FORMER Newcastle United ace Dwight Gayle was left shocked by Steve Bruce after sensational claims that his former manager told the team: “I don’t do tactics”.
Gayle, who played under Bruce for over two years, has suggested that his old gaffer didn’t put enough focus on the tactical side of the game while at St James’ Park.
Bruce was in charge of Newcastle from July 2019 to October 2021, ultimately being replaced by Eddie Howe following the club’s Saudi Arabian takeover.
Gayle, 35, played 45 times under Bruce during his time on Tyneside, scoring five goals and registering three assists.
And the striker, who now plies his trade with Hibernian, has spoken about being left shocked by Bruce’s comments during a 5-0 defeat to Man City in 2020.
He told the Open Goal podcast: “I remember like some of the boys got chucked into the Man City shift, basically.
“We had like a three-game week, and I think the gaffer sort of chucked a few of the boys under the bus in terms of who had to play against Man City away.
“And me and Matty Ritchie were asking for tactical improvements for weeks or months or whatever.
“And then we come in at half-time, and I think we were 2-0 or 3-0 down, and he’s like, ‘Boys, you keep asking for tactics – I don’t do tactics! Just put your boots on and work hard.’
“[Against] Man City, that’s not good enough to be like, ‘Just run about!’ I was just in shock, but yeah, that’s what he said.”
Gayle also lifted the lid on training sessions under Bruce, telling the podcast that he “didn’t really do much” before the Saudi takeover.
He explained: “He didn’t really do much on the training pitch. But then, obviously, when the Saudi owners came in, he stuck his boots on and the whistle and was like, ‘If I’m going, then I’m going to run you into the ground’, or something like that.
“So, we’re doing some running drills and he’s just running us and he’s blowing his whistle and it’s just, like, making it into a little bit of a joke and stuff. He’s like, ‘They’re over there watching you’.”
Adding: “[Training] was okay. I felt that he didn’t perhaps spend enough time on working on a lot of things with us.
“I think he was trying to go game by game rather than perhaps develop us as a team. I just felt like we could have improved with a lot of things.”
Bruce had had an impressive career as a top manager, taking charge of over 475 Premier League games with five different top flight teams.
The retired Manchester United star is now manager of League One outfit Blackpool.
The Tangerines are currently 10th in division this season, having won 13, drawn 13 and lost six league games under Bruce this term.
SunSport have contacted Blackpool for comment from Steve Bruce.
Gayle also discussed how Bruce would help keep spirits high with funny comments in the dressing room and press conferences.
He said: “Oh mate, [there were] some classics, we used to die.
“He used to say some crackers in the interviews, man. ‘How’s the bacon?’ That was so funny.
“We used to just giggle about it. Again, me and Karl Darlow used to just be dying.”
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