Bruce wasn’t happy with Ruben Neves after Sean Longstaff was sent off during Newcastle United’s Premier League draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Given that Steve Bruce is a former Aston Villa and Birmingham City manager, it’s fair to say he wasn’t exactly the flavour of the month at Molineux even before Sunday’s Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
But he somehow managed to come out of the encounter even more unpopular with fans in the Black Country.
His struggling Newcastle side threw away a one goal lead to draw with Wolves at St James’ Park, Jonny Otto volleying home following a Martin Dubravka flap to cancel out a real captain’s goal from Jamaal Lascelles in the first half. But all the talk after the game was focused on the first red card of Sean Longstaff’s career.
The academy graduate was handed an early bath for flying into a challenge on Wolves’ Portuguese playmaker Ruben Neves with about 10 minutes to go. It was hardly a malicious challenge but ‘reckless’ is probably the right word.
Longstaff caught Neves on the knee with his studs though Bruce was more concerned with the former Porto captain’s reaction than his own player’s lack of discipline.
“The behaviour of Neves is another thing. When they’re rolling around like that, you know they’re not hurt. He’s not in control of the ball but how’s he supposed to be? I think it’s harsh,” Bruce told the Chronicle.
This smacks of a man nostalgic for the past, when a player could clatter his opponent like a bull in a china shop and escape with nothing more than a stern talking to. The game has moved on and, as the Wolves fans were all too keen to point out, there’s a reason why knee-high challenges have been rightly outlawed.
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