STEVE BRUCE clapped back at Dwight Gayle with a cheeky jibe following the striker’s criticism of Bruce’s lack of tactics at Newcastle.
Gayle, who played under Bruce for over two years, suggested this week that his old gaffer didn’t put enough focus on the tactical side of the game while at St James’ Park.
The former Magpies striker, who now plies his trade with Hibernian, sensationally claimed that Bruce had told his team, “I don’t do tactics”, 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’.”
And now Bruce has hit back at the criticism, taking a swipe at Gayle’s finishing in another clash with Man City during the FA Cup quarter-final in the same season.
Bruce told BBC Radio Lancashire: “Is that the legendary Dwight Gayle, who missed the chance in the quarter-final against Manchester City? Is that the same Dwight Gayle? Interesting.
“I’ve been around the block a long, long time. 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 are a bit more established than Dwight ever was.”
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 took over at League One outfit Blackpool back in September.
The Tangerines are currently 10th in division this season, having won 13, drawn 13 and lost six league games this term.
Gayle had also lifted the lid on what it was like during training under Bruce, claiming that he “didn’t really do much” before Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian 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.”
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