Steve Bruce takes Newcastle training ahead of Tottenham clash despite facing the sack

One last goodbye? Under-fire Steve Bruce takes Newcastle training ahead of the new owners’ first game despite being on the brink of the sack… with Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard being eyed as manager

  • Newcastle boss Steve Bruce led training as usual on Tuesday despite facing sack 
  • The club were taken over in a £300m deal by Saudi group PIF to fan jubilation  
  • The new owners are understood to be lining up a new manager to replace Bruce
  • Bruce is expected to be sacked ahead of Tottenham clash with £8m payout 


Newcastle boss Steve Bruce took first team training as normal on Tuesday despite the sack looming over his head, with the club’s new Saudi owners preparing for the first game of their tenure against Tottenham on Sunday. 

Sportsmail understands the Magpies boss will be relieved of his duties this week, with PIF (Public Investment Fund) aware of the negative impact his presence in the dugout in the opening game, and have lined up a list of high-profile contenders to replace him. 

The 60-year-old had been under-fire this season even before the £300million takeover came to light, with Newcastle currently second bottom in the Premier League table following a winless start, but it was business as usual for Bruce at their Benton training as he put the players through their paces. 

Steve Bruce took Newcastle training as usual on Tuesday despite the threat of the sack

The 60-year-old is set to lose his job after the club were taken over in £300m Saudi-led deal

The 60-year-old is set to lose his job after the club were taken over in £300m Saudi-led deal

The coach was all smiles on the training pitch despite the expectation that he will be axed

The coach was all smiles on the training pitch despite the expectation that he will be axed

Bruce even offered a smile during preparations for the Tottenham clash as he watched over the players alongside assistant boss Graeme Jones and first team coach Steve Agnew.

As he departed the training pitch, he gave a brief wave to the camera with the session likely to be his last after just over two years in charge. He has never been popular with the supporters during his time in charge and a recent poll of fans found that 96 per cent felt he should besacked. 

The veteran coach has been open about his prospects of being axed, but is in line to receive an £8m pay-off should he lose his job, with talks set to begin over his exit. 

The new owners have a long list of potential candidates to step into the role – the favourite being former Dortmund boss Lucian Favre, who has been out of work since leaving the German outfit last year.

The sacking of Bruce is the first major decision new director Amanda Staveley (left) and the new Saudi-led consortium have made

The sacking of Bruce is the first major decision new director Amanda Staveley (left) and the new Saudi-led consortium have made

Fans are set to create a jubilant atmosphere for their first game against Spurs on Sunday

Fans are set to create a jubilant atmosphere for their first game against Spurs on Sunday 

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers and Rangers manager Steven Gerrard are also on their list of targets. 

There is set to be a jubilant atmosphere at St James’ Park for the visit of Tottenham as fans celebrate the end of Mike Ashley’s turbulent 14-year reign, with a bright future on the horizon for the Tyneside outfit. 

Newcastle’s new owners – who are now recognised as the richest in world football – have acknowledged that leaving Bruce in charge for their first game threatens to spoil the atmosphere inside the stadium.

Staveley visited the club's training complex with husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi this week

Staveley visited the club’s training complex with husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi this week

Some players returned to the training ground after three days off, and new board member Amanda Staveley visited Benton this week to greet players and staff, along with her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi.

Staveley and Ghodoussi were filmed greeting members of the first-team squad in the canteen, shaking hands with the likes of captain Jamal Lascelles, Allan Saint-Maximin and Federico Fernandez. 

Appointing a new manager will be the first major decision of the new Saudi reign, with other contenders including former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard and Antonio Conte, who is unattached after leaving Inter Milan in the summer. 

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