Bizarre Steve Bruce claims after Newcastle 3 West Ham 2

Steve Bruce is at it again.

The Newcastle United Head Coach making some ‘curious’ claims after Saturday’s match.

The game ending Newcastle 3 West Ham 2 but plenty storylines played out across the 100 minutes played in total.

By the time 41 minutes had been completed, Newcastle were 2-0 up and West Ham were down to ten men.

Despite that, Newcastle United went ultra defensive, Steve Bruce ordered his team to defend deep, which gifted West Ham control and encouraged them to attack and control the game. That is exactly what happened and a series of chances ended up seeing West Ham deservedly score twice, only for Joe Willock to get Steve Bruce out of jail with a winner only seconds after coming on.

Very bizarrely, Steve Bruce claims it is ‘understandable’ to go ultra defensive when two goals and a man up, you quite literally couldn’t make it up.

Asked about the situation with Joe Willock, Steve Bruce declares: ‘We would love to keep him here. He is the type of player you would love to build your club around. Whether we can or not I’m not quite sure.’

How strange. Joe Willock has been dropped these last three games, can’t even get a game ahead of the woeful pedestrian Jonjo Shelvey.

Willock has scored twice in his last 20 minutes of football, winning the game today and saving a point against Tottenham.

Compare that to Shelvey’s two PL goals in the last 14 months and struggling to get into the box at all in most matches, including today.

Steve Bruce actually trying to claim credit for the win, making out like it was an inspired choice to put Willock on after 81 minutes, rather than he should have had the midfielder on the pitch far earlier AND have been trying to attack before 10 men West Ham equalised: ‘We tried to change instantly and put two strikers up the pitch. It has paid off.’

Steve Bruce:

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the way we played first half.

“We had threat, we were dangerous every time we got men forward.

“All of the stuff in the first half, we didn’t do in the second.

“Everything we asked for at half-time we didn’t do.

“It is understandable [when you are 2-0 up]…you go too deep and we made it comfortable for West Ham.”

Penalty equaliser:

“I had seen the referee running over to have a look, I couldn’t understand why.

“By all accounts it is a penalty.

“If it is we have to accept it.”

West Ham make it 2-2:

“We tried to change instantly and put two strikers up the pitch.

“It has paid off.”

Man of the match:

“Allan Saint-Maximin has got a badly swollen ankle, which he did after 10 minutes.

“We hope he’s going to be OK, we will see later on in the week.

“It was terrific from Saint-Maximin.

“It is important that he stays well.

“He is a very very good player.

On avoiding relegation:

“I can’t say that.

“With this club there is always a sting in the tail.

“There is no disputing it has been a difficult last few weeks but we have lost one of our last seven games and are starting to show that bit of consistency.

“However, 35 points is not enough.

“We still have six games to go and can we beat last year’s [44] points tally?”

On Joe Willock:

“We would love to keep him here.

“He is the type of player you would love to build your club around.

“Whether we can or not I’m not quite sure.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 3 West Ham 2 – Saturday 17 April 12.30pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Diop OG 36, Joelinton 41, Willock 82

West Ham:

Diop 73, Lingard 80 pen, Dawson sent off 36

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was West Ham 65% (70%) Newcastle 35% (30%)

Total shots were West Ham 16 (4)  Newcastle 16 (11)

Shots on target were West Ham 6 (1) Newcastle 8 (6)

Corners were West Ham 8 (2) Newcastle 3 (3)

Referee: Kevin Friend

Newcastle United:

Dubravka, Murphy, Fernandez, Clark, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey, Sean Longstaff (Willock 81), Almiron, Joelinton (Carroll 90+8), Saint-Maximin (Wilson 64)

Unused Subs:

Gillespie, Gayle, Krafth, Lewis, Manquillo, Hendrick

Crowd: 00,000

(Newcastle 3 West Ham 2 – Match ratings and comments on all the NUFC players – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 3 West Ham 2 – Joe Willock saves Steve Bruce’s very lucky bacon – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 3 West Ham 2 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Saturday’s eventful win – Read HERE)