Bruce brushes aside backlash as fans see Red over Devils defeat
‘IT’S JUST PART AND PARCEL OF BEING UNITED MANAGER’
STEVE Bruce has shrugged off the backlash after the 4-1 defeat against Manchester United – admitting no Toon boss will ever escape criticism.
The Magpies capitulated in the latter stages against a Red Devils side that had lost heavily to Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.
However, Bruce does not feel that the game was an accurate reflection of where his team are at the moment.
He said: “I’m under no illusion that if you’re manager of Newcastle, then the criticism flows.
“Sometimes you think it’s a bit unjust but it is part and parcel of what we deal with. You come under huge scrutiny.”
Bruce feels that the social media frenzy that exploded after the home loss to Man United was inevitable.
He said: “In the past, you used to discuss it in the pub.
“Now, everyone is a manager. Let’s get on with it.
“I can’t stop it, it’s until the next game and hopefully we can produce a performance that can get us a result.”
Bruce believes that the energy of supporters would be better spent in the stands with the fan lockout affecting his side.
He added: “Take last week, when we were going toe to toe against one of the best teams in Europe.
“You need your support to give you a hand, especially a club like ours with 50,000 behind you. It’s not just the players, it’s everybody concerned.
“The only person I can hear is the commentator behind me in the stadium, it’s quite unreal.
“Everybody said against West Ham it was because West Ham were so poor, then because Man U got turned over at home by Tottenham, we were supposed to turn over Man U by three or four.
“I always knew there would be a reaction (from Man United). They will be in the top four in my opinion. “They’ve got top players, especially at the top end of the pitch. For me, we were a bit too open, but we’re in that bit of a change and we were caught. “We were in the game and it was always going to be difficult.”
But now the boot could be on the other foot for Bruce at Wolves with the bouncing atmosphere at Molineux set to be replaced by the backdrop of near silence. Bruce said: “We’ve seen that since the lockdown. We’re seeing it in every division.
“It’s something we have to get used to, but when you’re playing against these big teams, our home support is a huge advantage to us.
“We went to West Ham and did very well ... it is what it is.
“I think everybody’s got more adventurous. If you see the goals going in, the only common denominator is the way the game is without the supporters in the stadium.
“When you’re seeing Man City get beat five, Liverpool get beat seven, it doesn’t happen but at the moment it is. It looks as though teams have forgotten how to defend.”
You see Man City get beat five, Liverpool get beat seven ... it looks as though teams have forgotten how to defend