On the latest episode of The Ornstein and Chapman podcast, David Ornstein revealed he’s been told that Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley will stick by Steve Bruce even if the club are relegated.
A disappointing 3-0 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion last time out left the Magpies hovering just above the relegation zone with nine games left to go of the current campaign.
It was the latest defeat in a disastrous run of form that has seen the St. James’ Park outfit pick up just two wins in their last 18 Premier League fixtures, which has piled the pressure on Bruce.
The former Hull City and Aston Villa boss has faced multiple fan protests during his tenure at Newcastle, with several sections of the supporters calling for the 60-year-old to be sacked – but Ornstein has disclosed Ashley has no such plans.
He said: “Mike Ashley, for now, is sticking behind Steve Bruce. And that was the feeling or message we got very clearly a few weeks ago, and George [Caulkin] and Chris Waugh, his fellow Newcastle correspondent for The Athletic, wrote about that.
“And I was actually being told around the time that Newcastle – well, Mike Ashley – is minded to stick with Steve Bruce even in the event of relegation, and that Steve Bruce would be the best possible manager to bring Newcastle back up, and the onus was on the players to get their act together.
“They helped create this mess, and they can help Newcastle get out of it – that was the view that I was being told that Mike Ashley held.”
TIF Thoughts on Bruce…
Bruce has had a fantastic career in football, first as a player with Manchester United and has gone on to enjoy successful stints in management with the likes of Birmingham City and Hull City, however, it’s hard to make a case for him being the best manager to get Newcastle out of their current situation.
Two wins in their last 18 league games is an extremely poor record by anyone’s standards, let alone for a club the size of Newcastle, and the demand for improved performances from the supporters is totally justifiable.
With highly-rated managers such as Eddie Howe, Chris Wilder and Frank Lampard currently out of work, it’s hard to understand why Ashley hasn’t cut his losses with Bruce and opted for a fresh face in the Magpies’ fight for survival.