If Newcastle United’s long-suffering supporters thought they could get rid of Steve Bruce, they can think again.
That’s because the manager has underlined his commitment to seeing through the job in hand, despite the pressure being applied on him from fans and local media outlets.
Clearly, the job remains a bit of a poisoned chalice, and until Mike Ashley ups and leaves, the Toon Army are unlikely to be happy.
TalkSPORT’s Simon Jordan was quoted as saying he’s told Bruce directly to leave the club, but the manager is having none of it.
“I understand where Simon is coming from, but I never really thought about it then,” Bruce said in response, cited by talkSPORT.
“I never thought just because it’s tough here, I’m going to walk away.”
“I believe with the experience that I’ve got that I can try and help the club. A lot of people will find that laughable – I understand.
“But that’s what I genuinely believe. I hope that my experience can see us through.”
For all of Bruce’s lack of humour or personality at times, he remains a steady, guiding presence and a manager with the requisite experience, as well as being a man that takes incredible pride in his work and who remains serious about the job in hand.
It’s clear that the supporters are unhappy after years of decline, but their ire is misdirected.
Ashley remains the problem, and his lack of investment in the first-team is what’s hampering Bruce’s ability to turn them into a team that are regularly challenging for the European spots.