The arrival of a new year always provides an opportunity to look optimistically towards the future. After 2020 he says it’s “hard to say at least”, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce was happy to do so when he spoke to Sky Sports on New Year’s Day.
However, with his captain Jamaal Lascelles and top player Allan Saint-Maximin still suffering from coronavirus and the prospect of being absent again when Newcastle host Leicester on Sunday in empty Park St. James, the truth is the turning point of the calendar ‘Last year’s challenges have been eliminated.
The effects of coronavirus are indeed far-reaching and far beyond the boundaries of football, but for managers it has revealed new, unique problems – and they will not go away any time soon.
From protecting the health of their players, to repeating fitness plans through a shorter preseason, and then sailing a thick fixture board, coaches have been forced to rethink the techniques- their work. It has been far from easy, Bruce explained.
“I think most managers will say the same thing, it’s been hard to say at least. But then again, in our lives, its all of us have suffered, “Bruce told Sky Sports of Newcastle ‘s training ground, ahead of his first session of 2021.
“I don’t think it’s going to be such a bad year for everyone involved. We’re still so thick right now and we’ll be for at least a month or two so that everyone can This has been very difficult.
“Difficult to manage, no real breaks, no interruptions for the players, so you’re trying to manage their way through, and with it all is a game table that is pretty scary. when you look at it.In December and January, I think that we are playing something like 15 games, which is very sad.
“This has certainly been the most special year of my management career. And the big draw for anyone going to Newcastle is the incredible support we get. We usually We’ve been lucky enough to get 50,000 a week, but it ‘s definitely impressed us and we’ve all come to terms with playing behind closed doors. “
Steady advance the goal for 2021
A tough year was coming to an end on a particularly painful note for Bruce and Newcastle as they beat the Brentford Championship side in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup three days before Christmas. With Manchester City and Liverpool next in the Premier League, the chances of finishing 2020 seemed slim.
However, after getting what Bruce describes as “reasonable” but “very horrible” coming out of that cup, his players, in his words, added, ” their sleeves up “in a loss to Man City before they were rewarded for another fight show with an impressive home place for Liverpool.
3:06
FREE TO LIFE: A selection from Newcastle’s draw against Liverpool in the Premier League
Intensity will not fall, with tough trials against Leicester and Arsenal in the FA Cup next, but Bruce is inspired by that performance in Liverpool – in his eyes, Newcastle ‘s best campaign – and it is thinks it proves that his side is moving in the right direction.
“We knew this was going to be a difficult time and we needed a really good response [to losing to Brentford], “he said.
“We let ourselves down in the cup, we didn’t play well enough on the night. The only thing you have to do is go and arrange a party again. And it didn’t I can be happier with the way we played against Liverpool.
“It can be said that this is the best thing we have played all season, against this country’s winners, European champions, World Cup champions …
“Our running stats were also among the biggest of the season, which I enjoyed, because Covid certainly impressed us in terms of people being healthy. It looks like we’re over there a- nis.
“Overall, we’ve done it right. We finished last season 13th and I said, ‘can we edge towards the top 10?’ That has to be a goal, of course, for all the teams in the bottom half of the Premier League, you always look over your shoulder so we have to be careful about that too.
“I’ve been told from day one that we’re not going to change immediately automatically because that’s where we are right now. But little by little, we’re always watching forward to development and improvement. Sustainable progress. “
Focusing on loan options in January
The New Year will also provide an opportunity to refresh the squad in the January transfer window.
With coronavirus hitting a major financial blow to clubs across the country, spending is likely to be more conservative this month, but Bruce is looking for opportunities, with possible short – term options.
“Like most other clubs, we’ve been hit hard financially with Covid, so I can’t see how busy he is at all in January,” he said.
“Last year we made the squad better by putting in three loan signs, which gave everyone a boost at the time, so we look at that market in particular and whether anyone any out there that we could borrow to make us better. .
“We have a good balance for our squad at the moment but my job is to keep improving, so we can see what we can do.”
But Bruce’s immediate focus is on Leicester. Brendan Rodgers ’side have been outstanding on the road this season, winning seven of their eight away games, and have won on their last four trips to St. James’ Park.
The foxes in shape complete a series of three potentially tougher games for Newcastle at Christmas.
That workload may take a bit of a turnaround at Newcastle’s XI, although goalkeeper Karl Darlow will once again be important after his heroics against Liverpool.
“If there’s a better keeper right now, I still don’t see them,” said Bruce of the stopper, before adding that his players should have confidence in what they can achieve from after holding the defensive champions.
“All three days have helped us recover a bit but it ‘s now the third game in a week, so I’m looking at what we’re going to do,” said Bruce. and the Liverpool game ended, it was on to Leicester and ‘how can we bother Leicester, how do we set up, will I put in two or three for new legs? ‘
“I’m aware that the players who play against Liverpool are declining to some extent, so it gets that balance right. But that’s what we get paid for, the decisions. that, hopefully, I will make the right one.
“For Leicester, away from home, it may be better for them because they can play a little bit on the counter-attack and if you leave places behind, there is Jamie Vardy, who seems to be it’s getting younger rather than older, as well as yourself going to play against it as a center forward.
“He’s clear and alive but just on the way through the team they have some really great players.
“However, if we play like we did against Liverpool we have proven that we can match anyone in the league.”
With that confident feeling to start the New Year, Bruce went out to the training ground hoping for a good start in 2021 Sunday…