Bruce: I’ll hunt down the traitors
MAGPIES BOSS FURY OVER RITCHIE LEAK
WEST BROM V NEWCASTLE MIDDAY TOMORROW, AMAZON
STEVE BRUCE machine-gunned out his words like a manager up for a fight.
“Bust-up, testosterone, emotional edgy men...” as he revealed the context of his “coward” row with Matt Ritchie.
“Absurd, obscene, bordering on ridiculous...” on the suggestion that he has given his Newcastle players too many days off – three in five days this week – as they face a massive relegation clash on Sunday against West Brom.
It was 23 minutes of Bruce on the attack and shoring up his position after a week of turmoil and friction behind the scenes at St James’ Park.
He accused club gossips who leaked news of Ritchie’s shoulder barging row as perpetrators of “treason” against his club, and vowed to hunt them down.
Bruce said: “I am more than ever 100 per cent [committed] to get us out of the trouble we are in, and the players are too. I have 100 per cent faith in them. Just because things get tough – I always knew it would be tough.”
On his dispute with Ritchie on Tuesday, Bruce said: “There is no denying it. I have had a row. That happens up and down on training grounds every week.
“Dealing with 25 men, highly competitive, highly on the edge, of course you will get a row.”
Ritchie was upset at being blamed for failing to communicate a tactical rejig when he came on as a substitute against Wolves, just before they equalised.
Bruce added: “I tried to be truthful the way I saw it, straight after a game, conceding the way we did. But I could have been better in the post-game interview.”
On giving his players days off, he added: “Look, the days off were done two and a half weeks ago with sports scientists, me, the doctor, to say how we can get time to rest and recover.”