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Steve Bruce admits half dozen Newcastle first team squad players sent to train with the kids

3 years ago
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Steve Bruce says that the numbers don’t add up.

The Head Coach saying Newcastle United ‘can’t just keep collecting players’ to what is already an oversized squad.

A squad which to most fans, is big on numbers but very low on real quality.

Steve Bruce says that if is to be any chance of Newcastle signing any more players, quite a few of the current squad have to be moved out ahead of transfer deadline day, which is a week on Monday (5 October).

A sobering thought that even if Newcastle continue playing like they did against Brighton, Mike Ashley still wouldn’t allow even loan players to come in, unless current NUFC players are moved on first.

Steve Bruce says that having so many players even creates problems in training, as ideally he wants to have only 20 outfield players, as well as the keepers.

Whilst the 30 outfield NUFC first team squad outfield players has been cut to 28 with Muto and Lejeune going out on loan, Steve Bruce says he has had no alternative but to send ‘five or six’ to train with the kids, Bruce adding that this isn’t something that he wants to do and is not good for anybody involved.

The club released a training gallery of images ahead of the Morecambe match and the following 21 outfield players were seen in them:

Fernandez, Schar, Murphy, Yedlin, Atsu, Hayden, Clark, Shelvey, Wilson, Lascelles, Manquillo, Hendrick, Carroll, Ritchie, Barlaser, Fraser, Dummett, Sean Longstaff, Joelinton, Almiron, Krafth

By my reckoning, you then have Gayle, Matty Longstaff, Saint-Maximin and Lewis who were missing through injury.

Leaving just three others – Saivet, Aarons and Lazaar.

Steve Bruce stating: ‘I’ve gone on record to say that two or three players in particular need to go and get fixed up somewhere and find a new home if they can.’

Those last three named are the ones Steve Bruce has specifically mentioned.

However, Newcastle are surely desperate for at least another striker and a central defender. So with the official Newcastle United senior Premier League squad only allowing 22 outfield players (plus three keepers), in an ideal world at least seven (Matty Longstaff is classed as an under 21 and they are additional to the 25 man squad) need to be moved on.

As well as Henri Saivet, Achraf Lazaar and Rolando Aarons, Steve Bruce would ideally like to see DeAndre Yedlin, Dan Barlaser, Christian Atsu and Jacob Murphy also go out for starters.

I think that Fabian Schar would be sold as well by Steve Bruce if he got the chance / offer, as the Head Coach made clear last season that he doesn’t rate the Swiss centre-back.

With Steve Bruce saying five or six first team squad players going to train with the under 23s, I guess it is a fluid thing and depends on injuries / fitness, so whilst Aarons and Lazaar, plus seemingly now Saivet as well judging by the club images, currently with the under 23s, certain other players must be moving between the first team squad and training with the kids.

Steve Bruce admits need to move players out, as quoted by the Northern Echo:

“I have to try to work on [reducing] the size of the squad because we can’t just keep collecting players.

“We have got five or six training with the under 23s and that is not healthy at all for anybody.

“That [moving players out] has to be a big part of the remit between now and the end of the window.

“We have brought in some really good additions to the squad and at the moment, only two [Muto and Lejeune] have gone.

“So, we have to try to make room [to have any chance of making more signings].

“It’s always a difficult one.

“If you remember last year, Colback and Saivet missed out [on the NUFC Premier League squad] and if you look at somebody like Jack, he’s playing regularly now for Notts Forest.

“There are always difficult decision to be made.

“I’ve gone on record to say that two or three players in particular need to go and get fixed up somewhere and find a new home if they can.

“It is not healthy that they are training with the under 23s but I’m not sending them down there as a punishment, it’s just that we want to work with a certain number.

“Once your numbers start to get towards 28 [outfield players], it’s very difficult.

“We don’t want to work with that number and if possible, we want to work with 20 outfield players every day.”

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