The English tactician has confirmed that he would like to stay on at St James’ Park, but won’t be “bitter” if the club decides to make a change
Steve Bruce fears he might be sacked by Newcastle before his 1,000th game as a manager following the completion of a Saudi Arabian-backed takeover.
The Premier League approved the sale of Newcastle to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Thursday, bringing an end to a saga that had been running for well over a year.
A new era will now be ushered in at St James’ Park as Mike Ashley’s 14-year ownership spell comes to an end, and it has been suggested that Bruce will follow him out the exit door.
What’s been said?
The 60-year-old is aware that the new owners may want to make changes to the current coaching staff, and although he would like to continue his spell in charge of the Magpies, he wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t make it to their next Premier League outing against Tottenham on October 17.
Bruce, who was in the dugout for his 999th game as a head coach in Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat to Wolves just before the international break, has told The Telegraph: “I want to continue, I’d like the chance to show the new owners what I can do, but you have to be realistic and they may well want a new manager to launch things for them.
“New owners normally want a new manager. I’ve been around long enough to understand that. That decision is not up to me. I accept that and I will accept what comes my way. I have to wait to have those conversations with people when the time is right.
“If I don’t make it to a 1,000 games against Spurs, you might say that could only happen to me, but I don’t think it would be cruel. It’s just football.”
Bruce under pressure
Questions were already being asked over Bruce’s position at St James’ Park following his side’s poor start to the 2021-22 campaign.
The loss to Wolves saw the Magpies slip to 19th in the table with only one win from their first seven games, and supporters appear to be losing patience with the English tactician.
Bruce concedes that his two-year reign has been tough right from the get-go, but he still takes great pride in leading the club and wants the best for them going forward regardless of whether he is kept on or not.
“This is not about me, I cannot stress that enough,” he added. “I have said from the first-day news of this takeover came out in public, that if it is the best thing for the football club, if it takes this magnificent football club forward then I am all for it.
“I am not going to be bitter or angry about anything, whatever happens. Of course there will be sadness if I lose my job, it’s the job I’ve wanted my whole life, certainly since I became a manager and as hard as it’s been, I have been enormously proud to be manager of Newcastle United. That will never change.
“What happens to me, well, it’s not irrelevant, but this is about the football club and its future. I really hope this is the start of an exciting new era, it certainly sounds exciting when you read about how much money Saudi Arabians have.”
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