Alan Shearer warned Steve Bruce before he took the Newcastle United manager’s job – and predictions of ‘toxicity’ have come to the fore amid question marks about his future.
Former England striker Alan Shearer had previously said “I was out for dinner with Steve Bruce three weeks ago. It was just after Rafa Benitez had left Newcastle and we spoke about what he should do if he was approached and offered the job. My advice to him that night was simple; ‘No, no, no, don’t take it’.
Shearer, who scored a record 280 goals in the Premier League during a fantastic career – with 148 of those coming at Newcastle – added: “I said: ‘Why are you going to be any different to Keegan or Benitez? If you take it, you must be mad, because you know how it works there’.It’s never normal at Newcastle United, and we’ve formulated the perfect method for you to keep up to date with the club.
Alan Shearer said “Steve can have no excuses if it goes wrong, because he knows exactly what he is taking on. He knows what is going on and what has gone on in the past. He knows how fed-up the fanbase is. He knows how the football club is run, it is not a secret anymore. This is without a doubt the toughest and most toxic situation Steve has ever walked into.”
Bruce, 60, replaced former manager Rafa Benitez in July 2019 and fans are now calling for him to be sacked after the club were pushed further into Premier League danger. Goals from Leandro Trossard, Danny Welbeck and Neal Maupay sentenced them to a crushing 3-0 defeat against relegation rivals Brighton & Hove Albion last night. It’s a result that leaves them two points clear of third-bottom Fulham – with nine games remaining to preserve their top-flight status for next season.
Despite winning only twice since the turn of the year, owner Mike Ashley is reported to be sticking by Bruce, who is simultaneously coming under intense pressure from the club’s supporters. And it seems all too predictable when looking back at the message Newcastle legend Shearer had for Bruce before his appointment 20 months ago.
