Sky Sports pundit thinks Newcastle’s prospective new owners could be about to make ‘big mistake’

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With Newcastle United on the verge of getting new owners, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has claimed that getting rid of Steve Bruce would be a “big mistake”.

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.

Ashley and PCP have entered into a binding agreement, with terms agreed and a deposit paid, and documentation has been sent to the Premier League.

Newcastle’s prospective new owners are expected to have major ambitions upon arriving at St. James’ Park, and it could mean an uncertain future for Bruce, with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Rafael Benitez being linked with the first-team job.

Merson is against this, writing in the Daily Star: “Newcastle’s potential new owners will be making a big mistake if they get rid of Steve Bruce immediately. Bruce is a manager I rate highly and I firmly believe he should be handed the chance to prove himself in the new era.

“I’ve nothing against Poch, who did an exceptional job at Tottenham and will probably succeed wherever he goes. But is he the right man for Newcastle?

“Spurs play a very different game to the Geordies. They play front foot, expansive football in stark contrast to Newcastle under Bruce… if Pochettino arrives and tries to impose his own cavalier methods on the team, then they face another struggle.

“Of course, all the talk is that Newcastle need a big name boss to attract big name players and while there is a degree of truth in that, it’s naive to think the five, six or seven signings they need to play that way will arrive immediately. That’s why new owners should stick with Bruce at least until the end of next season.”

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Bruce isn’t exactly a fan favourite at Newcastle, to put it mildly, and even though he has performed well this season with the resources at his disposal, there has been debate over whether he could turn the Magpies into a leading Premier League side.

With regards to giving Bruce until the end of next season at least, as Merson has suggested, the issue with that is, would the prospective new Newcastle owners be willing to hand him a huge war chest for him to bring in players if they don’t feel he’s the long-term option?

Besides, new owners could well mean new staff across the board, and given Pochettino is a manager of the highest calibre, has extensive Premier League and Champions League experience, and is also not currently tied to a club – which means no compensation – then he’s very much the obvious choice for the Magpies.