Lascelles tells fans to back Bruce
Captain Jamaal Lascelles said that Newcastle United must move on from the Rafael Benitez era and warned the players need to adapt swiftly to new coach Steve Bruce.
Bruce was named successor to the popular Benitez on Wednesday but the appointment has gone down badly with Newcastle fans and some are threatening a boycott.
Bruce, a former manager of fierce rival Sunderland, has just over three weeks before the season begins to get his message across and bring in badly needed signings.
The 58-year-old is expected to take charge for tomorrow’s friendly against West Ham United in Shanghai in the Premier League Asia Trophy.
Newcastle fans are furious that hated owner Mike Ashley failed to persuade Benitez to remain at the club, but Lascelles, 25, said: “That happened and people got upset.
“But that’s gone now, you can’t control that, you need to look forward, we’ve got a great manager coming in and we need to remain positive.”
Speaking after Newcastle was thumped 0-4 by Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday in Nanjing, and hours after Bruce was named, Lascelles admitted it had been a difficult summer with the club making headlines for the wrong reasons.
As well as losing Benitez, who has moved to Chinese football with Dalian Yifang, success-starved Newcastle supporters have seen the club lose key forwards Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon.
“It is frustrating because it’s always ‘Newcastle this, Newcastle that,’ it’s never positive,” the defender said.
“We are always highlighted for not doing something right. As players we try to ignore all that and try to work hard and do the right things, that is all we can do, we can’t control anything else.”
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