Steve Bruce has hit back at former Newcastle United striker Michael Chopra after a stormy week on Tyneside.
The Toon head coach is preparing his side for the clash with Spurs on Sunday but dismissed some of the suggestions this week as "laughable".
Speaking at his weekly Press conference , Bruce said: " The Chopra thing (when the striker suggested people didn't know their jobs) was blown out of all proportion.
"Some of this stuff out there is just nonsense, blatant lies.
"Some of the criticism has been relentless but I'll protect the players and keep my dignity."
Bruce then went on: "I'm just surprised that people take any attention of him.
"Some of the stuff is just fabricated and lies.
"When it's like that, you think why is that making national headlines - which is total rubbish."
Looking ahead to the clash with Spurs, Bruce said: "The players have trained hard & they know they didn't play well enough.
"All we can do is try to put it right.
"Spurs are one of the best teams in Europe, we're under no illusions how difficult it is but hopefully this is the type of game we need as we have to be at our best."
