Bruce braced to break out of ‘bad situation’

STEVE Bruce admits his Newcastle United managerial tenure has entered a “bad situation” but is ready to tackle a “difficult challenge” head on.

The players were back at the training ground less than 12 hours after their defeat at Brentford in the League Cup and have trained over the festive period ahead of today’s clash away to Manchester City.

Bruce said: “It is always a test. Look at the end of the day, I pick a team and I set them up and they get on with it.

“It is my job to try to win at places like Brentford.

“You are in a bad situation, so now it is how do you try to work your way out of it?

“My motto is quite simple and you have to get back on the training ground and do what you do. You need to get a response.

“It is sometimes the most difficult part but you have to lift them up and get ready for it.”

Bruce will need some rallying call to get his players in the zone for the festive period as it doesn’t come any tougher than Man City, Liverpool and then Leicester – all three still title contenders.

Bruce added: “It’s a difficult challenge as it is, we’re playing one of the best teams in the world, let’s be brutally honest.

“We have to make sure we treat it well and get over the disappointment of

Tuesday, let’s roll our sleeves up and show what we’re made of.

“This league is unforgiving and very difficult at times.

“That is what the Premier

League is so we have to get ready for the challenge.” Newcastle are hoping to have a clutch of players back for the trip to Man City with Martin Dubravka close to a recall, while Federico Fernandez is also confident of shaking off fatigue after suffering from Covid.

Bruce said: “It’s been very difficult the last week or 10 days. “We have freshened up but we are desperately short in defensive areas where it has hit us most badly.

“So yes we will look to freshen up and it’s vitally important we do that because we have some big games coming up.”

When asked if he now had a plan to get steer Newcastle out of choppy waters, Bruce said: “Yeah, of course. I will try to have a night’s sleep and then you try to prepare for you next game.

“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world. Let’s see if we can respond.”

Bruce has also called on stand-in captain Jonjo Shelvey ( inset) to show more of what he can do. The former England man strolled around against Brentford and was anonymous for long periods. It was just the latest in a series of recent mediocre displays. Bruce, who handed the midfielder a lucrative new deal this year, said: “Jonjo will be disappointed with his performances like everybody else is, but three weeks ago he was the captain and played very, very well.”