BRUCE COMES OUT FIGHTING

Toon boss doggedly defends his record and is ‘baffled by the raging debate’

ANGRY Steve Bruce has come out fighting against his Newcastle United critics – insisting he’s “baffled at the raging debate” about his side’s start to the season.

Victory over Burnley could lift the Geordies into the top six, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Brentford in December to look forward to.

But Bruce is facing a backlash from fans following poor defeats to Brighton and Spurs. Toon have mustered three shots on target in the league, all leading to goals.

They scraped past Blackburn in the Carabao Cup and needed a last-gasp equaliser and penalties to see off Newport this week. But they have also travelled away to thrash Morecambe 7-0.

Bruce faces questions over his team selection and tactics but is raging that negativity is undermining his efforts to change Newcastle from a back-five team that sat deep under Rafa Benitez.

He was bristling as he tackled questions asking why Newcastle looked like they had no plan on the pitch.

Bruce said: “I can’t understand the raging debate. Hang on a minute... we’ve only lost one out of six and we have won four. We are trying to change a little bit. Now I’m lucky. Lucky, am I? Wow!

“I find it disappointing and deeply frustrating this thing about a lack of direction, this thing about tactics.

“What do you not understand in what we’re trying to do? We haven’t played well enough, I’ ll grant you that.

We haven’t played with enough intensity and we’ve given the ball away cheaply.

“What do you not understand? We have played one up, with one off the front in six out of seven games this season. I find this baffling.”

Challenged further, Bruce a d d e d : “Th e sty l e is a concern? So all of a sudden we have to think we’re Liverpool, do we? We were stylish against Morecambe and West Ham. We had 27 attempts against Newport.

“It’s pretty obvious if you were balanced about it.”

Asked if he was a lucky manager, he added: “So I’ve been lucky for 20 years, have I? Well, I suppose it’s better to be a lucky manager than a good one.”

Allan Saint-maximin has recovered from his ankle injur y and is fit to face Burnley. But Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth are doubts.

Bruce won’t buy again before deadline day, having spent £35million on Callum Wilson and Jamal Lewis, and signed Ryan Fraser and Jeff Hendrick on free transfers.

“I don’t expect to be that busy,” he said.

“If something becomes available on loan, we will act.”