Steve Bruce: Newcastle squad back manager 'without hesitation', says defender Javier Manquillo
Premier League clubs voted on Monday to temporarily block teams agreeing lucrative sponsorship deals linked to club's owners; Manquillo says Newcastle squad back manager Steve Bruce 'without hesitation' and hopes for Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland arrivals
Tuesday 19 October 2021 16:57, UK
Newcastle's first-team squad back manager Steve Bruce "without hesitation" amid ongoing uncertainty over his future, says Javier Manquillo.
Bruce was expected to be sacked following the club's £305m Saudi-led takeover earlier this month but took charge of Newcastle in their 3-2 Premier League defeat against Tottenham - his 1,000th game as a manager - at St James' Park on Sunday.
In a statement on Friday prior to the game, new part-owner Amanda Staveley said the club wanted to be "patient and considered" in their approach and that "change doesn't happen overnight".
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Newcastle are second bottom of the Premier League and winless after their opening eight games of the campaign and visit Crystal Palace on Saturday, with continued opposition from large sections of supporters towards Bruce.
"We are all professionals, Steve the first," Manquillo told the Daily Telegraph.
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"He knows that the situation is not easy and even more so now that there is talk of his dismissal, but we are not getting carried away by the rumours.
"He's working normally, he wants to start to get back on track and we'll see what happens in the end.
"I have read that there is talk of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, but our manager now is Steve Bruce and we support him without hesitation."
Premier League clubs voted on Monday to temporarily block teams agreeing lucrative sponsorship deals linked to club's owners in a sign of boardroom dissatisfaction at the takeover.
Newcastle are now, in theory, the richest club in the world, with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), who hold an 80 per cent stake in the club, believed to be worth £700bn.
Saudi Arabia has been condemned for its human rights record, but Newcastle and the Premier League have claimed the PIF is independent from the state.
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"I understand that this operation will arouse antipathy or hatred," Manquillo said.
"But we are not going to stop enjoying this period because of this."
'I'd go for Mbappe and Haaland'
Despite their current on-field troubles, there is an expectation of big-name signings in the coming windows among fans.
"If you ask me who I'd sign for Newcastle, I'd go for [Kylian] Mbappe and I'd go for [Erling] Haaland," said Manquillo, signed by former Magpies boss Rafael Benitez in July 2017.
"If it was a PlayStation team I'd also go for [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo], but the youngsters who stand out the most right now are those two."
