It has been a season of homecomings for Steve Bruce and if he went back to his roots when he was appointed Newcastle manager, this represented a happy return to where his managerial career began. He inflicted a first defeat since September on his former club Sheffield United and their heaviest loss in 62 games. The victory elevated Newcastle to 11th, level on points with
Arsenal and dizzying heights given his troubled start, and one of management’s great survivors has outlasted Mauricio Pochettino, Unai Emery and Marco Silva this season. He first celebrated victory in a Bramall Lane dugout in 1998, the sort of simpler times Chris Wilder harked back to as he bemoaned VAR’s influence, in particular on Jonjo Shelvey’s clinching goal.
“I started off as an apprentice at Southampton at 16, played over 400 games in a bang-average career and went into management at non-league,” said the Sheffield United manager. “I think I have managed close to 1,000 games and the game has changed. Every interview I do is VAR-led.” All of which obscured the reality that awarding Shelvey’s goal was correct. As Bruce said: “Ultimately, it was the right decision.”