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Andy Carroll says Steve Bruce got it badly wrong against Manchester City in feeble FA Cup exit

4 years ago
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Andy Carroll has been talking about the game against Manchester City on Wednesday night.

It remains to be seen whether the striker will be involved as Steve Bruce revealed on Tuesday that yet again Carroll has picked up an injury, this time a groin strain.

Whether he plays or not though, Andy Carroll says that Steve Bruce can’t repeat the mistakes he made 10 days ago in the FA Cup game.

The forward saying that Bruce’s ultra negative tactics meant that against Man City, ‘Newcastle sat too deep too early and let them dominate the game’, NUFC very lucky to be only 1-0 down at half-time as they hardly got into the opposition half.

Newcastle registered only 18% possession in that first half and there was a stat during that game where United had managed only 15 completed passes in 27 minutes, with most of them Dubravka passing it out to defenders.

Man City had 20 shots that game whilst Newcastle’s only chance was created by the opposition, Otamendi so switched off due to the lack of pressure he passed straight to an NUFC player on the edge of his own box, ASM squaring the ball and Gayle somehow putting it over the bar from six yards out.

That one chance of the game came after Andy Carroll had been subbed on 64 minutes by Gayle and he claims: ‘I think second half we played a lot better when we went attacking them.’

Well the second half was marginally better (possession rising to 24% by the end of that FA Cup quarter final game) but it couldn’t have been any worse than what had happened before the break. However, as for Newcastle ‘attacking’ Man City, there was still very little evidence, with United unable to create chances of their own.

One thing for sure though, here’s hoping Bruce takes some notice of Andy Carroll, because if he employs the same ultra negative tactics, there will only be one outcome.

There has to be at least some kind of plan to attack / break where possible, simply sitting so deep will just ensure there will be no release from Man City camped around the Newcastle box.

Andy Carroll talking to the official club site:

“I think second half we played a lot better when we went attacking them.

“I think we sat too deep too early and let them dominate the game and they brought it to us instead of us to them.

“I think we need to go out and play, especially at their place – I think we have to give it a right go.

“You give them enough time on the ball and they’re just going to keep 90 per cent of it.

“They’re a tough team to play against.

“We have lost points with the two draws [against Villa and West Ham) and we feel like we could have taken all three on both occasions.

“But we’re safe now, so it’s just (about) how high we can go.

“We are professional players, we all go out there to win games.

“As a professional that’s just what you do.

“I don’t think it’s ‘we’re safe now,’ we down tools or stop training as hard and things like that. We all are professionals, we know our job – and it’s not finished until the end of the season.”

“I think obviously Newcastle deserves to be in the Premier League and in the top ten.

“I think we should definitely be up there and that’s what we’re pushing for this season.”

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