Steve Bruce will be the first to admit he is not a wholly popular figure on Tyneside after his 21-month spell as Newcastle United manager. But the former Magpies boss says he was left 'hurt' by the abuse he received from a section of supporters during his time at the club.
Bruce led Newcastle to 13th and 12th-place finishes in the Premier League, reaching the quarter-final stage in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his tenure. But the £300m Saudi takeover brought an end to his time at the helm, with Eddie Howe swiftly ushered in by the new ownership last October.
The West Brom boss believes he was always facing an uphill battle replacing fan-favourite Rafa Benitez while Mike Ashley was in charge but believes some of the abuse aimed at both himself and his family crossed the line.
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“I was under no illusions whatsoever when I arrived at Newcastle,” he told FourFourTwo. “I was becoming part of an unpopular regime and knew I’d be associated with Mike Ashley from day one. And I was replacing Rafael Benitez, who was loved by the fans.
"So I expected criticism and yes, some of it was justified. We weren’t pleasing on the eye a lot of the time and there were periods when we really struggled. But the ridicule and the mockery crossed a line. It did hurt me and it upset my family, too.
"After my first match, I was accused of throwing on a substitute and telling him to play where he wanted – then the next week, someone said I didn’t know how to properly warm up the team. I was even accused of giving the squad too much time off so I could go off on holiday! Criticism is one thing, but on occasions it got very personal and showed a basic lack of respect."
Bruce admits he gave considerable thought to retiring after he left the North East but when the call came from West Brom he knew the fire remained to stay in management a bit longer. The West Midlands outfit finished 10th in the Championship this term, with Bruce set to lead the team into next season.
