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Bruce seeking consistency ahead of Blades clash
Written by Luke Vinton
Steve Bruce is targeting a string of strong results ahead of a 'defining' month for the Magpies, beginning with Thursday's trip to Sheffield United.
The Magpies travel to Bramall Lane on Thursday night (kick-off 7.30pm GMT) aiming to build on Saturday's impressive 2-2 home draw against reigning champions Manchester City.
DeAndre Yedlin and Andy Carroll, who were unable to face the Citizens through injury, could be available, with Bruce saying: "If they come through with training and don't have any affects, they could be involved together."
The meeting with the newly-promoted Blades, the Premier League's surprise package this term, will be the first of six top-flight fixtures this month for the Magpies and Bruce is targeting a strong start to December ahead of a busy Christmas period.
Bruce said: “It’s vitally important when you don’t play as well as you’d like to that you can get that response. We’re doing OK at the minute but the league is so tight. The difference between fifth bottom and fifth top is tiny.
"December is going to be the defining month for a lot of teams and ourselves being one. Can we go and pick up a few good results in a short period of time and, if we do, that would be great.
"Overall, after four months, the big thing is finding that consistency. That's always difficult in the Premier League because there's that many good teams that you play against.
"Before you know it, you can be either on a decent run or up against it and then you see the big teams which are all around us, it shows you how difficult a league it is.
“Certainly over the next few weeks we’ll have to (change things). When you look towards Boxing Day then the 28th – it’s a ridiculous schedule. We’ll have to adapt and have a bit of freshness when needed which is always the difficult part.
“They’ve got their own pride. Whether they’re playing for me, they’re playing for the jersey. We know that we’ve got a couple of games back-to-back very quickly so can we go and get a couple of results? If we can it will be a decent first half to the season."
Bruce, a former Sheffield United player, began his managerial career with the club two decades ago, coaching current boss Chris Wilder during the Blades' 1998/99 campaign in the First Division.
And the Newcastle United head coach admitted he has been heavily impressed with the start Wilder's side have made to their league campaign, with the Blades aiming to extend their unbeaten run in the top-flight to eight games on Thursday evening.
He added: "We have to match them because they are right up and at you. The crowd are behind them who are delighted that they are in the Premier League and enjoying what they are seeing from their team. It is a proper game.
"The recruitment, energy and the drive of what the team have got which comes from the top is no surprise to me that they're making a fist of it in the Premier League. They're a very, very decent side - a good side - with good players.
"I think nine of them played in division one which is quite remarkable in itself. They're a very good side so we'll have to be at our best to get something.
“I’m delighted with what he's done. There's not enough British coaches around and I'm delighted when somebody like him is doing so well who has earned his spurs in the lower divisions, worked away for a lot of years and finally got his chance.
"He’s had to take his home-town team from League One into the Premier League but he’s took that swagger into the Premier League which his team play with."
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