Steve Bruce is considering retirement due to the toll of abuse he has received during his time as Newcastle head coach; Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says potential managers are already being put off while Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says the social media abuse was terrible
Friday 22 October 2021 16:13, UK
Mikel Arteta has warned that some football coaches are being put off management because of the abuse from fans and on social media.
Steve Bruce is considering retirement due to the toll of abuse he has received during his time as Newcastle head coach.
The 60-year-old, who was sacked after overseeing his 1,000th game as a manager last weekend, revealed he had been called "useless, a fat waste of space, a tactically inept cabbage head".
Arsenal boss Arteta fears talented managers will be put off the job, telling Sky Sports News "it will only get worse unless we do something about it".
"My worry is my career is very short," he said. "Steve has been doing it for years, over 1000 games. If he has struggles - somebody with that experience is struggling - it's not an easy fix to that."
Asked if it will stop people from becoming managers, Arteta added: "I think it has already started.
"I think it's already started in our society as well that it's easier to take the comfort zone. The easier thing is to sit next to someone, or be in sport science or an individual coach or something like that.
"Hopefully not. This is what we cannot lose because there are a lot of people with great talent, great capabilities. This cannot be the filter for somebody to make the decision whether they need to be there or not."
Arteta believes there needs to be more education in order to prevent online abuse.
"I have experienced it myself," he said. "I have three kids and we're watching football and sometimes I see a reaction towards a player or manager - 'they are so bad', 'the manager doesn't have a clue' - and our obligation as parents is to stop that immediately.
"My kids are going to have a mobile phone in a year or two and if I allow them to have that kind of reaction, they are going to do it on social media."
Guardiola also offered his backing to ex-Newcastle boss Steve Bruce, telling him to ignore the social media abuse that he had revealed following his sacking on Wednesday, and instead focus on the support he had received from his players.
"I read the post on Twitter from (Allan) Saint-Maximin and this for me is what Steve Bruce is," Guardiola said. "He is an exceptional gentleman who always took care of me so nicely when I came from Catalonia, a different country.
"I wish him all the best and I tell him, don't pay much attention to all the comments because he knows it's bull****. Sometimes managers are treated badly but I would say this is a reflection of society and social media where everybody accepts people saying terrible things.
"All managers want the best for the teams and their clubs. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose but nobody deserves to be treated like this, but he has not to worry about the people who know him well, this is what is important."
Watford manager Claudio Ranieri: "I know what happened in this case because it happened for me in Chelsea, in Monaco and something also in Leicester. I am very close to him, so I can give support if I can."
Burnley boss Sean Dyche: "I think it is the unfortunate side of the job. I have enough respect for him as a manager and a person. It is the reality of the job and it gets worse every year, everyone has a phone and an opinion
"There are some very good things that people say when they meet you and there are some very bad things."
Brighton manager Graham Potter: "It is sad to hear. I suppose we sign up to it to a certain extent but there is a line that it's not right to cross and it's not nice when you hear that.
"We are highly rewarded for the job we do, so there is not too much sympathy, but to get that type of abuse is not right."
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith: "A lot has been made out about Steve's management but Steve's management has had Newcastle finishing 13th and 14th in the league, which for me is perfectly acceptable."
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl: "I must say I never had such abuse in my entire managerial career and I wouldn't know how I would react to it.
"He (managed) a lot of games, he made it to 1,000 games and that is unbelievable for me, it is an unbelievable number and he was a fantastic colleague, a really good guy.
"I think he can be proud of all he has done... he should look back on a very, very successful career as a manager."
Sky Sports News reporter Keith Downie:
"It's been a really difficult time and I suppose the supporters will say it's been a really difficult time for them. Certainly it's been a tough time for Steve Bruce as well given the uncertainty that's been circling over his head since the takeover was ratified just under two weeks ago.
"It's been intense. We heard from him at his news conference on Friday when he had a little bit of a pop at the media for some of the reporting all week, accusing us of wanting him to get the sack but I have to say that was never the case.
"Everything we reported last week was based on what we were told would happen. What has happened today in him departing the club with Graeme Jones placed in charge on an interim basis is pretty much what I was reporting last week.
"It has dragged on for longer than the new owners wanted and what Bruce wanted himself. It's important to say that in the club statement they said it was mutual consent so Bruce wanted to go as well. He'd had enough as it had got very difficult for him emotionally. He knew he was going anyway and I think he's pleased that he's been put out of his misery.
"It's a relief for Bruce and for the supporters who have already made it clear that they want to have a new manager to front the new regime. A line has needed to be drawn under things and it's no real surprise.
"It's an £8m pay-off for Bruce and it should be added that Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghoudoussi were at the club's training ground on Wednesday to speak to players and existing backroom staff."
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