Danny Murphy believes Newcastle United should not sack Steve Bruce, and warned the club to be careful with what they wish for in their quest to move away from the Premier League's bottom three.
There are widespread reports that Bruce could lose his job before Newcastle's next match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, but Murphy believes it could be a costly mistake to get rid of Bruce, with the club currently facing the prospect of a relegation battle.
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"The situation Newcastle are in right now is precarious," he told talkSPORT.
"They've got a manager who's been there and done that in the lower echelons of the Premier League; even at Newcastle, when they started the season badly last year.
"Is there someone out there who they can bring in who's going to be more equipped to do the job than Steve Bruce?
"You can talk about pleasing the fans and trying to get everyone on board with the takeover. But it doesn't necessarily mean that you take Steve Bruce out, and bring in someone else who's going to do it better.
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"I think they will get rid of him because that's what they want and they're trying to keep everyone happy at the moment with the takeover. So, who do they get in? There's no obvious candidate to come in for a relegation battle.
"There are lots of top managers out there, but who's out there that could come into a relegation battle and win games that are not always going to be free-flowing or easy on the eye? Nobody jumps out at me."
The former Liverpool and Fulham midfielder's comments certainly raised more than a few eyebrows, and sparked plenty of heated debate in the replies to talkSPORT's tweet.
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@ImRobM said: "There is no such thing as a manager being better suited to a relegation battle. A better manager than Bruce will win more games than him, therefore won't be in a relegation battle. It's that simple.
@HaltHire added: "This is just unbelievable. Bruce has to take the blame for where Newcastle are, if we were in the top 5 he'd be taking the credit. Some of selections and tactics have been jaw dropping! Plus, we don't like him; it seems obvious the players aren't thrilled with him either, change it."
Topics: Danny Murphy, Steve Bruce, Newcastle United
