Steve Bruce is in the hot seat yet again

Steve Bruce survived his first hot seat this season, but the pressure is back on his shoulders after the team’s abysmal performance last weekend.

Newcastle United have a difficult task this weekend when they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. The Magpies have a good track record at the King Power Stadium, but the Foxes are in fine form at the moment and their current placement in the table, third, is a reflection of that.

Steve Bruce’s side enter this game as the underdogs, and rightfully so. Last weekend’s performance against Brighton at St. James’ Park can best be described as abysmal. Newcastle United were tapped as the favorites at home against a bottom-half rival, and they were expected to manage the game through attacking football, but the opposite occurred. As a result, Bruce finds himself in the hot seat yet again as he aims to prove that he can consistently get the best out of his players.

After the club’s lazy performances in weeks one and two, Bruce was catching the heat from fans and pundits, but he turned things around before the international break with a win against Tottenham and a draw against Watford. The performance against Brighton last weekend, though, was a big step backwards for the team.

Hot Seat: Round 2

A win against Leicester City would most certainly do the trick to calm nerves on Tyneside, however, fans are simply hoping for maximum effort over the course of 90 minutes. Honestly, stealing a point at the King Power Stadium on Sunday would be an impressive result and it would generate some light optimism ahead of next weekend’s clash against Manchester United.

In order to earn a positive result on Sunday, Bruce needs to get his tactics and player roles in place. The 3-5-2 formation, which has quickly turned into a 4-5-1 setup, is not working. The more points the club drops against mediocre opponents, the more ground they have to make up against superior sides. This requires taking some risks offensively.

Over the last two seasons, the Magpies had the most success when playing in a 3-4-3 formation. Bruce has multiple midfielders with blistering pace who can support Joelinton with more passes higher up the pitch. In addition to considering a formation change, Bruce needs to show that he can make tough decisions when it comes to his star players. For example, Miguel Almiron has been an average player this season and he isn’t creating sufficient chances for himself and those around him. Moreover, Jamaal Lascelles hasn’t been acting like the leader he has been designated to be.

That being said, all eyes will be on Bruce to see if he will change the team’s shape and drop some big names from the lineup. Being a manager in the Premier League is a daunting task, and Bruce is well aware of the pressure on his shoulders, but he needs to make some big decisions to turn things around.