Favourite day of the week today, Steve Bruce press day. "Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle" Lets see how many eye rolls today? I would love every single member of the press pack today to ask the same question to tip him over the edge "Hi Steve, been anywhere nice this week?"
On a slightly serious note, why do the press never ask a decent question, and not just talking about Bruce. All pressers are the epitome of banal, I genuinely have no idea why they even exist.
It's the same questiond every week and never anything specific about selections or what he's trying to do.
Joe Willock, Ciaran Clark and Javier Manquillo have all shaken off knocks while Fraser has trained all week. Wilson making 'good progress' but tomorrow has come too soon for him, Shelvey and Dummett. Decision still to be made on whether Woodman/Darlow starts for nufc vs Leeds
Steve Bruce on his future It's not all about me. I'm here to only do what I think is best for the club and that is managing it as best I can and keep us moving along. That's for other people to answer that. I will continue to do my best. I'm never going to walk away from the challenge.
Steve Bruce on fan frustration Look, it's always difficult. I would be sick if I said I quite enjoyed it. It's difficult. The frustration is, like any other Premier League club or any other Football League club, if you don't get results then ultimately the manager, head coach, whatever I am, bears the brunt. That's what it is. soI have to accept that results haven't been good enough. What the disappointment was we played very well at a difficult place last week - as difficult as it was going to get. We played very well and didn't get anything out of the game, which was the frustration.
Positive Martin Dubravka injury update This is from the radio section with BBC Newcastle's Matthew Raisbeck: He’s coming along nicely, Bruce said. Thankfully, the wound that was badly infected has gone. He’s hoping he’ll be back on the grass next week, so that’s a bit of good news.
Just watched whole thing, no questions from Chronicle or Journal, have they been banned? Just about every other journalist was asking will you walk? in different ways.
I want someone to give us the NUFC fans spin on this latest candid conference. I'm always impressed by our fans creativity.
"Do you not think I want us to be top of the league? Do you not think I want a better pool of players to choose from? What can I say We are where we are at the minute" "Oh **** that Indian fella has bought the club with PIF, better make out I can win the league with money to spend and that I'm geet ambitious for the future"
Er yes pretty much every time? Back end of last season we largely lined up: Dubravka, Krafth (right sided centre back or right back), Fernandez (centre back), Dummett (left sided centre back or left back), Murphy (right wing back or right winger), Ritchie (left wing back and we will say left winger but not really anymore), Longstaff (centre mid), Willock (mainly centre mid), Shelvey (centre mid), Wilson (forward), ASM (forward) Others to play were Schar (used as centre back), Lascelles (used as centre back), Joelinton (used as wide forward or striker), Almiron (used as wide man or forward), Clark (used as left sided centre back), Manquillo/Lewis (used as full backs or wing backs), Hendrick (used mainly in centre mid), Carroll (used as striker), Hayden (used mainly as centre mid but he is a utility player anyway comfortable at centre back, full back, wide midfield). So yeah he largely plays players in positions they are comfortable in. I mean not all of them are good players in any of their preferred positions but that is a different matter.
Max is wasted as a striker Almiron is a left he always elsewhere. That's 2 of our best players in the wrong ****ing place
Aye but we can't confuse having to play people elsewhere due to shortage of numbers with just picking folk in random slots for the craic. Max has asked to play as a 10, I think its right we do. Better than losing him, we are **** enough.
Krafth has played plenty times as part of a back three before arriving here and at international level. I mean he's gash in either role but that is by the by. Ritchie is 100% a wing back now. Has been since Rafa and thinks its his best role himself. So its nice you think otherwise but the player himself and his two most recent managers have decided he is a wing back. Murphy is a **** hawk. To be honest his only good games have come at wing back. He's a wing back for me. I'd prefer Manquillo played if he can stay fit. Players play multiple roles in the modern game, and all those mentioned have history of doing so before Bruce bar Murphy.
