Sam Ricketts reveals conversation with Newcastle United counterpart Steve Bruce

Bruce spoke about his online critics before last week’s 2-1 win over Everton.

"I don't often agree with them, but I can't get myself worked up into a frenzy because of the keyboard warriors, that's for sure,” said Newcastle United’s head coach. “The job's difficult enough without having to worry about all that nonsense.”

Bruce added that he had received nothing but encouragement from the supporters he had met on Tyneside since taking the job.

Ricketts has come under at Shrewsbury – his team is 22nd in League One – and Bruce has spoken to his managerial counterpart about criticism he has faced at his boyhood club.

“Steve Bruce doesn’t live far from me, and I spoke to him the other day,” Ricketts told the Shropshire Star. “He has something similar at Newcastle, and he spoke about ‘keyboard warriors’, and I echo and emphasise with what he was saying.

“I haven’t had one fan come up to me and say anything. I have constant emails and letters from supporters saying ‘ignore the minority, stick to it, we know what you’re doing, we know where we are as a club, and that you’re doing well,.

“We finished 15th last year, and we’ll be better that, and again it’ll be an improvement. We want to keep improving.”

Newcastle are 11th in the Premier League ahead of Friday night’s behind-closed-doors game against Southampton at the St Mary’s Stadium.