WE MUST TURN THIS AROUND

Bruce wants ‘ludicrous’ festive workload cut

what it is. Players get injured, fatigued. A footballer can play seven days a week if you want, but he’s not going to be as good on the seventh as on the first.

“It’s impossible. You’re asking players to play tired. That’s when injuries happen and it becomes a bit of a lottery.”

Bruce admits nothing has changed in the years since the title slipped away from Manchester United in 1992 after they were beaten up by the fixture list.

“I remember us losing the league,” said Bruce. “We had to play four games in eight days – ridiculous.

“It’s never changed since then. We ask the players to do too much. We’ve seen what we’ve asked the Liverpool players to do this month – nonsense.

“We don’t seem to learn. I know there’s a break this time, for the first time, but it’s in February. It doesn’t really make sense to me at all. Look, I was a hairy-a**ed centre-half. It didn’t matter to me. I could play every day.

“But the ones who have to run, lads who are playing and doing 12 and a half to 13km in midfield. We’re asking them to go again on Saturday. We all have to look at it. We moan about it often enough.”

Despite an error-strewn display at Old Trafford, Newcastle have the best home defensive record in the Premier League. They have leaked just seven goals in nine games, better than leaders Liverpool, champions Manchester City and second place Leicester, with each conceding nine.

The Geordies are undefeated at home in the league since an opening-day loss to Arsenal, winning four of their last six.

Bruce added: “It’s important the home form stacks up. We haven’t lost since our first game of the season, we have given ourselves a chance going into the New Year period.”