Dummett slams Toon warm-up!
NEWCASTLE defender Paul Dummett revealed yesterday that he had concerns during the warm-up ahead of Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Norwich — while former striker Michael Chopra claims some players have criticised Steve Bruce. It adds up to a difficult start for Bruce, who has lost his first two matches. On top of that, striker Yosinori Muto has questioned the tactics which left him feeling ‘isolated’ after coming on at Carrow Road. But it is the comments of Dummett, a respected figure in the dressing room, which will be of chief concern for Bruce. Wales international Dummett said: ‘From the start, in the warm-up, it wasn’t right. Then, in the first five minutes, Norwich were on top of us and we didn’t seem to get going. They were too good for us all game. Everyone was disappointed with the performance from start to finish. We never started right. We didn’t get close to them. They passed the ball around us like we weren’t there. It’s a big wake-up call but we have to stick together.’ Bruce cancelled the team’s day off on Sunday, as revealed by
Sportsmail. That decision raised eyebrows in the camp, as it was seen as a punishment just two games into the season. Former Newcastle forward Chopra has revealed there is concern among the squad about the work being done on the training ground. He told talk SPORT: ‘Bruce has come in and some of the players don’t know their jobs. They are not really working on their shape. At Newcastle, for two or three years those players have overachieved under Benitez but I don’t think some of the players are good enough for the Premier League, so they need coaching.’