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Steve Bruce 'retains Mike Ashley's support despite struggles'

:Headline: Steve Bruce 'retains Mike Ashley's support despite struggles':
Saturday evening's 3-0 defeat at the AMEX Stadium left the Magpies just two points clear of the relegation zone.
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Steve Bruce remains safe in his job amid a tide of calls for him to go in the wake of an abject defeat at Brighton.

The PA news agency understands the 60-year-old retains the full support of owner Mike Ashley despite the club's descent into a desperate fight for Premier League survival.

Saturday evening's 3-0 defeat at the AMEX Stadium, which left the Magpies just two points clear of the relegation zone with nine games remaining after a run of only two wins in 18 league games, proved the final straw for many.

Neal Maupay scores the third goal in Newcastle's 3-0 loss to Brighton (Mike Hewitt/PA).

Social media was awash with condemnation of Bruce's reign and the Magpies' prospects of avoiding the drop with even his friend and former skipper Alan Shearer describing the display on the South Coast as "abysmal" on Twitter.

In the immediate aftermath of another damaging defeat, the Toon For Change campaign group, which has repeatedly called for the head coach to be removed, demanded immediate action ahead of the international break.

In a statement, the group said: "We implore the club to remove Bruce as coach immediately and appoint an ambitious manager ahead of the international break, who has the capability of keeping Newcastle United in the Premier League.

"There is still hope for the club this season, but we're running out of time."

However, having seen Bruce maintain his defiant stance in his post-match interviews and insist once again that he would not walk away despite the mounting pressure, their plea went unanswered, and it appears that situation will not change in the short term.

Sources on Tyneside have indicated that Ashley, who is currently on business in the Middle East, admires the former Manchester United defender's loyalty and commitment and will give him the chance to halt a slide which has gone beyond alarming.

That will infuriate a band of critics which has grown larger in both number and volume in recent months.

Bruce was never a popular appointment in the wake of predecessor Rafael Benitez's defection to China after his fractious relationship with Ashley passed the point of no return, and his 20-month reign to date has done little to assuage the chorus of disapproval.

His team turned in another woeful display at Brighton after taking only three points from fixtures against Wolves, West Brom and Aston Villa, a return which has allowed resurgent Fulham to whittle away what was a double-digit safety margin just a few weeks ago.

They face Tottenham, in-form West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester City in six of their next seven games and will find themselves in even deeper trouble before they welcome Sheffield United to St James' Park ahead of a final-day trip to Craven Cottage if they do not arrest that decline.

A third relegation of Ashley's near-14-year reign would halve the club's revenue and perhaps more significantly, drastically reduce its value with the sportswear tycoon currently fighting a legal battle in his bid to sell it to Amanda Staveley's Saudi-backed consortium.

His decision to stick with Bruce represents a major gamble and one many outside his inner circle simply cannot countenance.

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Manchester CityMan City33237380324876
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
11Bournemouth34129134960-1145
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton331111115254-244
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316
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