Written by JP Quinn
In Steve Bruce’s first season in charge, most were in agreement that we rode our luck somewhat to finish in a fairly comfortable 13th place. Performances throughout the season were poor, although there were some signs towards the end of the season that the manager had found a better balance to the team. After the arrivals of Wilson, Fraser, Lewis and Hendrick in the summer, with no significant outgoings, no one could argue that the squad wasn’t stronger than last season. With that in mind, we would hope to see some improvement.
Firstly, there is a remarkable consistency in our points totals over the last 4 years. We both scored and conceded more goals than in any of the previous 3 seasons, though this isn’t really reflected in the expected numbers. One contributing factor is that we did see more penalties, having been awarded 7 this season after only getting 5 in the last 3 seasons combined. However, there was an overall improvement in the metrics compared to last season, more in line with the solid numbers we saw under Rafa but by no means outstanding.
The defensive numbers look much more stable this season and while the attack was still mostly poor, the strong finish to the season in terms of results is also evident here. The turning point seemed to be the 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United – after 6 games without a win and losing to the bottom team, Steve Bruce declared that ‘the gloves were off’ and he would be doing it his way from now on, indicating a switch to a more positive approach. We lost the next 3 games too, but after that we did see a change.
In came Graeme Jones as an assistant coach – a move completely out of the blue – seemingly to help transition to a more front-foot style of play. He had an immediate impact as we straight away switched to an unusual diamond shape with Fraser and Wilson as split strikers, which resulted in a 2-0 win at Everton and a convincing performance to go with it.
The team were certainly playing more on the front foot, pressing higher and looking more threatening, although results were mixed and there were some issues with the shape, most evident when unable to cope with Chelsea’s wing-back system. A 3-0 defeat to Brighton, leaving us in a precarious situation in the table, was the last straw for Bruce. He switched back to a 5-3-2 in the following game against Tottenham. In the 9 remaining games we took 17 points and scored 18 goals, sticking with that shape until the end of the season.
The xG FOR per game in the first half of the season was a dismal 0.69. In the second half it was 1.17. The turnaround in results was not a fluke this time – Bruce and his staff do deserve credit for that. However, you have to wonder what they were doing previously. Why did we spend 18 months playing so negatively, only to completely change approach mid-season? What was the long-term vision for this team (as if there were one)? In truth we’ve seen Bruce regularly flip-flop between tactics and players – it feels like a process of trial and error rather than any real plan.
We could view this season more generously in terms of the disruption caused by injuries and Covid, but even if we were to see the strong finish as a sign that Bruce can take the team forward next season, I think there is cause for concern in regard to the general lack of direction. I also worry about how this impacts the younger players in the squad – Jamal Lewis a glaring example of a player who needs some guidance, while the progress of the Longstaff brothers has stalled.
On top of that, every interview he gives seems to irk fans one way or another – either a tiresome cliché telling us they’re going to ‘roll wor sleeves up’ or a jibe about how, despite all the criticism, he’s performing just as well as the ‘mighty Rafa’. He doesn’t help himself.
The common trope about Newcastle fans is that our expectations are too high – we demand Champions League football! In reality, our expectations could hardly be lower. During Mike Ashley’s 14-year ownership we’ve only finished higher than 10th once, we’ve had 2 relegations and 1 season of European football. We do however think we can do better than just surviving in the Premier League year after year, and this is a problem for Bruce. The comparisons between Benítez and Bruce have been unavoidable but one of the biggest differences is that while Rafa always demanded more from the club and spoke about the potential, Bruce seems content to just keep his head above water while pointing out our limitations. His relationship with the fans now seems irreconcilable.
Obviously, there are bigger issues with the football club as a whole. Joe Willock being one of the bright sparks of the season, despite not actually being our player and no guarantee of him extending his stay on Tyneside, yet another symbol of the cub simply existing from season to season under the current ownership. But the fact is, Steve Bruce represents what the club has become under Mike Ashley. Doing the bare minimum to survive, with no real long-term plans or ambitions.
Attacking Centre-Back 