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Steve Bruce has launched a scathing attack on his Newcastle United players as pressure mounts on the St James' Park chief.
The Magpies made a decent start to the Premier League season to sit comfortably in mid table, but a dire run of eight games without a win in all competitions has dragged them towards the relegation places.
Bruce watched his side slip to 15th on Tuesday night when they lost 1-0 to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, giving Chris Wilder's rock-bottom men a first victory of the season.
Newcastle are now seven points clear of the relegation zone and the pressure is starting to build on Bruce, who has never been too popular amongst the fans.
And the 60-year-old has now declared war on his players after revealing he is no longer prepared to accommodate their tactical demands.
Speaking in his pre match press conference ahead of Monday's match at Arsenal, Bruce said:
We were absolutely frigging hopeless the other night. Absolute sh*te we were. I have to accept it.
I've let them [the players] be comfortable but the gloves are off now. I'm going to do it my way.
We're certainly comfortable with the central defenders we've got because week in, week out they're arguably our most consistent players.
Okay, we've played a certain way to try to make sure we get the results that we need. It's pragmatic. But I've said from day one the way I wanted to play - more on the front foot. I haven't done it enough.
It's something I've toyed with since I've been at the club and, for me, to change is sometimes difficult for them. We all like being comfortable. I'm going to do it the way I see fit and see where we are.
The former Manchester United captain, who holds the record of most promotions to the Premier League with four, even acknowledged that he was never a popular appointment.
In some people's eyes I was never the right choice. I can understand that.
But if you look at my record over the years, for being a team that is in the bottom half of the league, then I've got enough on my CV to make sure I can try and slowly take the club forward. That's what I'm here for and that's what I will continually try to achieve.
