Newcastle United: The man with all the pressure this season

Newcastle United have added some quality to their squad, but will Steve Bruce properly utilize their skills?

Newcastle United will be in action in a few hours to kick off their 2020-21 Premier League campaign. The Magpies will open the season in London against West Ham in what should be an interesting game.

The Toon Army will be hoping their team gets off to a positive start after conducting some impressive business in the transfer window last weekend.

The arrivals of Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser, and Jamal Lewis are massive for the Toon as each player fills a major void in three critical areas across the pitch, especially Wilson.

With an attacking quartet now comprised of Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron, Ryan Fraser, and Callum Wilson at his disposal, Steve Bruce will be expected promote a fluid, open style of play, and not be dependent on the counter-attack.

Newcastle United have sufficient talent in this squad to, at the very least, attempt to take the game to most opponents in the Premier League. Fans will be upset, and several precious points could be dropped if the Magpies revert to their ultra-defensive tactics.

Bruce has stated that he is pleased with the club’s activity in this transfer window, and it is great to see the front office support the manager for once, but Bruce must now be ready to cope with tremendous pressure this season.

On several occasions last term, fans and pundits highlighted Bruce’s poor managerial record in the top flight, but this season’s squad is the best team, on paper, that he will manage. That being said, this season presents the Manchester United legend with a golden opportunity to silence his critics once and for all.

At the same time, though, Bruce will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to show that he can break into the top ten with the squad he has.

The writers here at Newcastle Toons predicted where Newcastle United will finish this season, so take a look at that analysis to see if we think Bruce has what it takes.