Toon talent now left in the lurch - Steve Bruce's baffling decision has already backfired

It feels like Freddie Woodman may be the latest player to have been Bruced.

Thrown in at the beginning of the season because Dubravka and Darlow were injured it seems as if now they are both back or almost back he’ll become surplus to requirements once again.

The only thing this time is that he’s going to have to wait until January it seems to get more first-team football as it seems such a baffling decision to keep him about when Darlow and Dubravka were clearly close to returning.

He's literally been denied a much-needed loan move to Bournemouth - a medical was done at one stage - and taken up a valuable squad place.

Remember too that we had Bruce-signed Mark Gillespie in the squad but he appears to be 4th choice now as Bruce didn't trust Gillespie to play four league games!

Darlow is now fit again. Dubravka back in training. So, what is the point of having Gillespie if we couldn't play him for a couple of weeks when Dubravka and Darlow were out? It just baffles me. Perhaps it was some lame attempt by Bruce to make a point knowing he was unlikely to be able to bring anyone else in even on loan.

Freddie, as a result, was thrown into the deep end and suffered vs Man U. Such poor management although a few may defend Bruce by saying Woodman had to be given a chance to show what his ability was. It seems he might not have been ready and is now in no-mans-land!

Yet he could've been playing week in week out under Scott Parker at Bournemouth as that deal was all done a few months ago. So, what now for Woodman? U-23’s? If so then that denies some of our other young goalkeepers an opportunity for valuable game time.

If not then I sincerely hope he manages to keep his spirits up whilst kicking his heels as I still believe he’s the future of NUFC goalkeeping.

Although, to be honest, I could equally see him moving on permanently in January and, in reality, who could blame him!