Alan Shearer hailed Newcastle United's performance against Tottenham, saying Steve Bruce got his system right and the players were superb throughout.
Shearer had been critical in the wake of the 3-1 defeat at Norwich but was lavish in his praise of the players and the Head Coach after a 1-0 win over Tottenham that showcased what United can be all about.
Speaking MOTD2, Shearer said: "I want to praise the set up. The whole team deserves praise because it was totally the opposite to what we saw last week at Norwich. Today they were very well organised, they were disciplined - so many positives from everyone in the team.
"The system they played was a five (at the back) and then a four in front of them to give them protection. There were no spaces whatsoever. But it wasn’t just about defending.
"That was a constant, getting players in and around the ball. If you’re not winning the first challenge, or the second one there’s someone else there as well. The goal was very, very well worked. They committed men forward and it was a good run from Joelinton, good first touch and an even better finish. Off the mark and full of confidence (now).
"Paul Dummett was absolutely magnificent the whole game. Credit to the manager because he set up a system and it worked to perfection."
Bruce had been criticised by some for his tactical work in the run up to Norwich, with Michael Chopra saying that he'd heard some players did not know where they were playing.
But Shearer hailed Bruce and the players for their perfect reaction . "Last week’s performance deserved criticism, there’s no doubt about that. But you always have the chance to put that right in the next performance and they did it," he said.
"It worked perfectly for the manager and his staff today and for the players to go out and say ‘You tell us what to do, we’ll go out and do it.’
"The whole team from the goalkeeper to the centre forward, from the first minute to the last minute, they gave everything."
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Fellow pundit Peter Crouch was impressed by new boy Joelinton.
"I really enjoyed his performance, I have to say. I know he had a tough time last week but this week I thought he showed a lot of character, he was big, he was strong and it wasn't just the goal.
"His first touch (for the goal) was exquisite. He took Danny Rose out of the game and a great finish but his all round game was good. He held it up really well and you look at the way he's looking for the ball. His strength was good. His defence will have loved the fact that in the final minute he was working so hard to keep the ball.
"He's got good technique, he can play. He's not the finished article but Steve Bruce has got a player he can work with."
