Exclusive: Former Bruce star drops Newcastle sack verdict
Time is running out for Steve Bruce at Newcastle United after Monday’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal.
That is the view of former Aston Villa and Scotland defender Alan Hutton who, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, admitted nothing the 60-year-old was trying at St James’ Park appeared to be having any effect on the players.
The Magpies sit bottom of the Premier League form table after seven top-flight games without a win, while they have only scored once in their last seven across all competitions.
Bruce’s men were also dumped out of the League Cup by Championship outfit Brentford and the FA Cup by Arsenal over a matter of weeks.
Hutton, who insisted he was a big fan of his former boss from his Villa days, insisted Bruce was under serious pressure and the threat of the sack is looming large on Tyneside.
Hutton told Football Insider: “I think he’s in a right difficult situation at the moment. He’s tried different formations, different players, changes, and he just doesn’t seem to be getting a tune out of them at the moment.
“It’s difficult and they’re slowly but surely on the decline in. You look at the Brentford, the Sheffield United game – especially the Sheffield United game – teams that are round about them, in a fight, and they just didn’t put up much of a fight.
“He is going to be worried. It’s a difficult moment in time and you know how I hold him in the highest regard, I really like him as a manager but time’s running out I think.
“It just doesn’t seem to be changing, whatever he tries to do, it just doesn’t quite seem to work.”
In other news, Gabby Agbonlahor has made an extraordinary Newcastle United-Guardiola claim.