Hughes was appointed manager of Southampton. I genuinely believed Steve Bruce had already managed Newcastle United in his career. I had to check Wikipedia to be sure he hadn't.

Obviously this is partly down to the hackneyed "proud Geordie" stuff he's always come out with but I think it's more that he's one of those interchangeable second/third class managers and Newcastle are one of those interchangeable second/third class clubs that any new pairing of the teams and bosses in question seems like the repeat of a previous appointment.

Bruce has already managed in many, many places. Almost all of them for short, unmemorable spells. Some other bosses have been in charge of both of Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, or Aston Villa and Birmingham City (Ron Saunders famously), or Newcastle and Sunderland. I'm betting Bruce is unique in having taken charge of both clubs in three sets of bitter local rivals across his managerial career.

[jwdd27]

Two interesting Steve Bruce facts gleaned while researching exactly which clubs Bruce, rather than Allardyce has managed:

His mother was from Bangor, NI. I'm surprised they never persuaded him to switch allegiances while he was busy being the "best uncapped player" in the 80s/90s.

For his trial at Gillingham, he was accompanied on the trip down south by Wallsend Boys team-mate Peter Beardsley, but only Bruce was offered an apprenticeship.

[Ray de Galles]

Bruce also qualified for the Republic of Ireland through his mother, didn't he? The story was he was approached but Alex Ferguson persuaded him not to accept as it was under the old UEFA rules only allowing 3 "foreigners" in European club competitions.

[MonkeyHarris]

Bruce has published three crime thriller novels. Striker!, Sweeper!, and Defender! that supposedly sell for as much as two hundred quid on eBay. The hero of each is crime-solving football manager Steve Barnes of Leddersford Town who refuses secret service agents pleas to go undercover, telling them that his country never wanted him.

[ursus arctos]

A thread on those

[Sporting]

Bruce has published three crime thriller novels. Striker!, Sweeper!, and Defender! that supposedly sell for as much as two hundred quid on eBay. The hero of each is crime-solving football manager Steve Barnes of Leddersford Town who refuses secret service agents pleas to go undercover, telling them that his country never wanted him.

Next book: Manager!