It’s never a great sign if any colleagues are actively trying to fight each other, but in football it may depend on the circumstances.
If it’s just a heat of the moment thing when there’s a lot of tension in the air then maybe they can work past it, but if it’s just some deep seated resentment that’s coming to the fore then something has to change.
It’s becoming pretty clear that nobody at Newcastle likes Steve Bruce anymore, and this recent report of him acknowledging the incident with Matt Ritchie has just made some of the fans even more angry:
Steve Bruce confirms training-ground bust-up with Matt Ritchie and and says most disappointing thing is there’s a leak within the training ground. “There is a leak from within and we are doing our utmost to find the culprit.” #NUFC
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) March 5, 2021
He just seems to miss the important point in this. He’s not fussed about trying to improve himself or the team, it’s just about trying to find out who’s letting everyone know that he’s a shambles and stopping the supposed leak.
It looks like his only concern here is his own reputation and preserving his status when he does leave, so it’s understandable that plenty of fans just want him gone:
So the disappointing thing isn’t the fact he tried to have a fight with his own player, but the fact the fans found out about it?
— Alex Johnson (@alexjo123_) March 5, 2021
He needs to go, his main concern is finding out who the grass is? Look at the bigger picture, the fact there’s someone within the club leaking this info proves that he has lost the respect of his staff.
— Peter Donnelly (@PeterDonnelly91) March 5, 2021
Aye cause that’s the most disappointing thing isn’t it? What he’s doing is confirming players dont like him.
— Joe Halliday (@halliday_9) March 5, 2021
I’d rather he spent his time concentrating on organising the team, training the players properly and regularly, listening to his sports scientists to reduce/manage injuries better and generally being a competent head coach. That way, there’d be nothing worth leaking. #nufc
— Zachet (@TheZachet) March 5, 2021
It is telling that SB sees the leak to be the problem, rather than the obvious problem that he has lost the trust and respect of his players. Because so many of his pundit pals have repeated the line that he’s doing a great job he really can’t seem to see how badly he’s doing.
— Steven Miles (@milessteven001) March 5, 2021
Imagine being more concerned over an individual ‘leaking’ your misconduct of your players to the press, rather than facing up to & apologising for your unprofessional behaviour. He should’ve been sacked months ago, and by the time he is – we’ll all pay the price for years to come
— Sparky (@marcusshearer1) March 5, 2021
The reaction and opinions about Bruce only seem to be going one way…. are there any Newcastle United fans out there who genuinely want him to stay at this point?