Steve Bruce implemented a back four in Newcastle's 5-0 loss to Leicester City

Bruce had changed the system that Rafa Benitez used of three at the back

Ahead of the visit of Manchester United, Bruce says he has reverted his tactics

Boss Bruce used a three at the back formation when Newcastle defeated Spurs

Steve Bruce says he has accepted defeat and will revert to the tactics used by Rafa Benitez - because he doesn't have the players to implement his own attacking style.

Reluctantly, says the head coach, he will now employ the 3-4-2-1 formation that served Newcastle so well under Benitez last season.

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Bruce's only win - 1-0 at Spurs in August - came when he used that system but he has since changed approach and his players were not comfortable when he lined up with a back four during last Sunday's 5-0 defeat at Leicester.

Steve Bruce has said that he doesn't have the players capable of playing his preferred style

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He accused them of 'surrendering' during that 'humiliation' and tore into them during a furious post-match rant.

Now, it appears, Bruce is ready to give the players what they want, albeit at the expense of what he insists is a preference to play offensive football.

'Looking at the way the team is happiest, you'd say we'll play with five at the back, with two No 10s, and we'll sit deep and play on the counter-attack, which is exactly what we did when we played against Tottenham,' he said ahead of this weekend's visit of Manchester United.

The Newcastle boss played four at the back as the Magpies were humiliated 5-0 at Leicester

Bruce has conceded he will adopt the tactics used by Rafa Benitez for the foreseeable future

'We changed for that game because that is the way they had played for six months at the back end of last season when results were better.

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'The two or three times I've tried to change us, it didn't really work. I quickly worked out at Norwich (3-1 defeat in August) that we didn't have the players with the capability to play the way I'd envisaged.

'In the Premier League you've got to be big and physical and have the ability to run. Unfortunately that is one thing here now, from the back to my midfield, we haven't got.

'And, ultimately, until we've got that, we're going to have to play in a certain way and the identity will be to sit deep and play on the counter-attack, because that is the only way we can play.

Bruce played three at the back in Newcastle's 1-0 win over Spurs earlier this season

'That certain way has been drilled into them (by Benitez). We have to start with that again.'

Bruce, meanwhile, does not like some of the criticism regarding his team's lack of identity and has taken it personally.

'I'd like to think, after 400 games as a Premier League manager, that it's an insult to me that I just say to them, "Go on, get on with it",' he added. 'It's an insult to the two coaches I have who work repeatedly on the tactical side.

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'Mud has been thrown my way since I walked through the door. You don't get the time anymore. You can't think you're going to get two or three years to change things round, you have to work with what you've got and try to find a few results.'