Steve Bruce has had a challenging opening six months at Newcastle United, the club he has supported since he was a child. Initially, there were fan protests and attendances as low as 22,727, while Bruce was depicted as an unambitious appointment by an owner who was also accused of lacking ambition.
Though as results started to come good, the Magpies occupied a place in the top half of the table after 18 matches and it appeared the pressure was easing, only for the squad to suffer a catastrophic spate of injuries which severely hampered their form.
Based on those set of circumstances, the fact that there is a seven-point gap between Newcastle United and the relegation zone has to be considered a success. In fact, if Bruce continues to accumulate points in the manner the Magpies have done to this point then Newcastle are on course to eclipse both the totals collected by former manager Rafael Benitez in his two full Premier League seasons.
During those campaigns, the wily Spaniard picked up 44 and 45 points, after almost identical seasons during which the Tyneside club won 12 matches. At their current rate of 1.25 points per game in the top-flight, Newcastle are on course to finish the season with over 47 points.
Additionally, Benitez’s stumbling block in the FA Cup was the fourth round, which Newcastle have failed to progress past since 2006. However, with a reasonable cushion to safety, Bruce has the opportunity to go one better than his Spanish predecessor if the Magpies can overcome Oxford United in their fourth-round replay.
Should he achieve that feat, Bruce would be the first manager to win two FA Cup matches in a season since in 14 years when Newcastle reached the quarter-final stage of the knockout competition. West Bromwich Albion would be waiting in the fifth round, and the struggling Championship opposition presents Bruce with a realistic chance of progressing.
Newcastle have had to be resolute defensively this term, but Bruce has done what is required of him to maintain a healthy gap to the drop. However, he now has a genuine opportunity to overshadow his predecessor and fan favourite Benitez by taking the Magpies to the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 14 years.
