Bruce: I will crack on with it - I will not walk away
STEVE Bruce admits it is up to ‘others to decide’ whether he will still be in charge next season - but the Newcastle United head coach insists he is ‘never going to walk away from it’.
Newcastle have only won two games since December 16 and sit just three points clear of the relegation zone in 17th ahead of a huge match against 19th-placed West Brom at the weekend.
The Magpies’ preparations for Sunday’s trip to the Hawthorns have been thrown into disarray after details of Bruce’s bust-up with Matt Ritchie were leaked to the national press this week.
Bruce has been keen to play the training ground incident down but, given the pressure he was already under, the 60-year-old was asked if he still expected to be at Newcastle next season.
He said: “I sincerely hope so. That’s for others to decide.
“Look, it’s vitally important we all understand it: a row, a bust-up, whatever you want to call it, unfortunately, makes huge headlines in Newcastle and the disappointment for me and the club is, unfortunately, the so-called journalist has a source.
“Fair enough but to try and derail us and cause all this noise if that’s what you’d call it before a big game? We could do without it.
“These things happen at football clubs as I’ve said many times now.
“Up and down the country, people have fallouts. You’re dealing with 25 men who are highly competitive, full of testosterone and these things happen.
“We had an apology from Matt. As far as I’m concerned, it’s finished. Unfortunately, it gets regurgitated in a national newspaper, which is not good for anyone.
“I’m determined to crack on, stay with it - I’m never going to walk away from it - and accept the challenge of how difficult it is to manage Newcastle.”
Ritchie had been unhappy with Bruce after the Newcastle boss said ‘Unfortunately, Matty didn’t get it on quick enough the instructions of how we were doing it’ when he was asked about the communications breakdown in the build-up to Wolves’ equaliser on Saturday night.
Although Ritchie appeared to pass on information to both Isaac Hayden and Joe Willock after replacing the injured Emil Krafth, crucially Jonjo Shelvey took a quick free-kick before Jacob Murphy knew he had to play at right wing-back in a back five.
As a result, Hayden had to fill in at right-back and Newcastle’s
Up and down the country people have fall-outs. These things happen at football clubs
makeshift back four was undone just a minute later when Ruben Neves levelled things up.
Given there are no fans inside stadiums during the pandemic, it has never been easier for coaches to pass on instructions so, clearly, both players and staff have to take responsibility for the goal.
In hindsight, Bruce accepted he ‘could have been better’ with his post-match media duties after effectively pointing the finger at Ritchie, Martin Dubravka, Jamal Lewis and Joelinton at various points.
However, Ritchie’s understandable frustration festered over the weekend ahead of the players returning to training on Tuesday and the pair clashed.
Ritchie apologised to Bruce in front of both the coaching staff and his team-mates a day later and the Newcastle boss was unsurprisingly keen to draw a line under the incident as he faced the media yesterday morning.
He added: “There’s no denying I’ve had a row, argument, whatever you want to call it, with Matt Ritchie.
“In my experience of 20 years doing the job and 20 years as a player, it happens every other day up and down the country at various training grounds. We have 25 men wanting to be in the team, disappointed they’re not going to be in the team. These things happen.
“We have a row. It’s normal when you’re working with a group of men. Of course it is.
“As far as I’m concerned that part of the story, if that’s wonderful journalism then fair enough.
“The disappointment for us is among us we have a source or a leaker - whatever you want to call it - which deeply upsets me.”
The bust-up story has even managed to overshadow the damaging double blow that stars Allan SaintMaximin and Miguel Almiron will not be available until April at the earliest.
With the talented duo and top scorer Callum Wilson all unavailable for the next few games, Bruce will have to again change his attack.
The head coach said he does not believe the relegation six-pointer is a make-or-break clash but did stress his players must block out the week’s chaos if they are to emerge victorious.
He said: “Is it a must-win game? Well, we’d like to win but I don’t put it as a must-win.
“I have had an argument or row, but as far as I am concerned that happens up and down the land at every training ground every two days.
“In Newcastle it gets national headline news.
“We have to remain focused against West Brom and go there to get a result.”
When asked about the absences of Almiron and Saint-Maximin, he added: “We have to reassess the team, of course.
“It’s hugely disappointing that injuries strike and we are either all in on defenders and we get them back and we are now struck down on the forwards.”