'I don’t feel it’s balanced or right': Steve Bruce hits back at criticism of him at Newcastle United
Bruce’s side beat the League Two club on penalties to secure a fifth-round tie against Brentford.
United’s head coach had again defended his tactics and team selection ahead of the game at Rodney Parade, where Jonjo Shelvey cupped his ears towards the press box after scoring an 87th-minute equaliser.
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Hide AdSpeaking ahead of tomorrow night’s Premier League home game against Burnley, Bruce said: “You don’t mind criticism – as long as it’s balanced.
“We deserved, in my opinion, to win the match. We win 7-0 (against Morecambe), and our centre-forward (Joelinton) gets criticised for missing a chance
“I understand when you don’t play well or you don’t win, then of course there’s going to be criticism. But sometimes it has to be a bit more balanced than it is. That’s the nature of the job – it’s the way it is.”
Bruce – who switched to a back four earlier this year, and has been looking to field two up front his season – has dismissed suggestions that his team lacks “direction”.
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Hide Ad“I’ve made no secret of the fact that six times out of seven, we’ve gone to a back four and played two up top,” said Bruce.
“We’re in the middle of change, and it will take a bit of time. Of course, that’s what we’re trying to put into place. When you do change, you’re going to get a few inconsistencies.
"It’s been levelled there’s no direction, but I’ve played the same formation in six of the seven games, so I don’t know what’s going on there.
"All this stuff about tactics and no direction, I don’t feel that it’s balanced or right.
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Hide Ad"If you watched us over the last seven games, yes, we reverted back to a back three against Spurs, but the other six changes we’ve played with a back four, played with one up front and one off, and a bit of pace in the wide positions.
"We haven’t played enough on a couple of occasions, but there has to be a balance to all of this."