Seb Larsson sends message to Newcastle fans about Steve Bruce

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Seb Larsson worked with Steve Bruce in the Premier League at both Sunderland and Birmingham City.

Former Sunderland star Seb Larsson has warned Newcastle United fans that they must give Steve Bruce time on Tyneside, hailing the under-fire coach’s tactical acumen and man-management skills during an interview with The Chronicle.

It’s fair to say Bruce’s dream job is becoming a nightmare quicker than anyone could have expected. After two games of the new Premier League season, Newcastle have lost to Arsenal and been humiliated at Norwich with #BruceOut trending on Twitter after that damaging 3-1 defeat in Anglia.

The 58-year-old’s tactics, or a lack thereof, have come under fire and understandably so. A 3-5-2 formation that worked so well in pre-season hasn’t worked against top flight opposition with Miguel Almiron, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles in particular looking like a shadow of the players who shone under Rafa Benitez.

But Larsson, who knows Bruce well from his time at Birmingham City and Sunderland, believes it would be unfair to write him off already.

“He is a very good man-manager. I felt that I knew what he wanted from me as a player. He has got a lot of experience – not only as a manager in the Premier League and the Championship – but also as a brilliant player,” Larsson said of the former Manchester United captain.

“I think that definitely helps him be a good man-manager, understanding how players tick in certain situations, and being able to get the best out of them.

“Definitely he is not a manager who I would say he does not know what he is doing tactically. I would say Steve is a very good tactical manager.

“There was a lot of negative comments around the appointment but you have to give the manager and the players a little bit of time to show what they can do. Then you can judge them on results.”

Unfortunately for Bruce, however, Newcastle fans are judging him on results. And with zero points from a possible six, it already seems set to be a long, hard season at St James’ Park with Sunday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur looking more daunting than ever.

According to The Telegraph, Bruce could revert to a flat-back four and this should give supporters some hope. Bruce clearly knows something is wrong and at least he is taking steps to change the tide. Whether it works or not is another matter entirely.