Steve Bruce issues defiant response as West Brom fans turn on him in Luton Town draw
Steve Bruce invoked his long history as a football manager in response to boos from the West Brom crowd during the 0-0 draw with Luton Town.
The result leaves the Baggies still inside the relegation zone in 22nd, and still with just one win all season, to add further pressure on the manager whose job has been called heavily into question.
The former Newcastle boss has already made clear that he will not be quitting, and refused to divulge what was discussed in what Birmingham Live called “crisis talks” between him and CEO Ron Gourlay on Thursday night (6 October).
But with fans now in open revolt against him, Bruce has answered by pointing to his managerial record.
Speaking to BBC Radio WM Sport after the match, via the BBC Match of the Day Twitter page, he said: “I’d like to think that after more than 1,000 games I do know what I’m doing.”
All very well
Nobody is arguing that Bruce is experienced in management, but the league table doesn’t care about how many games he’s taken charge of so fans won’t either.
There are some factors in mitigation such as a lack of transfer budget, injuries to the likes of Daryl Dike, and loan arrivals falling through at the last minute on transfer deadline day, but the manager isn’t really making much of a fist of things either way.
The unbeaten run of draws earlier in the season was only really worth anything if a few wins followed, but none have, and instead defeats have pushed the club further in the wrong direction.
Blame also has to be pointed towards the dressing room and the board room but even if there is a debate to be had as to whether Bruce is part of the problem, he doesn’t look like part of the solution either.
The problem for him citing his many games in charge of various teams is that it also draws attention to how many of those had other fanbases desperate for him to leave.
He once had a cabbage thrown at him by an Aston Villa fan in October 2018 (Birmingham Live), and insisted that he had “developed the toughened exterior of a rhinoceros” according to the Independent in 2010 in the face of unrest from Sunderland supporters.
It was even a surprise that he took the job at the Hawthorns following the abuse he had received in charge at St. James’ Park, the toll of which he detailed in an interview with the Telegraph a year ago.
He doesn’t deserve some of the vitriol that has been directed at him over the years, but falling back on the number of games he has on his CV is no great argument at the moment.
In other West Brom news, Chris Lepkowski has tipped Gourlay to be bypassed if he won’t sack Bruce himself.