Steve Bruce could be in line for even more money from Newcastle United.
The finances
Earlier this month, The Times revealed that the 60-year-old would be in line for a £4m pay-off were he to be sacked by the club after a miserable campaign which leaves them just two points above the relegation zone. Now, Football Insider has claimed that Bruce has a clause in his contract that would see such a pay-off rise should he manage to keep Newcastle in the Premier League.
Should we be surprised?
While an incentivised contract isn’t exactly new in the football world, the idea of Bruce getting what is effectively a bonus should he manage to keep the club’s head above the water would surely be unpalatable to the swathes of supporters who want him sacked.
Still, he did claim that his remit was solely to keep Newcastle in the division and, should he do that, he would be doing exactly what Mike Ashley appears to have asked of him. As bleak and unambitious a target as that may be, that does appear to be the limit of the club’s ambitions at the moment.
Could he be replaced?
At this stage, that looks hugely unlikely.
Having survived the international break, even sacking him after the Tottenham game on Easter Sunday would leave any new boss with only eight games to try and save the club’s season, which would surely be a monumental ask for anyone. Nothing But Newcastle have been told that former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is keen on the role but, right now, Ashley is reluctant to cave into any pressure to make a change.
