Steve Bruce reacts after his Newcastle United side 'quietens the storm'

Steve Bruce says his Newcastle United team has "quietened" the critics.
Sean Longstaff.Sean Longstaff.
Sean Longstaff.

The win, Bruce's first in the Premier League as the club's head coach, followed a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Norwich City which prompted an angry backlash on Tyneside.

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“I think we all understand criticism, but, for me, a lot of it has been unjust and unfair," said Bruce. "But the only (way) you can quieten the storm is to find a performance and a result.

"Nobody gave us a hope in hell’s chance, let’s be brutally honest, but the way they’ve performed defensively and on the counter-attack too was great to see.

"I’m delighted for the supporters – we can’t take them for granted. They’ve got a long way to go home, and they can’t even get a train. For them, I’m absolutely delighted.

“We looked at own organisation and how we were going to play against them, rather than worrying about Tottenham. It was about how we were going to go about it. Defensively, you can set people up in the way we did, but it’s always important that you have something on the counter-attack. The longer the game went on, the more tired we became, but I thought we were always a threat."

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Meanwhile, Allan Saint-Maximin, handed his first start for the club, has suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury.

Bruce told BBC Newcastle: "Same hamstring, which is a big disappointment. The first time he sprinted after one today, he’s felt it again."