Bruce blasts ‘unsettling’ talk of a new man in Toon hotseat

BOSS STAYING FOCUSED ON TASK AHEAD

STEVE Bruce admits talk of other managers coming in to replace him has been ‘disrespectful’ and has ‘unsettled’ his staff - but the Newcastle United head coach hopes to use that ‘uncertainty’ to push his side on for the rest of the season.

The 59-year-old was parachuted into the hotseat last summer following Rafa Benitez’s departure and has guided the Magpies to 13th place in the table and into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2006.

However, Bruce has seen a host of managers, including Mauricio Pochettino and Benitez (right), linked with his job in recent months after it emerged the club’s prospective takeover was in the hands of the Premier League, who have been carrying out their owners’ and directors’ test. The would-be owners – Amanda Staveley, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Reuben Brothers – are not thought to have an immediate shortlist of managers and players to target if their takeover bid is successful, but Bruce is just focused on the job in hand.

He said: “Some of it has been disrespectful, of course but, look, I have been in the job long enough and I have been here the best part of 12 months.

“The one thing you need here more than anything is thick skin and to let it ride and try and ride the storm.

“It is never easy and it becomes unsettling – not for myself but for other people who are close to me, in other words my staff.

“With the takeover, I think everybody is a bit bored with it, aren’t they? We have heard it all before. It seems to drag on.

“The one thing I cannot do is let it be an excuse.

“We have to just focus on what we are paid to do - and that is to win football matches and make sure we have prepared the players as best we can.

“Take away that uncertainty and use it a little bit if we can.

“People have written the team and myself off all season – let’s answer it in the best possible way by finishing the season as well as we can and catching Burnley, who are four points ahead of us.”

More than 15 weeks since their last competitive fixture at St Mary’s, Newcastle return to action against

Sheffield United at St James’ Park for their behind-closed-doors clash tomorrow. Tenth-placed Burnley remain in Newcastle’s sights and Bruce hopes his side can make a late push for a place in the top half.

He added: “We have to secure our Premiership status. That has been my job since I walked through the door a year ago.

“We have given ourselves a really good opportunity to do that and we have to focus on Burnley, who are 10th and are four points ahead of us.

“Whether that takes us into a top-10 finish I am not sure but let’s try and get to the magical 40 points mark as quickly as we can and then enjoy the rest of the season and see where it takes us.”

The one thing you need here more than anything is thick skin and to let it ride and try and ride the storm

Steve Bruce