Steve Bruce responded to Dwight Gayle`s remarks about his tactical abilities at Newcastle with a playful jab.
Gayle, who was a Newcastle player under Bruce for more than two seasons, recently implied that his former manager didn`t prioritize tactics enough during their time at St James` Park.
The Hibernian striker, formerly of the Magpies, claimed that Bruce had confessed to his team, “I don`t do tactics,” during a 5-0 defeat against Manchester City in 2020.
He mentioned on the Open Goal podcast: “I recall some players being thrown into the Man City game unexpectedly.
“We had a week with three games, and I believe the manager somewhat sacrificed some players by making them play against Man City away.
“Matty Ritchie and I had been requesting tactical improvements for weeks or months.”
“Then at halftime, trailing 2-0 or 3-0, he said, `Lads, you keep asking for tactics – I don`t do tactics! Just put your boots on and work hard.`”
Bruce has now retorted to these criticisms, pointedly referencing a missed goal opportunity by Gayle in a match against Man City during the FA Cup quarter-final of the same season.
Bruce stated to BBC Radio Lancashire: “Is that Dwight Gayle, famously known for missing that chance in the quarter-final against Manchester City? The very same Dwight Gayle? Interesting.
“I`ve been in football for a very long time. I`ve managed 1,050 games, but according to Dwight, I`m clueless.”
“I`ll allow others, more accomplished than Dwight has ever been, to form their opinions.”
Bruce has had a notable career as a manager, overseeing more than 475 Premier League matches with five different clubs in the top division.
The former Manchester United player took over as manager of League One club Blackpool in September.
Currently, The Tangerines are positioned 10th in their division, with 13 wins, 13 draws, and 6 losses this season.
Gayle also revealed details about Bruce`s training sessions, claiming they were minimal before Newcastle`s Saudi Arabian takeover.
He elaborated: “He wasn`t very hands-on during training. However, when the Saudi owners arrived, he put on his boots and whistle and acted like, `If I`m leaving, I`ll make you all suffer,` or something similar.”
“So, during running drills, he would just make us run, blowing his whistle and making it somewhat comical. He`d say things like, `They`re watching you over there.`”
He added: “[Training] was acceptable. I just felt he could have dedicated more time to refining various aspects with us.
“I believe he focused on a game-by-game approach rather than team development. I felt we had potential for significant improvement in many areas.”
