Many Newcastle United fans have been laughing at Steve Bruce, after the gaffer told The Telegraph that he would walk away from the game if he can make the Toon a trophy chasing, European challenging side again.
Bruce feels there would be no better way to bow out from management than to make the club he loves a side capable of challenging for the biggest honours, having last seen major silverware arrive at St. James’ Park in 1969 in the form of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
“I think this will be the last job for me,” Bruce said. “If I can make a success of this one, if I can get Newcastle back into the top-ten in the next two to three years. If, in the long term, I can get them back into the top-eight, competing to win a cup every season, challenging for a place in Europe, I cannot think of a better way to sign out.
“This has always been the job I wanted, and I want to be here a long time. It feels like I have been building towards this my entire life and I will fight with everything I have got, all the experience I have gained, to turn this football club back into what it should be. We shouldn’t forget [we] were in the Championship three years ago, but that is my ambition.”
United clinched the last of our six FA Cup honours 65 years ago with a 3-1 win over Manchester City at the old Wembley Stadium, with Jackie Milburn, Bobby Mitchell and George Hannah the scorers that day.
This year could see that drought end, if play can resume, with Bruce already guiding the Toon to the Quarter Final where we will face City looking to clinch our first Semi-Final appearance since 2005.
This year also marks the 93rd anniversary of our last top-tier title, having won the 1926/27 First Division crown following previous successes at the start of the last century when the Magpies were a dominant force of the English domestic league game.
Many fans doubt Bruce will be able to bring those glory days back to Tyneside, though, with lots of supporters mocking him for the mere notion that he can.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to Bruce’s claim…
Brucie’s gone too. Damn this isolation! So much madness! https://t.co/oH3jGhLUqj
— Simon George (@simgeo35) March 26, 2020
This will age well😂
— Rafa Facts (@FactsRafa) March 26, 2020
You having a laugh must of been on the brown ale all day 😭😭😭😭🍔
— Header Safc (@HeaderSafc) March 26, 2020
Self isolation is affecting some more than others, poor old Brucey 🥬 #deluded
— Maxwell Edgell (@edgy22nogaps) March 27, 2020
Not your last job then Steve …. 😂
— Jim (@JimGeordie) March 26, 2020
— Harry Keogh (@HarryKeogh5) March 26, 2020
What a future of progressive football Newcastle have got to look forward to
— Brian Brogden (@bullysback) March 26, 2020
— Janet (@janshoes) March 26, 2020
So he’s planning on working till he’s 105?
— Uncle Monty (@_Uncle_Monty) March 26, 2020
@stevewraith Steve lockdown with the drink #dreamland never possible under Ashley https://t.co/yRTl8kxsjL
— Christopher Kearns (@benvinguits) March 26, 2020
In other Newcastle United news, the club can avoid a proposed stumbling block to sign Steve Bruce’s “great” target by simply offloading one first-team outcast.