OPINION
After defeat, the one person Newcastle United will expect to have answers is Steve Bruce.
Not exactly favoured in the North East, Bruce will be made to earn every single fan after replacing Rafael Benitez – something that hasn’t started well after back-to-back defeats.
Bruce hasn’t exactly nailed down what he believes is his best squad in the games against both Arsenal and Norwich City, and his style is highlighting that as some players simply look bewildered at times.
Things went from bad to worst at Carrow Road on Saturday as Newcastle were easily dismantled in a 3-1 defeat. Midfield was a problem area for Bruce, with Ki replacing Sean Longstaff and the Korean midfielder simply looked out of his depth.
Isaac Hayden was forced too wide by Bruce, which left Jonjo Shelvey isolated in the heart of midfield with no protection as he struggled to control the game for the Magpies.
After the game, Bruce seemed unsure on his best system in his post-match press conference as quoted by the Chronicle and also debated if some of his players were enough for the top flight.
“If I knew the answer to that I would have changed something,” he said
“They are not bad players but you have to be a good player in the Premier League and apply yourself better than what we did at Norwich. We didn’t do that enough.”
That Bruce admission will surely not fill Newcastle fans with confidence, and they would much rather prefer if their manager came out and had an explanation as to why his side were so easily dispatched.
Something as simple as saying that if he knew the answer is most likely the last thing people want to hear, as it is surely his job to know what to do in these situations and set up the Magpies in the best possible way to pick up points.
Newcastle fans will expect better, but it surely won’t come next week as they face a tough away trip to Tottenham, something Bruce best learn some answers quickly or face another embarrassment.
