Speaking on the Match of the Day Top 10 Podcast, Alan Shearer has been discussing Steve Bruce, Rafa Benitez and their relative popularity amongst Newcastle fans.
As many United supporters will know, Benitez is a St James’ Park hero, while Steve Bruce played the role of the pantomime villain for a number of years while he was in charge.
However, in terms of results on the pitch, there wasn’t much between the pair, yet, their perceptions amongst the fanbase were entirely different.
According to Alan Shearer, this is, at least partially, because Benitez knew how to handle the media and he understood the relationship between the fanbase and Mike Ashley more than Bruce ever did.
What’s been said?
Shearer responded after Gary Lineker made a point about Bruce and Benitez having similar results but being treated differently.
“Not in terms of positions and results. One of the reasons is the way Rafa handled the press and how he got his message across. He knew the relationship with the fans and Mike Ashley and he played the game very well. Whereas Ashley brought Steve in after Rafa and it would have been difficult after that. Rafa played the press, he had them eating out of the palm of his hands really in terms of getting his message across, who he was, who Mike Ashley was, he could always get his message across. He was a superb politician,” Shearer said.
Knew the club
Shearer says that Benitez was more popular than Bruce because he knew how to handle the media, but it’s about a lot more than that.
Indeed, Benitez was more popular than Bruce because he understood Newcastle United as a club much better.
In the late 2010s, Newcastle United fans’ main concerns weren’t to do with the football that was being played, it was about the running of the club and the ownership, and Benitez was more than happy to challenge Mike Ashley.
Meanwhile, Bruce was seen as Ashley’s right-hand man, and he was never going to be popular due to that fact.
Sadly, Bruce couldn’t win the fans over, even if he did manage to pick up similar results to Benitez during his time in charge.
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