The former Aston Villa and Birmingham City boss has fired back at heavy-handed criticism from ex-Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle.
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Bruce during his Newcastle days.
The ex-Aston Villa and Birmingham boss had been criticised by Dwight Gayle.
Steve Bruce has fired back at striker Dwight Gayle following damning accusations levelled at him from their days together at Newcastle United.
Bruce, 64, who played for and managed Birmingham City - as well as having a stint in the Aston Villa dugout - was forced to defend his training methods and approach to games throughout his tenure at St. James' Park, with Gayle the latest to jibe at the current Blackpool manager.
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Speaking on his appearance on the Open Goal podcast, Gayle said: "He (Bruce) was okay, but I felt he didn't spend enough time working on a lot of things with us. He tried to go game-by-game rather than trying to develop us as a team. We could have improved with a lot of things.
"Obviously, he didn't do much on the training pitches but, when the Saudi owners came in, he stuck his boots on and had a whistle, he was like; 'If I'm going, I'm going to run you into the ground'.
"So, he's just run us, blowing the whistle and making it into a joke saying; 'They're over there watching you'."
"I remember that some boys got chucked into the Man City shift," Gayle alleges. "We had a three-game week and the gaffer chucked a few of the boys under the bus in terms of who had to play against Man City away.
"Me and Matty Ritchie were asking for tactical improvements for weeks or months, whatever. We came in at half-time and we were two or three-nil down at half-time.
"He was like; 'Boys you keep asking for tactics, I don't do tactics, just put your boots on and work hard'. We're like, it's Man City that's just not good enough to just run about. That was one that I was in shock about, but that's what he said."
Dwight Gayle and Steve Bruce during their time at Newcastle United.
Dwight Gayle and Steve Bruce during their time at Newcastle United.
The former Newcastle manager has fired back at his former striker, after he was quizzed about Gayle's comments this weekend. "Is that the legendary Dwight Gayle, who missed the chance in the quarter-final against Manchester City (0-2 defeat in June 2020)?" Bruce responded post-match.
"Is that the same Dwight Gayle? Interesting.
"I've been around the block a long, long time now. I've only managed 1,050 games but, according to Dwight, I don't know what I'm doing. I'll let other people make their minds up who more established than Dwight ever was."