Loads of Newcastle United fans have been reacting on social media after Steve Bruce suggested that this season can be more than just about securing survival in the Premier League.
Bruce has so far overseen eight wins and seven draws over his 27 top-flight games at the helm, which have returned enough points for the club to rest 14th in the standings and seven points clear of the drop zone.
But back-to-back defeats in our last two games have been enough to create distance to the top-ten, with Saturday’s opponent Burnley tenth in the standings and six points higher than us after taking four wins from their last five fixtures.
Yet Bruce is still upbeat about the potential of achieving something more than just securing another campaign in the top-tier, and hopes that players returning from injuries will help him to achieve this.
“We’ve got 11 or 12 games left [including Tuesday’s FA Cup tie with West Brom] and we have given ourselves an opportunity,” Bruce told the Chronicle. “It’s still realistic [to secure a top-ten finish].
“We’re getting a few back from injury now and we have given ourselves a great opportunity. Let’s try to grasp it over the next four, five, six weeks.
“Let’s look upwards. Let’s see if we can do it. We’re up against teams up and around us [over the coming weeks].”
Is a T10 finish possible this season?
Yes
No
Despite Bruce’s message of hope and wanting to achieve more, recent performances have not been at a level to suggest we can move back up the standings and claim a top-ten finish.
United have won just one Premier League game since the turn of the year to three defeats and three draws, which could easily have been one more defeat had we not scored twice in stoppage-time at Everton.
We have also failed to score in any of our last three league games and kept just two clean sheets in the seven top-flight matches played so far in 2020 – coming against Chelsea when Frank Lampard’s side took 19 shots and Norwich City when Daniel Farke’s men also fashioned 19 efforts on goal.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to Bruce’s message…
Top 8 of the Championship?
— Nick Bird (@nickbird1982) February 25, 2020
He has a track record of nothing but failure and occasional glimpses of mediocrity. I can’t believe charnley employee him never mind poached him 😳😳
— Mark Hardy (@markhardy9999) February 25, 2020
Maybe try and pass the ball to each other for a start lol 😂 passing on Saturday was shocking along with lots of things unfortunately
— Mark Roche (@MarkRoc87454440) February 25, 2020
Avoiding the drop? Start at trying to score a goal and go from there…
— Jase (@HolzvonHolzer) February 25, 2020
He is just a puppet in the grand scheme of things, it’s not what HE wants, but what the MASTER puppeteer wants and gets. ⚫️⚪️👍
— jim wakenshaw (@okeh_suedehead) February 25, 2020
Well it won’t be at Newcastle as that’s the owners ambition. Anything beyond is past Bruce’s skill set. #nufc
— Neil Davison (@ndavison1974) February 25, 2020
I have one message for Bruce…”please concentrate on fending off the drop” thank you.
— Mick Lazarus (@MickLazarus1) February 25, 2020
I don’t want Steve Bruce to have any ambition as Newcastle manager.I want them all gone,start a fresh,new owners,new ambition. My god,how Newcastle utd needs it.
— MSW (@Toonattics) February 25, 2020
To score a goal?
— Rob M (@GeordieRobM) February 25, 2020
Well he hides them very well.
— Kenny Wharton sits on the ball (@Nolpecker) February 25, 2020
In other Newcastle United news, a £35k-p/w player will not feature against Burnley in the absence of a £20m international.