Charlie Nicholas praises the job Steve Bruce is doing at Newcastle United

Add as preferred source on Google

Pundit Charlie Nicholas feels Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has done a good job at the club since succeeding Rafa Benitez last summer.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Nicholas launched a defence of the Englishman despite the fact his Magpies side are currently just one point above the Premier League relegation zone in 17th.

He said: “I think Steve Bruce has done a fabulous job at Newcastle. He doesn’t have two up front to play and he loves playing with two strikers.

“Everything he has had to build, he has done so from the back, so they have to go back to front, but Newcastle’s away record is good – they will frustrate them but West Ham will just edge it. 2-1.”

TBR’s View – Nicholas has got it all wrong

There seems to be a queue of pundits waiting to defend Bruce from criticism from the supporters. But he has not made Newcastle stronger at the back than they were under Rafa Benitez but neither are they more creative or expansive either.

The football has got even worse and now Newcastle defend their rare leads by dropping back but without the same intensity or organisation as Benitez had in his defence.

Taking a team backwards from where your predecessor had them is not a ‘fabulous’ thing for any manager. Nicholas has got this one horribly wrong – Bruce has Newcastle mired deep in the relegation dogfight.