Questions for Toon squad on return to training
thrashing – one of the worst displays in the club’s Premier League history?
He said: “You don’t want to know.
“I have only been at the club two or three months. I haven’t witnessed what I have witnessed today. Too many felt sorry for themselves.
“We made mistakes, we were badly punished, but to react in that way is the disappointing thing for the players, myself and the travelling supporters, which was unbelievable. NEWCASTLE United players are facing an in-depth inquest when they return to Benton today.
United were slaughtered by Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Sunday before Steve Bruce made it clear in no uncertain terms the performance was unacceptable.
It is believed that Bruce feels too many players went into hiding when the team were under the cosh.
“I don’t think you really want to know what I have said to players. “It is not worth repeating.” Newcastle supporters showed their class with the team losing heavily and the rain lashing down.
There were no boos, just a chorus of: “We’ll support you ever more.”
Bruce said: “It makes the club what it is, unique with that support. We can’t take that for granted.
“We need to give them something to shout about – to see a team play with heart, passion, before we talk about ability; it has to be a given.
“I can’t defend that today unfortunately.
“As head coach, manager, whatever, I have to take responsibility because it is as bad an afternoon as I can remember.
“The whole team, the whole lot of them were nowhere near what is required to make a fist of it in the Premier League.
“The Norwich defeat nowhere near like that one.
“People didn’t think Norwich were a good side, they are. That today is no comparison to Norwich.
“We didn’t do anything well enough today.
“That is the disappointing thing overall.”
And the coaching staff feel that too many players are still dining out on performances from the last couple of seasons.
Bruce has spoken about giving players new contracts but now he was wants to see performances. The players were handed a day to cool off after the Leicester game, but now he will show his players specific examples of where they went wrong and how certain instructions were ignored.
A clutch of players may also pay the price for poor performances this weekend against Manchester United, with some likely to be dropped.