Just two games into the new season and already Steve Bruce is having to top-up his ‘glass half full’. A second-half collapse in front of a noisy, full capacity, St. James’ Park on the opening weekend against West Ham was followed by a timid performance at Villa Park. Last season Bruce bemoaned the prolonged absence of his ‘big players’, but despite having Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Joe Willock all the pitch from kick-off in Birmingham, Newcastle failed to muster any real meaningful attacks on goal beyond the one-on-one chance Wilson squandered after just five minutes. The way Newcastle’s afternoon panned out, VAR may well have intervened for a foul had Wilson bent his chance inside the post at the Holte End, as everyone expected him to. A pair of controversial video referee calls left Bruce with something to clutch to when he debriefed with the club’s in-house TV channel after the game.
Steve Bruce said: “We certainly gave as good as we got, but we’ve been done by a couple of big decisions. Yes we maybe lacked the cutting edge we had last week, but we are playing Aston Villa at their home ground you know, but large parts of it, I thought we were the better team.
Results against West Ham and Aston Villa have pulled this week into sharper focus than usual. All eyes will be on the team sheet when it is submitted at 6.45pm for Wednesday’s EFL Cup game at home to Burnley. The Clarets are expected to ring the changes, but Bruce faces calls from large sections of Newcastle’s support to continue his policy of naming strong sides and attempting to take the team deep into cup competitions as he promised he would when he first took over as United boss two years ago. “Big week ahead,” acknowledged Bruce in the Villa aftermath, and it’s a week where he could be without his two best defensive midfielders, the reliable Isaac Hayden and the divisive Jonjo Shelvey. This is one of the weakest areas of Newcastle’s squad, with Bruce admitting in pre-season that midfield recruitment was his priority. Joe Willock’s arrival has helped going forward, but the defensive element of his midfield is now stretched.
Steve Bruce said: He (Hayden) hurt his knee again which is a worry, and what with Jonjo (being injured), we’re a bit short in there. I can’t see him (Shelvey) being back this week at all. We haven’t got quite the results, but there’s a lot of positives to take, we have to stay with it and I’m sure we’ll turn it round.”
Bruce loves to take positives, but Newcastle fans would much rather take progress in the cup and points in the league. Newcastle could desperately do with both those commodities this week.
