The last time Steve Bruce managed Aston Villa a disgruntled supporter threw a cabbage at him. In an unfortunate slip of the tongue, Bruce once described it as “unsavoury”.
The absence of fans spares him from a sequel on Friday night although, were a crowd present, Bruce would be in greater danger from the Newcastle public.
A run of 18 games that has contained just two wins means his popularity ratings in his native north-east are plummeting.
Bruce's satisfaction at Sunday's dreadful stalemate with a West Bromwich Albion side who have the division's worst defensive record felt all the more misguided when Fulham won at Anfield.
For the first time this season, Newcastle could end a weekend in the drop zone. They are threatened with a third relegation of the Mike Ashley era and a third of Bruce’s Premier League career; the first two, with Birmingham and Hull, were more forgivable. “The buck stops with me. I understand that, totally,” Bruce said.
Fulham’s surge has reshaped the division. “All of the bottom six or seven, we're all nervously looking over our shoulders, I'd think,” Bruce added. “We’ve all got to get to the magical figure, whatever it is.”
A recent return of 10 points from 48 scarcely bodes well but Bruce argued Newcastle were on course for better times.
“The top 10 was [a target],” he said; instead, his successor Dean Smith has taken Villa there. Bruce reflected: “When I analyse the season, and now’s not the particular time, but we were going along very, very nicely until Covid hit, and then the injuries to big players. It’s been a real, big problem to handle. So that’s what it is. That’s what we’ve been dealt with.”
Those injuries have sidelined his three main attackers: Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin have scored 59 per cent of Newcastle’s goals. “We hope that by the end of the international break, they’ll be there or thereabouts,” Bruce said, though that means each will miss next Saturday’s clash with relegation rivals Brighton.
In their absence, the top scorer in Bruce’s team last week was Jeff Hendrick, who has had one shot on target since the opening weekend. On-loan midfielder Joe Willock has more goals in this season’s Europa League than any of Newcastle’s available players do in the Premier League.
West Brom v Newcastle United player ratings
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WEST BROM RATINGS: Sam Johnstone - 7: Strong one-handed reaction save to stop Shelvey strike that he did not see until late, 30 minutes in. One very unconvincing punch on cross early in second half. Turned fierce Willock strike wide for corner and saved a weak Joelinton shot in second half. EPA -
Darnell Furlong - 7: Coped comfortably with what little threat Newcastle offered down his flank. Tried pushing forward down right when got chance but got little joy out of Dummett. AP -
Dara O'Shea - 7: Out-muscled and out-paced by Joelinton in one-on-one race in first half but Newcastle attacker failed to take advantage. Solid display overall. AP -
Kyle Bartley - 7: Excellent interception when Joelinton attempted to pick out Fraser in box in first half and the captain led from the back for the Baggies. But it was at other end of pitch that they needed inspiration. AP -
Conor Townsend - 6: Sloppy miss-kick gifted Newcastle corner that led to chance for Shelvey. Supplied great cross found Diagne but header easily saved and looked most likely to provide the killer ball into box. PA -
Okay Yokuslu - 5: Turkish international on loan from Celta Vigo has done well since moving to West Brom but had little influence on game here. One awful shot from 35 metres out late on summed up performance. AP -
Conor Gallagher - 6: At least provided some energy to the Baggies midfield, always looking for the ball and chasing down opponents when he hasn’t got it. But often lacked quality with final pass. AP -
Ainsley Maitland-Niles - 6: Loan signing from Arsenal clearly has talent but struggled to stamp authority on game. One excellent surging run down right in last 20 minutes but couldn’t find a teammate with ball into box. PA -
Matt Phillips - 6: Ambitious low strike from 20 metres out failed to trouble Dubravka, while one good ball right across penalty area was crying out for a goal-poacher in the middle. Blazed great chance well over bar 10 minutes after break. PA -
Matheus Pereira - 5: First shot on target for Baggies after 20 minutes but didn’t connect properly and Dubravka saved easily. Flattered to deceive with most of his tricks and flicks not coming off. Only Baggies capable of providing a bit of flair but failed to shine here. Getty -
Mbaye Diagne - 5: Cannot miss the big target man but wasn't his day. Volleyed chance from long throw high and wide via his shin just before half-hour. Saw weak header saved easily by Dubravka 10 minutes before break. Never looked like scoring. AP -
SUBS: Hal Robson-Kanu – (On for Diagne 84’) N/A. -
Karlan Grant – (On for Phillips 84’) N/A. -
NEWCASTLE RATINGS: Martin Dubravka - 7: Good stop to turn Diagne header wide for a corner in first half and looked strong on crosses, although nearly caught out by Pereira corner with 10 minutes and had to turn it over bar for corner. Not the busiest of days, to say the least. PA -
Emil Krafth - 5: Early effort from outside of deflected into Johnstone’s hands. Final ball can be frustratingly poor and had one embarrassingly bad shot high and wide from outside of box 10 minutes after break. AP -
Jamaal Lascelles - 7: Big striker Diagne is a handful but the Magpies captain restricted the Senegalese to a couple of half chances. PA -
Ciaran Clark - 7: An assured presence at the back, some great challenges and found Diagne's physicality little problem. PA -
Paul Dummett - 7: Back in the starting line-up for his “experience” according to manager Bruce but swing and miss at ball that allowed West Brom to break was ominous early sign. But quickly recovered composure and was a rock defensively, producing one perfectly-timed sliding challenge to break down a Baggies counter-attack in first half. Felt like he won every tackle he made. Reuters -
Isaac Hayden - 7: Mr Reliable for the Magpies. Breaks down opposition, simple but accurate distribution to teammates and the perfect midfield anchor man. Reuters -
Jonjo Shelvey - 5: Went for 'Hail Mary' long balls from first few minutes and his passing radar seemed off kilter again. Side footed shot from short corner forced Johnstone into good save in first half. Can look very heavy-legged and slow at times, almost like a veteran in final year rather than player yet to hit 30. PA -
Joe Willock - 7: Started the game well, looking to break forward between the lines and offered the game some all-too rare flashes of quality. Great strike from tight angle just before the hour stung the hands of Johnstone and won the midfield battle with fellow Arsenal loanee Maitland-Niles. Getty -
Jeff Hendrick - 4: The story of Hendrick’s season for Newcastle, absolutely no creativity or influence in midfield and games just seem to pass him by. Unhappy to be hooked before hour mark but can have little argument and was lucky to be handed starting role. Getty -
Ryan Fraser - 6: Found space down left early on but failed to pick out anyone in box with low cross, which summed up his game as whole. Buzzed around for Magpies but lacks cutting edge of injured Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin. Reuters -
Joelinton - 6: Showed great strength in first half to brush off O’Shea to bare down on goal but tried to square it to Fraser instead of shooting. Made himself a nuisance to the Baggies but one powder-puff shot with 20 minutes to go was perfect example of his lack of goalscorer’s instinct. Reuters -
SUBS: Dwight Gayle – (On for Hendrick 57’) 5: Striker was straight into action and set up chance for Willock but that was as good as it got and was given no service to test out his goal-poaching skills. AFP -
Andy Carroll - (On for Fraser 90+3') N/A
Dwight Gayle, United’s best fit finisher, was only a substitute, in part because a system with split strikers in wider roles may not suit a specialist predator. Yet Joelinton’s season – one goal from 31 shots – is so predictably lamentable that there is a case for Gayle, even out of position.
Perhaps injuries will prove a great leveller and Villa are again without the talismanic Jack Grealish. At least Bruce has had a quieter build-up after last week’s revelations of a training-ground bust-up with Matt Ritchie led him to talk of “treason” in the camp.
But, a week on from the supposed sedition, more than two years after a particularly strange use of a vegetable, Bruce once again needs a victory.
