Many Newcastle United supporters have been sharing their concern after Steve Bruce claimed he intends to look at ‘all sorts of stuff’ to get the Magpies firing after back-to-back defeats, as quoted by the Chronicle.
Among the aspects Bruce intends to reflect on is the use of his favoured 3-5-2 formation, which he has enforced on the first-team since his arrival, despite United playing our best football under Rafa Benitez last season with a three-man attack.
The Magpies have not been able to replicate the same sort of output this term, though, as an extra man in the core has seen United stifled, despite Bruce expecting a packed engine room to return a greater share of the goals, after Salmon Rondon and Ayoze Perez were responsible for 56% of our Premier League strikes last term.
“I’ll have a look [at changing the system ahead of the Tottenham game],” Bruce said. “Of what we’ve got available, and the way we are, I do think we are better suited to playing it [3-5-2].
“Obviously, when you get beat today, it’s too early to look at it just like that straight away, but make no bones about it, I’ll be looking at all sorts of stuff to make sure we’re better.”
While the formation may not change when we face Spurs at the weekend, Bruce hopes he will be able to call on Allan Saint-Maximin for the trip to North London, after the Frenchman was sidelined from the Carrow Road horror show through injury.
“We hope so,” the boss added. “He’s a little bit sore. He’s not really had a hamstring injury before, so we obviously have to box a little bit clever.
“The one thing we couldn’t risk was if he played and tears it then he’s out for weeks and months so, unfortunately, with him and Dwight Gayle, we become a little bit hamstrung – pardon the pun – in that area.”
Here’s how these fans reacted to Bruce’s plans to kick-start our season…
2 games in and he’s back to the drawing board ! It gets more frightening every day !
— Neil Cook (@Cook3Neil) August 19, 2019
Next up..asking fans for ideas
— Lee Charnley (@LeeCharnley1) August 19, 2019
Steve’s solution, kick the ball to the lads who are canny quick and hope for something special.
— Wayne Jones (@WayneJJones) August 19, 2019
Doomed I tell thee doomed
— Nigel Anthony Esq. (@toastofworcesta) August 19, 2019
Looking at all sorts of stuff actually means, we don’t have a plan
— Mr Potato Head™ (@aborisdrone) August 19, 2019
All sorts of stuff ???? The cabbage cant even pretend to be competent
— Andy (@332ceders) August 19, 2019
Bruce going “back to the drawing board” means 2 things
1- he hasn’t got a clue
2- the players will know he hasn’t got a clue— Mark (@b80mg) August 19, 2019
Is any of that “stuff” a competent Manager?
— Rob Carroll (@robcarroll1978) August 19, 2019
“make no bones about it, I’ll be looking at all sorts of stuff to make sure we’re better” – Do lines like this fill you with confidence?
— ande walsh (@nexusreject) August 19, 2019
Need him back? An unknown quantity is not what we NEED back… How about needing back out player of the season, our top scorer and an adequate manager. That’s what we NEED.
— Hedders (@AlexHedley47) August 19, 2019
A look at all sorts of stuff? Lol quality manager him like
— Alan Graham (@alang2215) August 19, 2019
Needs to be a picture of rafa and his team
— ronnie battista (@Lucageno37) August 19, 2019