Kevin Nolan has made a stunning claim and suggested that Steve Bruce is the best man for Newcastle United's currently vacant managerial post.
But he also praised Mike Ashley last week ... because he expected to be appointed assistant to Big Sam!
The former St James' Park player stated that, in their current situation, and added with the recent revelation that Sam Allardyce turned down the job, Bruce is the 'best one' in line.
Former Sunderland manager Allarduce recently told TalkSport that he 'turned down' the chance to replace Rafa Benitez as Newcastle manager.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (16/07/2019 at 8:10 pm), Nolan had his say on Bruce seemingly being on the verge of replacing Benitez.
On whether there is anybody out there who is realistically better than Bruce: "I'd probably say no," Nolan told BBC Radio 5 Live. "That's no disrespect to Steve because I know Steve and he is a top manager.
"But I think the sort of the glamour of managing Newcastle has gone in terms of you are not going to get a Jose Mourinho, who is out there. I think Sam Allardyce came out last week and said he'd turn down an opportunity to go back.
"When you have someone the calibre of Sam, who is known to keep teams in the Premier League, and he's turning them down then I think we are now in that sort of next step where Steve Bruce is the best one for the job."
Nolan's comments about Bruce won't sit well with the Newcastle faithful because he recently praised owner Mike Ashley on TalkSport.
Those comments came around the time when it was being suggested that the Magpies were considering Allardyce as their next manager, with Nolan being his assistant, as reported by the Daily Mail.
But Nolan's suggestion that Bruce is the best man for the Newcastle post perhaps tarnishes his relationship with the fans even further. Whilst Newcastle are not going to get the best of the best, a manager such as a Sean Dyche or an Eddie Howe would be a realistic target and a much better capture than Bruce, but not when Mike Ashley is around.