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Ex-Premier League manager furiously slams former star after tactics claim

Steve Bruce has hit back at Dwight Gayle's scathing criticism of his time as Newcastle manager, with the former Premier League boss sarcastically questioning his former striker's ability

[Steve Bruce]

Steve Bruce slammed his former player Dwight Gayle(Image: BBC Radio Lancashire)

Steve Bruce furiously hit back at his former Newcastle forward Dwight Gayle's scathing criticism of his management.

Gayle played under Bruce at St James' Park, where Bruce weathered two stormy years at the helm and faced constant fan backlash for his team's performances and results before he was sacked following the club's Saudi-led buyout in October 2021.

Gayle, who now plays for Scottish Premiership side Hibernian, took to a podcast to slam Bruce's tactics and lack of coaching. The 35-year-old striker also suggested that Bruce only became actively involved in training following the Saudi takeover.

Asked by the Blackpool Gazette about Gayle's remarks after leading his current side Blackpool to a 2-0 win over Northampton Town in League One on Saturday, Bruce sarcastically responded: "Is that the legendary Dwight Gayle, who missed the chance in the quarter-final against Manchester City (0-2 defeat in June 2020)?.

"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."

[NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 15: Dwight Gale of Newcastle United (09) celebrates after scoring the third Newcastle goal during the Sky Bet Championship Match between Newcastle United and Brentford at St.James' Park on October 15, 2016 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)]

Gayle previously criticised Bruce's tactics and coaching(Image: Serena Taylor, Newcastle United via Getty Images)

Gayle's scathing comments were made during his appearance on the Open Goal podcast, and they soon went viral on social media. He stated: "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 pitch 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 and he's blowing the whistle and making it into a joke saying they're over there watching you.

[WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Steve Bruce, Manager of Newcastle United chats with Dwight Gayle prior to the FA Cup Fifth Round match between West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United at The Hawthorns on March 03, 2020 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)]

Gayle played 45 games under Bruce at Newcastle(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

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"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'."

Bruce will be aiming to prove his doubters wrong at Blackpool, with the Tangerines having an outside chance of making the play-offs, sitting seven points behind 6th place Huddersfield Town.

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