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Allen missing the point with Bruce verdict

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OPINION

Martin Allen delivered his verdict on Newcastle United potentially appointing Steve Bruce as their next manager and ignored the elephant in the room when doing so.

The Sun reported on Monday that the Magpies owner Mike Ashley had paid £4million to Sheffield Wednesday for Bruce and as a result, he was now on his way to Tyneside.

The former Brentford manager previously seemed in favour of Bruce being named Magpies boss when on LoveSportRadio and tried to justify further that Bruce could be the right man to succeed Rafa Benitez, after hearing that he looked Newcastle-bound.

“I think he would be very good…eh having time out sometimes can be really helpful,” said Allen on Love Sport Radio, as seen in a clip on the station’s Twitter account.

“I think he has got more promotions up from the Championship than any other manager, four or five he’s had? So he’s a really nice guy, very well respected by managers, if I was to ring Bruce up right now he’d call you back.

“He’s not one of those to get his PA to call back or a coach, he takes that responsibility, he cares for all the younger managers.

“The manager from lower levels, always on the phone to them, always available, he’s a proper decent person and he can’t turn down the chance to manage in the Premier League, there’s no way that would happen.”

Allen’s verdict doesn’t reference Bruce’s record in the Premier League as if it was the elephant in the room.

The 53-year-old goes on about how Bruce has successfully gotten Championship sides like Hull City promoted and how he is a lovely guy that helps younger managers; but how does that make him the right fit for Newcastle United?

In case Allen forgot, the Magpies are in the Premier League not England’s second-tier and how does Bruce being a nice guy ensure success is heading to St James Park? You don’t earn points for being nice after all, you want a manager that can guide the side to victories.

The 58-year-old’s track record in the Premier League is worrying, to say the least.

Duncan Alexander, the author of Opta Joe’s Football Yearbook, stated via his Twitter account that Bruce has a win percentage under 30% in the Premier League and is one of only two managers to have managed over 250 games and have that poor a record.

Bruce’s record in the Premier League sounds even more awful when you consider ex-Magpies boss Benitez has won 168 of the 340 Premier League games he has been in charge of, and that sees him have a win percentage of 50.5% (Source: Premier League).

With Allan avoiding mentioning how Bruce has fared in England’s top-flight, you feel that he has done that on purpose as if he acknowledged the 58-year-old’s record it would have shown he shouldn’t be heading to St James Park.

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