The Newcastle United board are ‘desperate’ to keep head coach Steve Bruce at the club for the entirety of his contract, according to journalist Mark Douglas.
The Magpies reporter revealed the news in a Chronicle Q & A on Wednesday evening, claiming that the powers that be at St James’ Park want his three-year deal to be fulfilled.
He wrote: “His contract is a three year one and Newcastle’s power brokers are desperate for him to see it out.”
Douglas claims that if the Magpies are steering clear of relegation trouble and are seen to be taking the intended steps forward, then Bruce will almost certainly remain in charge for all three years of his current contract.
OPINION
The big takeaway here seems to be that those in charge of the club don’t want to be seen to have made a mistake in hiring Bruce. Obviously he wasn’t the most popular appointment, particularly following a beloved coach in Rafael Benitez, and so the Newcastle board are hugely keen to be proved right by Bruce. They will have been delighted by last weekend’s victory over Manchester United, then, something that pulled the team clear of the relegation zone. Ultimately patience is always a good thing for new managers or head coaches, but this won’t be the news that most Newcastle fans will have wanted to see – even if it’s probably something they expected. Pride is the big thing, here. Owner Mike Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley don’t want to be seen to have made an error, that they appointed the wrong man. That’s natural, but they have to be careful that they don’t get relegated for the sake of their pride. That’s the big worry for the Newcastle supporters, here.
