BRUCE SLAMS ‘HOPELESS’ TOON STARS

STEVE BRUCE has told his Newcastle players they were ‘absolute sh**e’ and warned them: ‘The gloves are off. I’m going to do it my way.’ The Magpies boss launched into an extraordinary response yesterday to criticism of him in the wake of Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United. Bruce swung between a stinging attack on his ‘f****** hopeless’ players and defiant resolve to carry on how he sees best. ‘We were absolutely f****** hopeless the other night,’ he said. ‘Absolute sh**e we were. I have to accept it. I’ve let them (the players) be comfortable, but the gloves are off now — I’m going to do it my way. I’ve said from day one the way I wanted to play and they haven’t done it enough.’ Bruce has tried this tactic before, calling out his players following similar performances, and has invariably won a response. But after eight matches without a win and just one goal scored in 10 hours, fans are calling for

him to be sacked. The main supporters group contacted the club this week to warn that they are ‘sleepwalking to relegation’ under Bruce. The head coach said: ‘If I was a supporter, I’d be concerned as well after watching the first half at Sheffield United — we were absolutely hopeless. ‘Unfortunately, in my 18 months here, we’ve thrown that hand grenade in too often for my liking. It all blows up after that. ‘In hindsight, I picked the wrong team. I have to accept the performance was nowhere near good enough and take responsibility.’ He added: ‘In some people’s eyes, I was never the right choice. But if you look at my record over the years, for being a team that is in the bottom half of the league, I’ve got enough on my CV to make sure I can try and slowly take the club forward. That’s what I’m here for and that’s what I will continually try to achieve.’ The Supporters Trust made the point to the club this week, suggesting that recent poor form is not a surprise. But the manager said: ‘I don’t think all of the criticism is fair, but I understand it. When I took the job from day one it (criticism) has been personal. ‘People out there think I should not be in the job to start with. I have to not get too down with it, I know how quickly it changes. ‘We have been on a difficult run. We’re not alone in that. If you’re in the bottom half, you’ll have spells where you don’t win every week. ‘We’re not easy on the eye — I understand that. But have Newcastle United been a good watch for years? They’ve been in the bottom half of the Premier League, that’s the reality. I’m not saying it’s acceptable.’ Bruce did find time for a touch of black humour, though, when asked for his thoughts on players celebrating goals together. Newcastle have managed just one goal since Christmas and Bruce said: ‘Well, I’d like to score a goal first and then have to worry about it.’