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Steve Bruce refuses to answer holiday question Newcastle United fans are asking after latest hammering

3 years ago
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Steve Bruce went on the offensive after Newcastle were hammered by Man Utd on Saturday afternoon.

Widespread reports claimed that Bruce had headed off on holiday only two weeks into the season, despite the team and club in a total mess.

A reporter asking Steve Bruce if indeed he had been in Portugal instead of spending the full two weeks trying to get his team / squad into better shape after conceding eight goals in three games.

In response, Steve Bruce refusing to answer the question properly, instead indicating that he had spent THIS past week preparing the team in a ‘meticulous’ fashion. Following NUFC’s official media output from the international fortnight, it appears that Steve Bruce and the players had been back in training from Tuesday (7 September), giving them four days of preparation.

Apparently justifying going on holiday to Portugal in the first week of the international fortnight. Steve Bruce declaring: ‘Let me tell you. There is nothing more [that could have been done] in preparation. What was I supposed to do? We had six of them away.’

Not sure who the sixth one was but Newcastle had Fraser, Krafth, Schar, Lewis and Hendrick away on international duty.

The thing is, not a single one of these are a first eleven choice for Steve Bruce and none of them started at Old Trafford today…

So the obvious reply to Bruce’s latest nonsense is that why would having squad fringe players missing, mean you couldn’t spend the full two weeks preparing with your first choice players?

Steve Bruce after losing 4-1 to Manchester United and Ronaldo:

“That is the goalscoring instinct of a centre forward, where our defenders haven’t followed it in, he is on the end of it, gets a tap in and them little things change the game.

“Well look, if there is a genuine superstar among everybody, then this kid is, with what he has done and what he has achieved.

“The witness of it today has been something else.

“We made a big fist of it I thought.

“We are disappointed at the goals we gave away.

“We have got to be a bit more clinical but we were a threat.

“We took part in the game, unfortunately we weren’t good enough.

“I was very pleased with a lot of it.

“We were a constant threat on the counter-attack.

“With the third goal, we had a big opportunity with Joelinton to maybe go 2-2, then with the quality that Fernandes possesses, he smashes one into the top corner and all the hard work comes undone.

“We had some really good opportunities.”

Whilst the Chronicle have reported that they asked Steve Bruce if he had been on holiday after numerous fans had urged them to ask the question, widespread media reports claiming Bruce had spent the first week of the international break in Portugal…:

“Wow.

“Go on…

“Do you think I really have to answer that to you?

“That’s what the fans are asking are they?

“We have trained all week and we were in every day.

“The preparation was meticulous.

“Let me tell you. There is nothing more [that could have been done] in preparation.

“What was I supposed to do?

“We had six of them away.

“The preparation was fine and we have been in all week.

“You could see the game plan was what we worked to.

“To have to answer questions like that is typical to the question I would get off you and your newspaper.

“If I am being brutally honest…that is why they [Newcastle fans] are the way they are, the way you are and your negativity and your newspaper.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Manchester United 4 Newcastle United 1 – Saturday 11 September 3pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Manquillo 56

Man Utd:

Ronaldo 45+2, 62, Fernandes 80, Lingard 90+1

(In brackets the first half stats)

Possession was Man Utd 65% (70%) Newcastle 35% (30%)

Total shots were Man Utd 21 (15)  Newcastle 12 (6)

Shots on target were Man Utd 7 (3) Newcastle 3 (0)

Corners were Man Utd 7 (4) Newcastle 3 (1)

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Newcastle United:

Woodman, Manquillo (Murphy 77), Hayden, Lascelles, Clark (Lewis 84), Ritchie, Sean Longstaff, Almiron, Willock (Hendrick 85), Saint-Maximin, Joelinton

Unused Subs:

Darlow, Schar, Krafth, Fernandez, White, Gayle

Manchester United 4 Newcastle United 1 – Ronaldo takes reds top as Bruce has NUFC in relegation zone – Read HERE

Manchester United 4 Newcastle United 1 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Saturday’s hammering – Read HERE

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