Inside Bruce's Newcastle reign: "Tactically inept cabbage head" to Benitez jibe

Steve Bruce's exit from Newcastle United will be more dignified and gracious than his two turbulent years in charge.

Social media death threats, chants for his sacking, an infamous bust up with Matt Ritchie and losing 41 games out of his 97 in charge meant it was an uncomfortable reign.

The 60-year-old managed only 28 wins in that time, but he was under the cosh from the moment he was appointed.

While he put on a brave face, the opposition to him on the terraces and beyond hurt.

Only last week he admitted: "I thought I could handle everything thrown at me but it has been very, very tough.

Bruce departs Newcastle after a chaotic period in charge ( Image:

Pool via REUTERS)

"To never really be wanted, to feel that people wanted me to fail, to read people constantly saying I would fail, that I was useless, a fat waste of space, a stupid, tactically inept cabbage head or whatever. And it was from day one."

He's been in the game at the top level as a player and a boss 43 years, playing 950 times and managing exactly 1,000 games.

He was talking of it being his "last job…." and if it is, what a remarkable career.

Bruce lived amid the insecurity of a takeover for 18 months, and always pledged to leave and "be a fan" if that's what new rich owners decreed.

That's the kind of laid back attitude you can afford with a multi-million pay-off heading your way.

History may be kinder to Bruce than the chants were.

Replacing the uber-popular fans' hero Rafa Benitez, who walked away after unsuccessful contract talks with Mike Ashley in his works canteen, was a tough gig.

Rafa Benitez was hugely popular with Magpies fans ( Image:

Getty Images)

Looking at it charitably, they didn't get relegated as many feared in July 2019 - although that sums up the paucity of ambition we got used to under Ashley.

But this campaign has been atrocious. A winless first eight games means relegation is a big threat.

He did, though, settle the storm, and oversaw streaky results, long bad spells, but always conjuring a flurry of wins when crisis time approached, finishing in 13th in his first season.

That matched, in Bruce's own words, " the mighty Rafa" a phrase that jarred.

It was up to 12th last season, but only after a run of two wins in 21 games midseason, and a vacant display at Brighton last March when it looked over - only for Mike Ashley to back him immediately, triggering five wins in eight games to end the season.

In January, coach Graeme Jones was parachuted in to help Bruce - he insisted he made the appointment - and when a revival came, Jones was often given the credit.

Some players reported that training was livelier and more interesting after Jones arrived.

In the training ground row with Ritchie, the fiery wing-back was said to have labelled Bruce a "coward".

Matt Ritchie was involved in a training ground bust-up with Bruce ( Image:

Newcastle United via Getty Image)

Sources claimed there was significant opposition to Bruce among the squad, wondering if training times were arranged to fit in with his schedule.

While they never downed tools, there has been a defensive and tactical naivety which has held Newcastle back recently.

A strength was persuading Ashley to spend. The £40m Joelinton deal was done before he arrived but Allan Saint-Maximin was a hit and he brought in Callum Wilson and Joe Willock at significant cost.

The squad is marginally better than its current position of 19th, but they still lack a defined way of playing, and a settled best XI, and Bruce has to take responsibility for that.

He never said this publicly, but he held a gripe many bosses have had during Ashley's 14 year reign - he was the lone public voice of the club and human punch bag for every failing at any level.

If Newcastle fans could have dealt with Bruce on a more personal level they would have liked him more.

Instead he claimed to have received "vile and obscene" death threats and abuse on social media.

He also revealed his family, including son Alex who has understandably been a staunch defender of his dad, thought he was "sick" for staying in the hot-seat and living with the abuse.

Bruce received huge amounts of abuse during his time in the job ( Image:

AFP via Getty Images)

This season there were increasingly vocal terrace chants for him to be sacked, even when the club were level in games and pushing to end their winless streak.

In the end everything Bruce said - sometimes with ill-thought out phrasing or his chatty nature - were picked apart and mocked, when no offence or significance was intended.

It got to the point where Bruce couldn't win whatever he said or did.

Or on the pitch for that matter.

Bruce pointed to his 1,000 games as a manager to prove he was no mug.

But fans' minds were made up that he wasn't the modern, detailed, technical, all-seeing coach they believed Rafa was.

There were amusing asides. Compilations on social media of Bruce groaning every time he sat down for his press conferences.

Or the day when he miss-heard a question and asked a TV reporter: "How's the bacon, did you say?…"

Bruce will enjoy a bacon sandwich back on his Cheshire estate, get back on his tractor, and take a break with his protective family.

He said: "They have been worried about me… especially my wife Jan. What an amazing woman she is, incredible, she's just a fantastic woman, wife and mother and grandmother.

Bruce has overseen 1,000 matches as a manager, and may now retire ( Image:

PA)

"She dealt with the death of my parents, hers have not been very well. And then she had me to worry about and what I've been going through the last couple of years.

"I can't take her for granted, she has spent her whole life following me around from football club to football club

Newcastle will move on quickly and search in a higher echelon for their new boss with a better win percentage, and a cutting edge tactical vision.