Steve Bruce responds to criticism of his Newcastle United tactics with honest admission

Steve Bruce has responded to criticism of his tactics at Newcastle United.
Steve Bruce.Steve Bruce.
Steve Bruce.

Bruce came under fire from fans for his team’s performance in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.

Goalkeeper Karl Darlow kept Newcastle, trailing to a first-half strike from Lucas Moura, in the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Bruce’s side levelled through a controversial injury-time penalty from Callum Wilson.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wilson’s strike didn’t spare Bruce an inquest into the performance on Tyneside given that United, for the second successive Premier League game, had failed to have a shot on target in open play.

"What I understand now, and this is the most difficult part of all here, is that everything I do is analysed,” said head coach Bruce. “If I make a substitution, how we play, formation, everything.

“I understand one thing. Our performance against Brighton, and against Tottenham, were nowhere near what we are capable of. I accept I get criticism for that, but it's the constant ‘he doesn't know what he is doing, why has he picked this team? This is the way forward, we should be playing like this blah, blah, blah’.

“It's difficult – that's the difficulty. But if you play like we did against Spurs, and particularly against Brighton at home, then you're going to come in for criticism, and you have to accept that.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It's a big club, with big expectations, and the criticism falls upon you. I have to be big enough to accept it, and we didn't play well enough. The analysis of everything you do, that's the difficulty.”

Bruce – whose side beat Morecambe 7-0 in the Carabao Cup last week – switched to a five-man defence against Tottenham.

And Bruce has addressed criticism of his team’s style of play against Tottenham – and Brighton and Hove Albion a week earlier.

“With Newcastle, the one thing I've learned is you get questions if you don't perform well enough or you get beat,” said Bruce. “Everything’s a question.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The simple facts are there was nothing wrong with us at Morecambe – I know it's Morecambe, but the way we played and style is not even considered, not even talked about.

“But if you don't perform well enough ... I assure you I understand totally that we didn't play well enough on Sunday, or the week before, but I don't think it's got anything to do with style of play – the style of play against West Ham, nobody questioned us.

“I do want to try to change, I've been really patient to try to change from five at the back, which we were known for, so the way forward is eventually we will get to a back four.

“However, you have to be a little bit flexible – you see West Ham change successfully at the weekend and beat Wolves, matched them up. We see Arsenal play the way we did last night against Liverpool, so I think you need that flexibility.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But, I agree, our performance levels have to improve. We've got another game tomorrow, and then we've got Burnley on Saturday, so we've got a chance to get into the quarter-finals of the cup, and if we can get a result against Burnley, seven points from the first four games would be a healthy return.

“Yes, we have to improve on the way we play, there's no question about that, but with any result when the performance isn’t quite right, then you get questioned.

“That's the nature of the job of being the Newcastle manager.”

Newcastle – who reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup last season – have a chance to make amends tomorrow night when they take on Newport County in a fourth-round Carabao Cup tie at Rodney Parade.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We've got a wonderful opportunity to get to the quarter-finals of a major competition again,” said Bruce. “That's why I take the cups seriously.

“We got to a quarter-final last season, and, unfortunately, drew Man City. You have to beat one of the big ones to get to Wembley and we didn't do that.

"But we have another wonderful opportunity against Newport, and a club like ours can win five or six games. The draw has been OK. We've got an opportunity, so let's grasp it and if we win tomorrow.

"It would be great to park it until after Christmas knowing we’ve got a quarter-final to come. That would be something to look forward to.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Newport beat Watford in the previous round of the competition, and the League Two club have entertained a number of Premier League clubs at Rodney Parade in recent seasons.

Bruce said: “Over the last few years, they’ve been the team in the lower divisions who have produced the shock, whether it's in the FA Cup or the Carabao Cup?

“They're a good side. I've watched their performance at the weekend, and the one before when they beat Watford – they're a good side who play the right way, play three at the back, and try to play through you, and you have to say the guy in charge (Michael Flynn) has done a wonderful job there in difficult circumstances.

“Of course in every cup tie, you need a bit of luck, but we’ve got to approach it right, because it’s a difficult place to go with or without fans because of what they've got on the pitch, basically.

“They're really opponents, and it's a difficult place to go and play, that's for sure. They've done extremely well. They've been the one club over the last few years who have produced a few shocks."