Former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee has labeled former manager Ruud Gullit the most arrogant person he ever met during a turbulent career, describing a period where his squad number was stripped and he was banished to the reserves. Lee shared his scathing assessment of the Dutch coach on the podcast Undr The Cosh, offering new details years after Gullit’s brief and controversial tenure at St. James’ Park.
Rugnummer 7 Afgenomen en Geen Plaats op de Teamfoto
Gullit took charge of Newcastle United in August 1998, succeeding Kenny Dalglish. Lee revealed that upon the manager’s arrival, senior players experienced an immediate freeze-out. “That was my slechtste periode bij de club,” Lee stated in the podcast, noting that he had just signed a three-and-a-half-year contract under Dalglish. According to Lee, Gullit did not know how to handle seasoned squad members such as John Barnes, Ian Rush, Stuart Pearce, and himself. In the pre-season build-up, Lee’s number 7 shirt was taken away, and he was excluded from the official team photo. Staff members communicated the decisions to Lee rather than Gullit speaking to him directly. VoetbalZone reported that Lee spent several months training with the reserve squad, although the reserve team coach told the frozen-out players they were not strictly obligated to participate.
FA Cup Finale en een Rampereuze Competitiestart
Despite the internal friction, Gullit guided Newcastle to the FA Cup final during his only full season at the helm. However, domestic league form suffered badly. Newcastle finished the Premier League campaign in thirteenth place. The downward spiral intensified at the start of the 1999/00 season, when The Magpies managed only a single point from their opening five fixtures. Tensions reached a breaking point before a high-stakes Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland.
De Derby tegen Sunderland en het Directe Vertrek
For the derby match against Sunderland, Gullit placed star striker Duncan Ferguson and team captain Alan Shearer on the substitutes’ bench. Newcastle lost the fixture 1-2. Gullit subbed both players on during the match and publicly assigned them a share of the blame for the defeat. Placed eighteenth in the league standings and facing an open player revolt, Gullit handed in his resignation two days after the derby defeat, ending a turbulent reign that lasted almost precisely twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wanneer was Ruud Gullit manager van Newcastle United?
Ruud Gullit was manager of Newcastle United from August 1998 until his resignation in August 1999, serving for nearly one full year.
Wie zette Gullit op de bank voor de derby tegen Sunderland?
Gullit benched team captain Alan Shearer and striker Duncan Ferguson for the derby against Sunderland, a match Newcastle ultimately lost 1-2.
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