Newcastle manager Steve Bruce was scathing of the behaviour of Wolves’ Ruben Neves and the role it played in getting Sean Longstaff sent-off in Sunday’s 1-1 draw.
Bruce claimed the red card was “harsh” on Longstaff, but claimed Neves made the situation seem worse by rolling around after the challenge.
(Photo by Steven Hadlow/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Shields Gazette report Bruce said after the game: “I think it is harsh. The behaviour of Neves, when they are rolling around – you know they are not hurt. If you are hurt you stay motionless.
“He [Longstaff] is not in control of his foot, but how can he be when he has just won the ball.”
Sliding tackles are being eliminated from football
The sending off was very similar to the decision that saw the same outcome for Isaac Hayden at Leicester, and it does appear that sliding tackles are becoming an endangered species in football nowadays.
(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Whenever a player goes to ground to make a tackle, there is obviously going to be momentum in any follow-through. That is what happened with Longstaff.
But the problem is the position of the youngster’s foot during that, and his studs were clearly up, and as his foot was raised and caught the player’s leg, the referee’s mind was likely already made up.
There was no malice in the challenge, but that is irrelevant in modern football, and challenges like that are being frowned upon more and more.
(Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
So it was one of those where it could have gone either way, and VAR would have backed the referee’s decision regardless.
But Wolves fans were clearly unhappy with Bruce’s accusations over their player, and took to Twitter to vent their anger.
Here are some of their comments:
Dinosaur manager.
— Phil Bradley (@wolvesbradders) October 27, 2019
You only need to look at Longstaffs face after he tackles him to know it was bad!!#NEWWOL
— Luke Rock (@Dudleysurfer) October 27, 2019
Was he laughing as he said it, can’t be serious?
— Rich (@Richwolves64) October 27, 2019
Had it been the same assault on one of his boys I’m sure he’d have told them to get up and stop messing around…
— Shaun Smith 🐺 (@thewolfman6969) October 27, 2019
Bruce was an animal when he was playing. Straight red every day of the week.
— Stu Owen (@stu00763) October 27, 2019
Shocking tackle. Could have been a leg breaker. Steve Bruce still has a hatred of Wolves because we didn’t want that dinosaur as our manager. If that tackle had been against one of his players he’d have been apoplectic !!
— Karen Menzies (@kmenzies29) October 27, 2019
Wow.
— Dave Rawlings (@drawlings27) October 27, 2019
Disgraceful comments from Bruce, surely just wait til you’ve watched the tackle on TV.. If you still think he’s not hurt… time for an eye test.
And I suppose Jota was faking in the first half when smashed in the face… 🙈 Ffs— Jo Francis (@jolenedog) October 27, 2019
Whilst I don’t think there was great intent, it was out of control. Of course it was a sending off.
— David Thorpe (@DavidTh55444495) October 27, 2019
It’s because dinosaurs like Steve Bruce excuse such thuggery that it persists in the Premier League. Utterly shocking comments.
— Robert Larter (@rdlarter) October 27, 2019