OPINION
After a difficult start to life at Newcastle United, Steve Bruce finally looks to have found the perfect blend for success at St James’ Park.
The Magpies’ boss had a number of difficult decisions to make when first arriving at the club from Sheffield Wednesday, and after taking a depleted squad to China for the Premier League Asia Trophy, things weren’t looking good.
Players like Jack Colback were given the chance to impress despite being frozen out by Rafael Benitez, and the midfielder didn’t do much to prove the Spaniard wrong in pre-season.
Colback spent last season on-loan at Nottingham Forest in the Championship, and despite the fans taking a shining to him there, he didn’t do enough to show that Bruce should give him the chance in the Premier League once again.
The 30-year-old has proved to be unreliable at the base of midfield, picking up 10 or more yellow cards in four of the past five seasons, and he would be easily targeted in the top-flight.
When having to decide his 25-man squad for this season, Bruce admitted that the decision was difficult but the likes of Colback and Henri Saivet didn’t make the final cut in the North East.
Saivet spent the last campaign at Bursaspor and only scored twice from midfield, something that Jonjo Shelvey has already matched in the opening third of the campaign.
After both not being at the club last season, they couldn’t have had too many complaints about the decision given their recent form wherever they were playing.
There was still the Carabao Cup for them to play in, and they were not selected for the defeat against Leicester City, as Bruce opted for his usual squad over the rarely-seen options.
The Telegraph has recently reported that Newcastle will look to cut ties with the midfield duo in the January transfer market, and they would be making the right decision to do just that.
The newspaper claim on their website that the Magpies are paying £50,000-a-week in combined wages for the two players and the sale of those two could give the club a financial boost.
Newcastle are spot on to try and sanction these two exits, with the club set for a financial boost in the winter market to spend elsewhere.
