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Steve Bruce prepares for cup defeat backlash “We have to accept what is coming our way”

3 years ago
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Steve Bruce has been talking after the feeble showing and defeat to Brentford.

The NUFC Head Coach playing what he claimed was his strongest available, up against Brentford who made six changes to Saturday’s team that played in the Championship.

Yet it was the Championship side who were the better team in both halves.

Newcastle United didn’t even have a shot on target in the second-half and the tactics looked clueless, not that it was clear exactly what the tactic was supposed to be that would potentially lead to a goal.

Talking about the criticism that started as soon as the final whistle went (well, in all honesty throughout the game as well), Steve Bruce stating: ‘So we have to accept what is coming our way and get ready, dust ourselves down, get ready for what is a huge challenge ahead of us in the Premier League.’

That challenge sees NUFC next play Man City, Liverpool and Leicester, in the corresponding fixtures last season, Newcastle lost all three matches and conceded 11 goals, scoring just one at the other end.

So tonight was our early Christmas present and then that trio of matches cover Boxing Day and into the new year.

Steve Bruce talking to Sky Sports:

“We are all desperately disappointed of course because what an opportunity we had.

“I always knew it was going to be difficult, but I still expected us to perform probably better than what we did.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t done enough.

“So we have to accept what is coming our way and get ready, dust ourselves down, get ready for what is a huge challenge ahead of us in the Premier League.

“They come thick and fast again but I can’t hide my disappointment because we’ve had a great opportunity to get into a semi-final, for the first time in 40 odd years.

“So bitterly disappointed and very very frustrated.

“I picked a team I thought would be good enough to win the match but Brentford played very well on the night.”

Sky Sports interviewer:

‘Did you ever genuinely believe that you were ever going to score in the second-half, even with all those strikers on?’

Steve Bruce:

“Well you genuinely believe you could do.

“We had one or two instances where it didn’t just quite fall for us and it was a bit unkind but we didn’t really create anything at all.

“In the end you need to have that little bit of a break in the box, when we put it in there, and it didn’t go our way.”

Sky Sports interviewer:

‘Is it even more painful the fact that you have picked such a strong team and you have lost to a team that made so many changes?’

Steve Bruce:

“No, look, I stand by what I said when I walked through the door here, that I treated the cups the way I saw fit and I picked a team that I thought was going to be good enough to win the match.

“Unfortunately, Brentford played very very well on the night.

StatsĀ from BBC Sport:

Brentford 1 Newcastle 0 – Tuesday 22 December 5.30pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Brentford:

Dasilva 66

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Brentford 49% (46%) Newcastle 51% (54%)

Total shots were Brentford 14 (6) Newcastle 12 (5)

Shots on target were Brentford 5 (1) Newcastle 3 (3)

Corners were Brentford 7 (4) Newcastle 3 (1)

Referee: Robert Jones

Newcastle United:

Darlow, Yedlin, Hayden, Clark, Lewis (Carroll 80), Fraser (Joelinton 65), Sean Longstaff, Shelvey, Murphy, Almiron (Gayle 65), Wilson

Unused Subs:

Gillespie, Ritchie, Krafth, Hendrick

Crowd: 00,000

(BBC Sport comments about Brentford 1 Newcastle 0 – Absolutely scathing but the truth – Read HERE)

(Brentford 1 Newcastle 0 Match Report -As Steve Bruce’s life raft floats away – Read HERE)

(Brentford 1 Newcastle 0 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Tuesday’s cup knockout – Read HERE)

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