Bruce’s Banter: ‘disappointment’ over Newcastle defeat is not enough, Steve

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This was the day we wanted revenge for that humiliation – two humiliations really – of last season. Losing at home is always bad, and we did plenty of it last season. To lose at home after all the assertive pre-match talking up of our determination, our desire is worse. And to lose at home to Newcastle United, with an abject second half display that wouldn’t have threatened Hartlepool Reserves, is the stuff of despair. Steve Bruce e-mails us, and a few others, with his own post-debacle thoughts …

Dear Colin,

We’re massively disappointed.

The domination we had in the first half and the chances we created; we needed to score and take advantage of the opportunities we had and if you don’t score you don’t win a football match and we’ve been punished.

In this league, the way we dominated parts of the game, we should have taken those chances because you know that you’re not going to get the chance to keep producing them time after time.

That’s the disappointment that we’ve got. It was a sucker punch and we’ve been caught out by a free-kick that I think we should have done better with.

Set pieces are a big part of the game and we’ll have to work hard to ensure that we are a big threat at one end of the pitch and not susceptible at the other.

We huffed and puffed after they scored, which is obviously a frustration. We went down to 10 men and didn’t really get back to the flowing football that we had in the first half.

I was pleased with the first half performance, we needed to score a goal and unfortunately we didn’t and it’s cost us.

All the best,


Steve Bruce

24 thoughts on “Bruce’s Banter: ‘disappointment’ over Newcastle defeat is not enough, Steve”

  1. I am really getting sick of s Bruce putting round pegs in square holes give your head a shake if you dont get it right this year get out so we can get Martin o Neil in he will have more than 1 striker to pick from.

  2. The folly of selling Bent without a fight or an experienced replacement again exposed. Signed 9 new players and only started two. One up front in a home game against an average team. 5 transfer windows in and no specialist left back or left sided winger. Gyan clearly thinks he’s something special but his workrate/attitude was questionable and Elmohamady is not good enough to start games. Why buy Westwood as your number one [allegedly] and persist with Mignolet whose positioning on their goal was ridiculous? Bruce’s tactical naivety was again shown up when he brings on two target men [Wickham.Ji] and takes off our best crosser [Larsson]. With seven home defeats in our last eight games at the SoL and eleven in sixteen overall, will Ellis Short’s patience with Bruce run out if things do not improve very quickly? Trying not to knee-jerk as we look to have the basis of a good overall squad, but results quickly need to reflect this. We started v the Mags with verve and commitment, but in the second half it all digressed into a frantic mess and by full time we were lost-once they scored that was it. Very disappointing Mr Bruce as you would have found out with a post match visit to Sunderland City centre, instead of returning to your Ponteland base [your main home still being in the Midlands by all accounts].

  3. As a NUFC fan, I can only be happy with the result yesterday.
    Our house is split into both camps (like may others in the Northeast).
    But it does give a sense of friendly and informative banter.

    I didn’t come here to gloat and post insults, that’s simply childish…. No, more to offer “constructive critisism” from an outside point of view.
    Both teams are evenly matched, both teams have strengthened albeit SAFC a liitle more…. The discerning difference that I have noticed is that NUFC has cemented a little better with that secret ingredient called “team spirit”… I also personally believe that Steve Bruce, although a bloody good manager has been tactically naive in using Gyan as a lone striker, it simply doesn’t play to his strengths. He is a good player but a Drogba he is not! Gyan needs that fellow forward support and he will pay it back with goals aplenty… We had seen the same last season with the departing Kenwyne Jones, yet another great buy who flourished as a partnership with Darren Bent then floundered as a lone striker!…..
    There is nothing fundamentaly wrong with your Manager or your Team… Just the tactical choices that Bruce makes from time to time, especially when it comes to playing NUFC…. By rights and on paper, SAFC should have buried us yesterday, with the amount of chances you had first half, why didn’t it happen????
    All I could see and be relieved about is “where was the other striker to put those loose, untidy balls in the back of the net”?
    NUFC were lucky, we didn’t play well but we made the most of what we had & we got away with it! Anyone who think’s different, is bloody fool. Let’s wait until next game when both teams are settled, lessons learned “hopefully on both sides” and then either side can gloat then…. Maty the best team win!… Good luck lads!

  4. dont know why bruce didnt play gardner ,vaughan,instead of colback ,he admitted experience was important in these games.not worried ,hurting today but expect us to finish at least 5 places above the mags .the bigger picture is that over a season we will be much the better team.ashley will be content with the mags team now and wont see the need to spend.

  5. We are crying out for a Attlee who can score goals you got the money off d bent so get it spent on a class striker to help guan out then you can play SESS in the right position befor he gets injured

  6. As I said on Thurs nite the Mags midfield would have to much for Sunderland. If I was a Sunderland supporter the biggest worry for me would be Brucie as your manager. He has no plan B, once the Mags went ahead he & the players didn’t really know what to do. Sacked by Nov. He’s spent another fortune on a bunch of Journeymen, Vaughah, Gardiner, Larsson. I wouldn’t take my of them!!!

  7. Always a pleasure to visit Salut! – cultured, civilized, objective and [often] amusing. And Sandy Denny [side menu] clinches it.

    As for today’s joust, trois points pour le Toon, merci beaucoup. Icing on cake – Stevie ‘Doubtfire’ Brucie chewin’ on a wasp / licking’ p!ss off a nettle once again. No complacency. Up front we’re ineffectual. If the Fat Controller don’t splosh the dosh in the coming days on a goal-grabber, we’re cream crackered. Reckon Sunlun will finish above us, come the hour.

  8. I’m glad that is over – once again it could have gone either way, this time we got the luck to keep you at bay in the 1st half and the skill to make our chance count in the second.

    I doubt that there is anyone hurting more than Steve Bruce tonight so I wish you all well, keep your faith and so long as you finish 1 point less than us I’ll be a happy Mag in May

  9. bruising encounter passion and a will to win north east football at its best both teams need a lot more up front for the money we have spent and 2 or 3 good youngsters we have coming through we might have a good season for the money sunderland have spent i would be unhappy good article

  10. Over the moon with the points, cheers. If we get a quality striker in i think we will easily finish above u if not could be close.
    I do think brucie will come good for you.

  11. Sick & tired of Steve Bruce’s excuses. Since Bent left we haven’t replaced him with a proven scorer. Bruce seems to have an obsession with midfielders. We will struggle to score goals – hence dominating games will not mean we will win them.

    I’m damn angry, and enough is enough. Bruce – you’ve had over two years and its time to prove the business on the field. Otherwise, get out.

  12. “but by god you lot can be dirty players, 16 fouls compared to 7 by the mighty Mags…dirty dirty boys eh”

    Says something. . .

  13. Enjoy it while you can lads . . . We’ll have the last laugh at SJP. A comfortable 3-0 victory with a “Ji Done Wrong” hat-trick.

    Good Lord – I’ve just seen a pig flying over me house.

  14. Ii would have settled for a draw, but to win, oh yes! Bragging rights are once again ours…..another easy 3 points from you lot, but by god you lot can be dirty players, 16 fouls compared to 7 by the mighty Mags…dirty dirty boys eh

  15. firstly , im a nufc fan 🙂 so as you would expect im happy tonight

    but my point is this, i think over all there was nothing really between the 2 teams, i think the highlighted that we both need more strength up front,,

    safc looked really good, at times, could keep the ball well but i never felt like you where gona score,

    as for us, i thought we looked ok, but with nothing up front, and new that it was gona be a set piece that would win it for either side,,

    anyway its only the second game, still a long way to ,, wont brag to much, we still got he home game to play,

  16. To be fair, Sunderland were the better side first half, altho that should have ended with a penalty and a red card… Still, it ended up being a tight game and on account on the penalty that wasnt given, NUFC were worthy winners… Good luck next match

  17. Another derby over, 1-0 to the Mags and life goes on .. get over the hurt that you’re experiencing this week and move on; I’m sure you are as low as we are high, but it’s now over – hey ho bragging rights – get behind your boys and support them for the rest of the season.. if you think a derby win is higher priority than a decent Premiership season then you deserve to hurt tonight.

    Didn’t think we had a chance today but was close despite what SB says; could have gone either way – it’s a long season.

    Gateshead Toon Army
    (Delighted of course)

  18. Newcastle supporters who are literate, funny, incisive or simply civilised know they are always welcome here. If they combine all four qualities, so much the better. Sadly, the Mags whose comments do not appear managed 0 or maybe 1 out of 4 (eg Staff the Toon fan’s ‘Ha ha good work secret agent Bruce. Plenty pink seats by 70 mins. As they say “were 5under1and till half time”.’ was moderately funny, though he does need to know that inbred is not spelt interbread).

  19. I have to say a black & white fanatic I was not looking forward to today’s game but it is really fantastic to go to the SoS & win fan bloody tastic, and now to cement our place as the North East’s top team and finish above you lot. I hope you finish 2nd as long as we are top.

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