Steve Bruce says Newcastle United players must roll with the punches after some stinging criticism following the 2-0 defeat against Chelsea.
The Magpies head to Crystal Palace with the heat cranked up via social media after back to back defeats, but with Callum Wilson fit again after a hamstring injury, Bruce - whose squad have also been hit with Covid issues - are hopeful of stopping the rot.
Reflecting on the defeat against the Blues and recent form, Bruce, speaking at his Press conference, said: “It’s been tough. Our last three games, the team we played against could have gone top of the league.
"In the last couple, we’ve found it difficult.
"We haven’t played well enough, we accept that and move on.
"That’s the Premier League you’ve got to take the punches that come along, but it’s important we show that resilience we’ve shown over the last 16 or 18 months since I’ve been here."
Bruce wants his players to raise their game against the Eagles, and added: “We’ve had a difficult couple of weeks.
"We played against a good Southampton team and a top Chelsea team, and in both games, we’ve conceded in the first ten minutes.
"We’ve got to give ourselves a better platform than that.
"We’ve found it difficult, but Crystal Palace is an ideal opportunity to try to bounce back and put in a performance like we did against Everton."
With Wilson back, who scored twice against the Toffees, Newcastle's chances have improved before the step on the flight but they will need to provide the marksman with proper service - unlike their last away game at Southampton.
