Loads of Newcastle United fans have been reacting on social media, after Sky Sports compared Steve Bruce and Rafa Benitez’s records in charge of the club.
Focusing only on the first 22 Premier League matches overseen by the two head coaches, Newcastle have won exactly the same number of games under Bruce as we achieved under Benitez as both recorded seven victories.
Benitez marginally bettered Bruce’s record for games lost having been beaten nine times and held to six draws, while our current commander in chief has overseen ten defeats and taken a share of the spoils on five occasions to date.
That one game swing in defeats means we are one point worse off over Bruce’s first 22 top-flight fixtures in charge than we were under Benitez, who oversaw ten games before the club fell out of the Premier League in 2016.
Who would you rather have in charge?
Bruce
Benitez
Benitez won three, drew four and lost three of his initial top-flight fixtures at the helm before guiding the club to the Championship title in 2016/17, after which he won four of his first 12 Premier League games back in the division.
Over the Spaniard’s first 22 Premier League games in charge over the two seasons, we conceded 26 goals but have already allowed 34 under Bruce, who also boasts the lower average possession at 33.6% to Benitez’s 44.1%.
Goals scored (21 to 27), successful passes (227 to 281), expected goals (18.0 to 21.5) and clean sheets (five to six) are also down under Bruce, while expected goals against (39.7 to 23.5) and shots faced per game (15.5 to 12.0) have increased.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to Sky’s statistical assessment of Bruce and Benitez’s first 22 Premier League games in charge of the Magpies…
statistically our defence is almost half as good as it was under Rafa? that’s crazy.
— Matthew (@JB4t00n) January 16, 2020
The fact Rafa is still being mentioned sickens me. While we’re at it let’s compare all of our managers to Keegan and Robson.
— Its Bryson (@Eric_Bryson_89) January 16, 2020
Well apart from the injuries bruce should be getting the applauds
— adam thompson (@histonadam85) January 16, 2020
Think bruce isn’t getting the applaud that he deserves so far for this season, if we actually had a proper goal scorer then I reckon we’d be top 10. Call me deluded but there’s been games this season that we’ve draw or lost that we could of won but missed our chances.
— NUFC FAN (@LloydArcher_) January 16, 2020
Less goals scored way more conceded. Awful record against bottom half of table, it’s a recipe for relegation.
— Bruce Out (@Milburn_Mag) January 16, 2020
Yeah seems cruel tbf, Rafa had 10 of those games… A whole season to get his team as he wanted it, then a further 12 games when promoted again. So with that in mind Bruce isn’t doing badly at all.
— Chris Balmer (@balmer13791) January 16, 2020
Won’t spend any money see it coming just couldn’t get it over the line same old story, this is why Bruce got job?
— Stuart Cowie (@Stuart72584324) January 16, 2020
Abit harsh on Bruce this. Rafa had significantly better players for first 8 or so games of this run (when we were in Prem before relegation). Likes of Sissoko/Gini/Cisse would significantly improve the current squad.
— Jordan (@JG29101) January 16, 2020
what part of these stats makes you think a goalscorer is our biggest need? Is it the 11% less possession? Maybe the 16 more expected goals against?
— Ryan (@mal68au) January 16, 2020
In other Newcastle United news, the club have been liked with a €30m forward having struggled to sign our primary attacking target.