Lee Ryder has been speaking on the latest edition of The Chronicle’s Everything is Black & White podcast about all things relating to Newcastle United after the Toon’s dreadful 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Newcastle were truly terrible, and after the match, Ryder called for Steve Bruce to be sacked, but the club and Mike Ashley decided against that and backed Bruce.
This is said to have stunned some players who have reportedly requested a meeting with Lee Charnley to discuss this.
Mike Ashley has made some truly terrible decisions in his time as Newcastle’s owner, and Ryder feels like keeping Bruce could be the biggest gamble of his tenure.
He said: “Mike Ashley’s in the Middle East at the moment on business. He can only be advised by those around him, and if those around him think that Steve Bruce is the man to take them forward in these next nine games, then I think that is probably the biggest gamble of Mike Ashley’s tenure as owner of this football club.”
Do you think this is Ashley's biggest gamble?
Yes, and it won't pay off
No, he has done worse things
TIF Thoughts on Ashley’s gamble…
This podcast was released before the news emerged that Ashley fully supported Bruce, but the point still stands that this could be a huge gamble from Ashley.
The Toon have won just two games since the 12th of December, but Bruce still remains.
This seems so odd considering Ashley claimed quite recently that he wanted what was best for Newcastle and the fans, but given their current form, he also seems to be just accepting relegation from the Premier League.
The two do not match up well, and surely anyone could see from the Toon’s performance on Saturday that the players were not fighting for the manager anymore.
Either way, it seems as if we get to find out first-hand if keeping Bruce is Ashley’s biggest gamble as the Toon’s owner.