Former Newcastle United star backs Sheffield Wednesday after calls for Steve Bruce 'respect'

It has been reported that Mauricio Pochettino is being lined-up as the new Newcastle boss, should the proposed Saudi takeover go through.

Speaking on Sky Sports News regarding Bruce’s job, pundit Jamie Redknapp said the former Sheffield Wednesday manager should be given an opportunity by the new owners to prove his worth with strong financial backing.

Redknapp said: “I think people have to have more respect for Steve Bruce as well because he's done a really, really good job at Newcastle.

“The fact that we are talking about people coming in and looking at his job - why can't you give him another opportunity? Why can't you say to Steve Bruce, 'there you go, there's some money, let's see what you can do'?

"He's probably never had that opportunity before and there's nothing to say he couldn't manage a top six club, nothing at all.

"He knows the game inside out, everyone was predicting Newcastle to go down this year and he's done a great job, with players I don’t think are at a top level. He deserves more respect than what he's getting."

There is little sympathy is the blue half of Sheffield for Bruce, given how he left Wednesday in the summer, just two weeks before the season began. This came after the Owls hierarchy gave him the chance to join the club late and relax while watching England’s cricket team in the West Indies after a difficult year on a personal and professional level.

That has been picked up on by former Magpies striker Michael Chopra, who suggested that respect works both ways.

Tweeting on Thursday he posted: “Lol do people forget what steve bruce did to Sheffield Wednesday what respect did he show Sheffield Wednesday.”

Bruce had recruited a number of players before leaving, with new arrival Kadeem Harris last week admitting his shock at the departure, saying: “I didn't know who was going to come in and take over and if they would have fancied me as a player.”