Steve Bruce lost his first game in charge of Newcastle on Sunday, with a bizarre tactical error being highlighted by many, which has led to a spat between a reporter and the manager’s son Alex.

The Daily Mail’s north east reporter Craig Hope wrote an article highlighting the errors, and his headline claiming “the buck stops with Bruce”, had Steve’s son, Alex, reacting to it on Twitter.

The article commented on the total confusion that followed the manager’s introduction of new signing Jetro Willems into the fray, and the player not seeming to know where he was meant to be playing.

It also played on Bruce’s decision to not name a midfield option on the bench – something he addressed afterwards by claiming illness and a niggle to defenders led to him covering that position instead.

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

There is no doubt that Jonjo Shelvey’s withdrawal changed the game, and Newcastle conceded within minutes of it, never looking like the same team afterwards.

Shelvey’s injury was unfortunate but no bench replacement was unforgivable

I have a modicum of sympathy for the manager regarding his predicament, considering what was on the bench and Shelvey’s unfortunate knock.

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

But putting himself in that position in the first place is unfathomable and unacceptable, and his decision not to include a midfielder like Ki Sung Yueng was not becoming of a top flight manager.

Had one of the issues he mentioned affected a defender, he had options to switch to a back four, or even drop Hayden or Longstaff into an emergency centre-back role.

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Either of those would have allowed him the freedom to name a midfielder on the bench.

Some Newcastle fans have been quick to criticise the manager’s tactics in reply to his son during his Twitter exchange with the reporter.

 

Here are a few of the replies:

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