Bruce coy on Newcastle future but pundit reckons he'd be 'relieved' by sacking

The Magpies' new owners were present at St James' Park for the first time but were powerless as they watched their side be outclassed by Spurs in a 3-2 defeat at St James' Park.

Goals from Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Kane Heung-min Son put the visitors in complete control by the time the break arrived and the home side couldn't muster enough to get back into the game despite a late own goal from Eric Dier.

Bruce's future remains the subject of intense speculation and he may well be dismissed next week as the owners look for a fresh set of ideas in the dugout.

And the 60-year-old admitted they were defeated by the better team on the day as he left the topic of his future for others to ponder.

"We were beaten by the better team," he told Sky Sports after the match.

"After a wonderful start, defensively our problems were there for everyone to see. It left a lot to be desired to say the least.

"We have started a few games like that, got our noses in front, but we cannot defend well enough as a team."

Asked if he will be in charge for Newcastle's next match, Bruce added: "That is for other people to decide.

"If I was reading everything or seeing everything last week, I may not have been here today but my job is to get results.

"If you have not won in seven or eight you come under pressure and that is the Premier League. It is a big league for big boys and I will carry on the best I can until told otherwise.

"Every football club needs clarity. The new owners have been very respectful and I cannot say enough of how they have gone about their business in the past 10 days."

In the Sky Sports studio, former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp insisted Bruce looked like he would welcome being relieved of his duties

He said: "My feeling when I look at him is that he'd almost like to be put out of his misery as well. He looks like a man who has done as much as he can, and he is a symbol of the previous regime.

"He'll be hating every second of it, nobody enjoys that unless you have something wrong with you. He doesn't want to be here. I think he'll be relieved when he gets that phone call."

"Newcastle need a big transfer window," he added.

"They need to get the right characters in during January in the spine of the team. This squad right now is one of the favourites for relegation - you can see it in the mistakes they make every single week. A new manager might change it but it's hard.

"The bubble was burst. If Saint-Maximin doesn't get the ball, it's hard to see where the quality is coming from. The first goal was excellent but after that, the patterns of play weren't there. They looked a side devoid of confidence and belief. Once Tottenham got hold of the ball, they had extra quality in midfield."