Yahoo Finance Steve Bruce calls for clarity over future after defeat in front of new ownership
Steve Bruce has called for clarity over his future and insisted he will “carry on until I hear otherwise” as Newcastle United manager as the pressure grew on him after losing the first game under the new Saudi-led ownership.
A raucous atmosphere at St James’ Park was replaced by boos and chants of “getting sacked in the morning” aimed at Bruce as Newcastle were deservedly beaten 3-2 by Tottenham Hotspur which means they are still winless in the Premier League this season, after eight games, and remain in the bottom three.
With the new owners, including Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who is the new Newcastle chairman and is also the governor of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which has taken an 80 per cent stake in the club following the £305million takeover, in attendance it was a bad afternoon for Bruce in what was his 1000th game as a manager.
The crowd reaction will not be lost on the new owners who are considering how best to replace Bruce. One idea is to get an experienced interim manager in place for the short-term as they develop their plans which include hiring a new chief executive and sporting director.
The game was also halted for 25 minutes after a Newcastle fan collapsed in the East Stand with Spurs defender Sergio Reguilon raising the alarm. The game was stopped by referee Andre Marriner with the fan taken to hospital where was later described as stable and responsive.
The focus will now be on Bruce’s future and he faced awkward questions as to whether he expects to still be manager for next Saturday’s league game away to Crystal Palace. “That’s for other people to decide,” the 60-year-old said before admitting that there were no talks scheduled with the owners despite Al-Rumayyan having flown in from Saudi Arabia. “I will wait until they see fit and we will see what they have to say. You had better ask someone else that one,” Bruce said.
He added: “If I was reading everything and seeing what was said last week I might not have been here today but, look, my job is to get a few results and unfortunately this year whether you are the Newcastle manager or whoever’s manager in the Premier League and you haven’t won in seven or eight then you come under pressure. It’s part and parcel of being in the Premier League, it’s the big league for big boys and I will crack on and carry on as best I can until I hear otherwise.”
Asked whether he wanted clarity over his future, with the expectation remaining that he will be sacked, triggering a near £8million pay-off, Bruce said: “That’s what it needs. Every football club needs clarity. Right from the top right the way through to everything that makes a football club the way it is. Now the new owners have been very respectful. I can’t say enough of them the way they have gone about their business for the last week, 10 days but Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say. We have still got our frailties as a team and it’s up to me in the near future anyway to hopefully get better.
“Ever since I have walked into this club of ours it is difficult. I knew how difficult was going to be with the frustrations. I will carry on as best I can until I hear otherwise. The owners have conducted themselves respectfully since they came in. As long as I hear otherwise, I will go into work tomorrow."
Newcastle are in a relegation battle but Bruce said this is nothing new for the club. “Have we not been in that for five of the last six years?” he said. “We have been against it since I picked up the reins. We finished 12th/ 13th (in the past two season) which I find respectable for where we are at the moment. I am convinced we will win it (the relegation battle)”.
Prior to kick-off a van with a poster of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, who sanctioned his murder, circled the stadium prior to kick-off as concerns continued to be expressed about the controversial new ownership and the issue of sportswashing.
Spurs brushed aside the upheaval caused by two players initially testing positive for Covid to gain the win "When the news come and (Covid) results come, it is big confusion but it was false positives. It was a disruption in preparation but we could adapt and the result is here,” said head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
