Newcastle to appoint coach to help Bruce

Let Jones talk to struggling top-flight team hopes ex-belgium assistant will relieve pressure

Newcastle United are expected to confirm the appointment of Graeme Jones as a coach this week in a show of faith in under-fire manager Steve Bruce.

It is understood that the appointment of a new coach has been something Newcastle have been working on for several months and Bruce has fully endorsed the move for Jones.

The 50-year-old, who has been given permission to talk to Newcastle by current club Bournemouth, was sacked as manager of Luton Town last season. But he is a highlyrated coach who has worked as assistant to Roberto Martinez with the Belgium national team.

Bruce has felt, for some time, that a new voice on the training pitch would benefit his players, and although he is fighting to save his job on Tyneside, following a run of 10 games without a win, he does not appear to be in any immediate danger of the sack.

That could well change if Newcastle lose their next two games, against Leeds United and Everton, but it has been business as usual behind the scenes, with the manager holding regular conversations with managing director Lee Charnley about transfer targets over recent days.

The worry, though, is that Newcastle will not sign anyone before the transfer window closes as they are waiting for clubs to agree to deals for the players in whom they have expressed an interest.

As things stand, like most clubs, they anticipate a hectic last few days of the window, but there is concern they may not be able to do anything to improve a floundering squad because of the financial restrictions under owner Mike Ashley.

Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury is on their shortlist, but his club would rather sell the 23-yearold and Newcastle want only a loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.

There was a protest outside St James’ Park on Saturday night, with banners attacking both the manager and the owner erected minutes after the 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa.

The fact that the banners were made before that result, so that they could be displayed, shows how much anger there is towards Bruce.

One of the flags suggested that Ashley had waited too long to bring in a new manager when Newcastle were relegated to the Championship in 2009 and 2016.