Charlie Nicholas has predicted an easy win for Tottenham in Sunday’s Premier League game and said Bruce will have told his players that if they “sit in and wait to get beaten then we will get beaten”.
Nicholas said Bruce’s side “lacked ambition” against Norwich but said it was unfair just to blame the manager after Rafa Benitez had a similarly bad start last season.
Writing in his column for Sky Sports, Nicholas wrote: “It takes this team a bit of time to get going. Joelinton had no service at all [against Norwich] and Miguel Almiron was the same. He is about pace and counter-attacking but couldn’t get in the game.
“I was not impressed with Newcastle, but I think Bruce will be working with them all week to say ‘this isn’t good enough, if we sit in and wait to get beaten then we will get beaten’.
“They need to have more ambition when they have the ball. The problem is I don’t see them getting enough of the ball to trouble Spurs.”
Nicholas has predicted a 4-0 win for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
OPINION
Football fans are equal parts optimist and pessimist, but while Newcastle supporters will be hoping to get something out of the trip to north London on Sunday, most will be hoping it doesn’t turn into a massacre. When you lose 3-1 to a side like newly-promoted Norwich, and with all the pressure on the Newcastle players at the moment, the last thing you need is a trip to Tottenham. A 4-0 scoreline would heap even more pressure on Bruce who surely has to set-up his side to contain and look to minimise damage and try to hit on the break. Tottenham have Heung-min Son (back after missing the first two games of the season through suspension – typical Newcastle luck), Harry Kane, Lucas Moura, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen for Newcastle to contend with and it could well be a long afternoon. A tactical masterclass and a 1-0 win for Newcastle? Even the most optimistic fan might think that a stretch too far.
