Opinion: December period crucial for Steve Bruce

According to the Chronicle, Newcastle United could act if Steve Bruce is unable to turn their fortunes around ahead of a period of relatively winnable games. 

Indeed, journalists such as Daniel Storey and George Caulkin have criticised the Toon boss amid two dire performances against Southampton and Chelsea. Clearly, things aren’t going well at the moment but those behind the scenes are understood to remain confident in their man as it stands.

However, the next set of fixtures could be crucial.

Up next is Crystal Palace before a trip to high-flying Aston Vila which is then followed by games against strugglers West Brom and Fulham, with a visit to Leeds United sandwiched between the two.

So, while Villa and Leeds have both impressed this season, the rest of the games should be seen as winnable. With the games coming thick and fast over the festive period, there could be a lot of movement in the Premier League table and a continuation of this poor run could leave the Magpies looking a lot less comfortable than they currently are.

With that in mind, perhaps Bruce’s position could look a lot different by Christmas time.

Mike Ashley has rarely proven quick to sack his managers in the past but, given he’s seemingly looking to sell the club, perhaps the idea of relegation could scare him more than it has before. If he’s going to get big money for the Toon Army, they surely need to be playing in the top tier of English football.