Boss’s spirited defence of his battling squad
STEVE Bruce has criticised his Newcastle United players for not playing well enough at times – but believes the spirit within the squad will keep them up.
The Magpies’ head coach hit back at what he sees as unfair criticism of his tactics and downplayed talk of dressing-room disharmony.
Newcastle have only won two of their last 22 games but showed plenty of fight to come from behind and claim a 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Sunday.
Bruce turned to some of the more experienced players against Spurs with Matt Ritchie recalled and joining stalwarts Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett, Dwight Gayle and Jonjo Shelvey in the side.
He believes their collective experience will be invaluable in the battle to beat the drop.
Bruce added: “There are some of the things which are labelled against you which are not right.
“You can be criticised for tactically not being right or this, that and the other but the one thing you cannot - with this group of players, anyway, who have been here a few years - is the spirit among them.
“Yes, they don’t play well enough at times but the spirit and the attitude and the determination - a lot of them have been here a long time.”
It was the club’s newest face, however, who scored the leveller against Spurs on Sunday.
Joe Willock, on loan from Arsenal, came off the bench to blast home in the 85th minute and send Jose Mourinho’s side back to North London with just a point.
Sunday’s match was the first Willock has not started since he arrived in January and he was determined to make his mark.
Bruce must now decide whether he has done enough to return to the starting line-up against Burnley ahead of Sunday’s high noon clash in Lancashire.
He added: “I was delighted for Joe - he was not happy when he was not in the starting line-up.
“However, he has come on and scored us the goal.”