‘Nightmare’ – Newcastle Exclusive: Alan Hutton fumes after Steve Bruce confession | OneFootball

Alan Hutton insists the handball rule has become a “nightmare” after Steve Bruce admitted his Newcastle United side did not deserve their penalty against Tottenham.

The former Spurs and Scotland full-back, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, has urged a change of the rules after Eric Dier was penalised for an unintentional handball in added time.

As quoted by the BBC after the game, Bruce confessed that his side had “got away with it” on Sunday but admitted that “we have lost the plot” with the rules.

Striker Callum Wilson converted the Magpies’ penalty with what was their only shot on target to secure a 1-1 draw in north London.

Hutton has echoed his former manager’s thoughts and insists that the rule will come back to bite Newcastle at some point this season.

Hutton told Football Insider: “You listen to Steve Bruce after it, alright, he says they got away with one, I think that was their only shot on target, for goodness sake, and it was at 90-plus minutes.

“He got away with it but even he’s annoyed with it because you know, throughout the season, that will go against you at some point.

“It’s a nightmare, it’s meant to be there to take away the indecision on certain things but it’s just made it worse. Somebody’s watching it and if you and me are watching the same game and there’s an incident, you could say it’s a penalty and I could say it’s not.

“I don’t agree with it, we need to change this handball rule or we’re going to have five penalties a game.”

Bruce told BBC Sport: “We got away with it but it will happen to us, that’s for sure. It’s meant to be clear and obvious, I thought that was what VAR was, to get those decision right.

“If it is deliberate, no problem, but it has to be clear and obvious. We have lost the plot with it and it loses the spectacle of it.”

In other Newcastle United news, a top pundit admits he is surprised a Tottenham star has not joined the Magpies this transfer window.