Steve Bruce (left) was at the forefront of the first great team created by Sir Alex Ferguson. Photo: Getty Images/Bob Thomas
On the wall of the bar that Steve Bruce built in his Cheshire home, a framed piece of paper hangs on the wall, along with photographs of him with Nelson Mandela, Pele and a host of images capturing the many golden memories of his glory days as captain. at Manchester United.
It was given to him as a parting gift by his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson. This is an old United scouting report from when he was a Gillingham player.
Written in 1982, it lists a number of its limitations. and weaknesses: no pace, not good enough on the ball despite his energetic temperament, and comes to the conclusion that he is far from the level required for a Manchester United player. Five years later, Ferguson signed a contract with Bruce, having successfully played at Norwich for Manchester United.
After ten years at Old Trafford, where he won the club's first league title in 26 years, lifting that trophy with the legendary Bryan Robson, as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup and two League and FA Cup doubles, Bruce was at the forefront. from the first great team Ferguson created.
Bruce celebrates winning the FA Cup with United in 1994. Photo: Getty Images/David Cannon
“I always get an amazing reaction when I come back,” says Bruce over lunch in nearby Hale, a restaurant where other diners include Newcastle United striker Anthony Gordon and Liverpool player Curtis Jones, while Norman Whiteside, Bruce's former teammate passes by. window.
“They are amazingly supportive, unbelievable, and once you get it right, you will never be forgotten. I had the honor of playing for the club and winning several prizes. Being old and committing suicide, going back in time and people still remembering me is obviously one of the highlights.
“But I would never call myself a club legend. I can't wrap my head around this. People tell me that I am, but oh well. The [United] Museum has exhibits for different people, and it's Best, Bruce, Charlton… damn it! I don't think I deserve to be there, absolutely not, but I'm very happy about it.”
The day before we met at his house to talk about the historical parallels between Manchester United, whom he joined, “who won everything” for many years, and the modern confusion under Erik ten Hag, Bruce was an expert at Old Trafford.
He was surrounded by a crowd of autograph hunters, young and old. For a man who was attacked, ridiculed and ridiculed as a manager at Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Brom in the latter years of his career, it was a reminder of the respect in which he is still held at Old Trafford. .
Indeed, after a passing Newcastle fan shouted some insults, one Manchester United fan responded: “He has won more than your whole club.”
Bruce (left) holding the Premier League trophy in 1993. Photo: Getty Images
However, when Bruce became a Manchester United player, the only thing they had won in recent years was the FA Cup in 1985. Ferguson was struggling to convince people that he was the right manager, and until another FA Cup win three years after Bruce's signing, the centre-back struggled to do so.
“We weren’t doing very well when I came to Manchester,” Bruce says with a grin. “And that's probably a polite way of putting it.
“They gave Sir Alex Ferguson time. Fair play, because it wasn't easy back then. Finishing 11th [1989] and 13th [1990] was not easy for Manchester United. Luckily we won the FA Cup in 1990 and that probably took some of the pressure off.
Bruce's early days at United were fraught with problems. Photo: Brian Smith
“What the hierarchy saw at the time was enough to convince them that what Sir Alex was putting in place, a youth system that had produced incredible results, would be better. They saw reasons for optimism… then we need to look at the situation now and at Erik ten Hag.
“They have a choice: will they support him and say that this is the right thing? our person. In my opinion, there have been too many changes at Manchester United since Fergie left.
“This is an important decision. Do they believe that Ten Hag is the person who will make everything right? If not, make a change and create something for a while.
“If you keep changing, look, only Chelsea have managed to succeed by doing it this way and they have bad seasons. between them too.
“The problem is that we don’t know. There are all these speculations going on all the time… talk about the future of the coach and connections between replacements has a negative effect.
“To be honest, I was at Old Trafford recently and the support from Ten Hag was great. Forget about social media, I always look at what's going on in the stadium and of course the rallying cry he gave on the pitch after the Newcastle game, everyone around me was positive. Look, you can tell by the game when it's negative, hell, I've experienced that as a coach.”
“You're going to get a rude awakening”
Bruce chooses his words carefully, but there is an admission that Manchester United were overconfident in believing that their dominance of English football would inevitably continue.
“Before we knocked Liverpool off their pedestal, if you Go back to the late 80's and early 90's, are you saying people would believe it if you told them they would win one title in 30 years?
Arsenal haven't won the Premier League for 20 years. Manchester City are the standard bearers now, but can they stand it? I have a sneaky suspicion that in two or three years, when Pep is gone, it will be their turn to suffer.
“If you are so arrogant that you think this will go on forever, you are in for a rude awakening . Fergie has won 13 championships. “United may be the richest club in the world, but if you make the wrong big decisions, don't recruit properly and have managerial attrition, you're in for an uphill battle.”
Bruce, by his own admission, was an experienced footballer before signing for United. He laughs at the scouting report from his Gillingham days but doesn't dispute its verdict.
But he was excellent for United, forming a brilliant partnership with Gary Pallister. When Ferguson won his first league title and the club's first in 26 years, it was two late goals from Bruce in a key game against Sheffield Wednesday that got them over the line. He scored 19 goals in one campaign and even played in attack a few times when they were chasing a goal.
Bruce scores the winning goal against Sheffield Wednesday in 1993. Photo: Action Images
“I could have gone to Chelsea or Spurs, but for me there was never any question,” he explains. “It has always been Manchester United.”
“It lived up to my expectations. Although we had a struggle for two or three years. I joined the team in 1987 and we won the FA Cup in 1990.
We also needed a little luck. Mighty Liverpool lost to Crystal Palace in the semi-finals in a huge shock. Before the final we played with lower league teams. We were on a shitty pitch away from Hereford.
“Our toughest game was away to Newcastle but we got through it. Even in the semi-final Oldham gave us a chance to make money. That little cup luck that started it all. We won in Europe, beat Barcelona in the European Cup Winners' Cup the following year.
The Manchester United team that challenged Barcelona in the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup Final. Photo: Shutterstock 
Mark Hughes celebrates the Cup Winners' Cup after beating Barcelona Photo: Getty Images/David Cannon
“When I arrived there the club was in a much worse position than it is now. They were not used to winning, there was no dynasty. They won the FA Cup in '85 and that was it. They haven't won the league for over 20 years.
“I ended up winning the Premier League trophy. What Fergie did, he scored brilliantly. He needed a team that would reflect him – big, big personalities.
“If you wanted to fight, we could fight. If you wanted to play football, we could play football. The 1994 team was a great, great team. By '95 it was gone, it was dismantled very quickly, but it was as good a team as you can get.
“Schmeichel, Parker, Bruce, Pallister, Irwin, Giggs, Ince, Keane, Robson and Sharp in the background, Kanchelskis, Hughes and Cantona. This team was the start of it all. We won the double in 1994, should have won it again in 1995 and won the double again in 1996 when I left. We should have won three doubles at once.”
Bruce (left) played alongside the likes of Denis Irwin, Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs Photo: Getty Images/Jon Peters
So what made Bruce successful, especially after spending so long in the lower leagues?< /p>
“I got a little break and the opportunity to go to Norwich,” he explains. “And four or five years later I became captain of the biggest and best club in the world.
“I captained every team I played for. I must have had leadership qualities. God loves Trier. I was never blessed with the ability of Robson, Hughes or Ince.
“However, I had the desire to win. I wanted a nice house, a nice car. I wanted some pounds and I was trying to push myself as hard as I could because then it would come.
“I had no pace, I was always worried about it, so my concentration level had to be very high. And I could hit people, I could confuse them a little. Then you could get away with it.
“I was an old mongrel from Wallsend.”
“Suppose people could say I was smart. I could read the game, I could put myself in position to stop things and not be exposed in a running race with anyone. I've never been injured either. I played every week, twice a week, and it was a blessing.
“I wasn't the purebred type. I was tough, I was an old mongrel from Wallsend, but it worked for me.
“I felt better too. Start with Gillingham and achieve what you have achieved. Look, people talk about coaches making you better, and they do, but for me it was playing with the best, the best players. It required me to become a better player. I had to learn quickly.”
The conversation turns to today and what Bruce thinks about the future of the club that he still cares about.
“I think Manchester “United will get going back to the top, the cycle will require it,” he said. “Look at Arsenal, look at Liverpool. The big clubs always come back in the end.
“It could be another 10 years. I sincerely hope not, but it could be. They will have to start all over again. They are in the same situation as when I arrived. There are certainly parallels in history.
“And when you talk about those parallels, the FA Cup could be the springboard for Ten Hag. Can they beat Manchester City? Of course they can, they are capable of achieving results in a one-time game. This could be just the beginning of everything, as it was for us in my time. You just need a little luck.”
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