Jamaal Lascelles raves about ‘fantastic’ Newcastle man who’s been under heavy criticism

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Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has spoken highly of Magpies manager Steve Bruce amid rising speculation over his future at St James’ Park.

Bruce was handed the Newcastle first-team reins last July, a decision which proved hugely unpopular with much of the fanbase, particularly in wake of Rafael Benitez’s departure.

The 59-year-old has been in charge of the Magpies for 35 matches, with 12 wins, 10 draws and 13 defeats under his belt.

With football in England suspended for the foreseeable future, Newcastle currently sit 13th in the Premier League table, eight points clear of the bottom three.

However, some exciting developments are taking place on Tyneside as Newcastle are in the final stages of a takeover bid, with the club now very close to being bought off Mike Ashley.

PCP Capital Partners, headed by Amanda Staveley, have brokered the £300million deal which is being backed by the Saudi Arabian royal family’s Public Investment Fund.

Newcastle’s prospective new owners are expected to have major ambitions upon arriving at St. James’ Park, with a host of high-profile coaches linked with Bruce’s job (ESPN).

However, Lascelles is more than pleased with his current manager’s efforts.

The 26-year-old, when asked about Bruce’s performance as boss during on an Instagram live interview with Counter Attack – as quoted by Chronicle Live – said: “I was over the moon.

“He’s got a good record and straight away from pre-season you could tell it’s a different type of manager. It’s something I really like, working hard, being fit and being strong.

“He built the team to do that and that’s why we have been successful this season. Our running stats are always high, we press and we are well organised.

“(Bruce) has driven that by himself and he’s done a fantastic job.”

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Bruce’s appointment at Newcastle was unpopular amongst many fans to say the least, but in all fairness he hasn’t done a bad job.

Lascelles’ vote of confidence suggests he is popular with the players and, in normal circumstances, his job wouldn’t be under such scrutiny at present.

However, given the prospect of a takeover which could make Newcastle the wealthiest club in the world, the prospective new owners could potentially decide to mould the club more in their image – including more high-profile coaching appointments.