Sheffield United manager, Chris Wilder, has admitted that he was not surprised to see Steve Bruce leave Sheffield Wednesday.
Bruce left the Owls after only a short spell in charge to take over at Newcastle United. The 58-year-old is from the area and seemingly couldn’t resist the lure of managing his hometown club.
Despite being under pressure from the start from the Toon Army, Bruce has done quite well this season. Two wins and two draws from their last six games have seen the mood increase significantly at St James’ Park.
And Blades boss Chris Wilder has said he’s not surprised by the job Bruce is doing, while he was also not shocked by Bruce taking the job in the first place.
“There was lots of talk in this area about this decision and it was a decision that did not surprise me at all,” Wilder said (Yorkshire Post)
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“He is an experienced manager. You are not just given jobs in the Premier League if you are bang average and Steve isn’t bang average as a manager and a person. I speak to him quite regularly. I am certainly not surprised by the job he is doing at Newcastle.
“It is a big, big job and a huge football club and one that needed a big personality. They have certainly got one in Steve.”
A win for Newcastle at Bramall Lane tomorrow would see them go level on points with the Blades. The Premier League table is tight at the moment meaning a good run of form over Christmas could make a big difference for either club.
Why is Chris Wilder such a big fan of Steve Bruce?
Wilder is a manager who has modern tactics and ideas but old school values in some aspects. That means that the likes of Bruce and co are high on his respected list.
He touches on in the same article about how good the likes of Bruce and Sam Allardyce have been with him over time. That sort of stuff will sit well with Wilder.
The Blades boss is right too in what he says about Bruce. He is doing a decent job in what is a hard job at Newcastle United. It takes a big personality to come through the sort of pressure and criticism he had when he arrived at the club.
Steve Bruce deserves credit and Chris Wilder is one man who’s certainly not afraid to give it him.