Renowned pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville gave a critical assessment of Newcastle’s new ownership, with Neville calling their treatment of Steve Bruce “totally wrong”.
Both Sky Sports pundits were in agreement that Newcastle’s new owners have had a bad week as Neville voiced his thoughts on Newcastle’s treatment of Steve Bruce and why his managerial situation has been unfairly handled by the Magpies’ new owners.
Noticeably there was a party atmosphere ahead of kick-off at St James’ Park on Sunday as the Newcastle fans welcomed their new owners, Saudi dignitaries included, into the directors’ box. However, with non-executive chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan looking on, Steve Bruce’s team tottered to a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham and are still without a Premier League win to show this season.
All indications had pointed to Bruce expected to be sacked in the build-up to the match following the club’s £305m takeover earlier this month but new part-owner Amanda Staveley stayed the execution, saying Newcastle wanted to be “patient and considered” in their approach and that “change doesn’t happen overnight”.
Club supporters’ optimism aside following the takeover, a recent Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust poll revealed that almost 95 per cent of fans wanted Bruce’s dismissal, except that it’s still foggy regarding how the new owners plan to move forward with the managerial structure.
Neville thinks the Newcastle board’s treatment of Bruce has been disappointing.
“I think this situation with Steve Bruce is totally wrong,” he said on Monday Night Football.
“If this was any other industry, it will be classed as employment abuse as the employer would be in serious trouble. You have got to demonstrate decency – that’s not just the new owners at Newcastle, it’s the ones before who had him as a lamb to the slaughter or an umbrella to stop the rain coming on their heads.
“Think about it in your own walk of life – if you’re a lawyer, or an accountant or an electrician and you are being treated like this. Think about all the things that have happened in the last few weeks, the leaks, it is not fair on a brilliant man. A brilliant football man. A great player. A manager who has had 1,000 games – he deserves to be treated with decency.
“If you are going to sack him, pay him up the full money, don’t resist it, do the right thing and move on. If you aren’t going to sack him, tell him and be clear so at least the fans can start having a go at you. Stop using Bruce as a shield for criticism at your football club.”
Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher also pulled no punches in saying that Newcastle are one of the worst teams in the Premier League and that a lot of work is required to prop them up, despite the recent takeover of the club by the filthy-rich major-equity new Saudi owners.