The 10 Names on Newcastles Shortlist Before Appointing Steve Bruce as New Manager

​Following his appointment as Newcastle manager on Wednesday morning, it is believed that Steve Bruce was actually only Newcastle's 11th choice for the position, failing to even make the original shortlist.

Bruce's arrival has been met with a ​mixture of anger and disappointment by Newcastle fans, and it seems that the 58-year-old was not even popular with the Newcastle board when they began the process of looking for a replacement for the popular Rafael Benitez.

As widely reported, including in the ​Daily Mail, Bruce was not in the top ten candidates for the job, a claim that is unlikely to improve the current mood around the club.

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According to the reports, the ten names Newcastle approached before Bruce were: Jose Mourinho, Mikel Arteta, Patrick Vieira, Roberto Martinez, Sean Dyche, Sam Allardyce, Garry Monk, Chris Hughton, Eddie Howe and Mark Hughes.

The manner of Bruce's departure from Sheffield Wednesday has also drawn criticism, with the Championship club revealing their dismay at how the situation was handled.

"The club is disappointed to learn via public statement issued by Newcastle United that it has appointed former Sheffield Wednesday staff Steve Bruce, Steve Agnew and Steve Clemence. Regardless of the fact that the staff resigned from their positions on Monday, there remains outstanding legal issues to be resolved between the club and the staff and Newcastle United. The club is currently considering its position and taking the appropriate legal advice", said Wednesday in a statement.

Despite the issues surrounding his appointment, the Newcastle manager is remaining positive, and was quick to speak of his pride at being given his new role.

"This is my boyhood club and it was my dad's club, so this is a very special moment for me and my family", Bruce told the club's official website.

Bruce has now joined up with the Newcastle squad out in China, where they are currently playing in the Premier League Asia Trophy. The side face West Ham on Saturday as they look to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat to Wolves on Wednesday.


Source : 90min