This is what fans want to see from Steve Bruce's Newcastle United
Steve Bruce recently read Carlo Ancelotti’s autobiography cover to cover.
“That’s the key to the whole thing – how he’s calm in his management,” said Bruce. “He doesn’t let hysteria get in the road of him. It was just a really good read. When I see the clubs he’s managed, and what he’s achieved as a player, there aren’t many who have achieved what he has done as both. It was fascinating.”
There aren’t many who have won half of what Ancelotti has won as a player and manager.
Bruce’s managerial record, of course, was held up as a reason why his appointment was a mistake following the departure of Rafa Benitez, who, like Ancelotti, has won the Champions League as a manager.
The 59-year-old is now more than 15 months into the job at St James’s Park – and he has been well-backed by owner Mike Ashley.
Bruce hasn’t got everything that he has wanted, but the club has backed his judgement in the transfer market, and this summer saw proven Premier League players arrive on Tyneside.
Fans, however, haven’t yet got what they want on the pitch from Bruce’s team, which takes on Ancelotti’s second-placed Everton side in a behind-closed-doors game at St James’s Park this afternoon.
Bruce, having tried to moved to a more attacking system earlier this year, switched to a more defensive mindset against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. That approach earned Newcastle a point at Molineux, where their resilience was rewarded thanks to a late free-kick from Jacob Murphy.
The defensive approach a week ago was understandable given their capitulation to Manchester United the previous weekend, but Newcastle also need to be better, much better, with the ball.
Bruce, quickly, needs to get the balance right between defence and attack.
Newcastle are a “work in progress”, according to Bruce, who has been at United longer than Ancelotti has been at Everton. The progress at Goodison Park is there for all to see.
It’s going to be a long winter – England will go into a four-week lockdown on Thursday due to the coronavirus pandemic – and fans, understandably, are impatient for some kind of progress on the pitch.