When Steve Bruce was announced as the permanent manager of our beloved Newcastle United, I could hear the collective groan from Tyneside from the sunny Greek island I was on at the time. The man has divided opinion ever since. Not between the fans as a whole, but between the fanbase and ‘pundits’ who think they know better than the die-hard Geordie faithful.

In his time on Tyneside many names have been thrown towards the former Manchester United captain, and most possibly warranted, if not brought on himself. Dinosaur, inept and yes man just to name a few.

However, and here comes the tin hat moment, is Steve Bruce being perceived as a ‘yes man’ helping Newcastle, as miniscule as that help may be?

Every manager before Bruce had to fight for the club to spend any money, or even to get players that were at the top of the page when it came to transfers. Keegan had a deal in place for Luca Modric, yet the Ashley ‘yes men’ decided the future Balon D’or winner was too small for the Premier league.

Rafa Benitez would constantly question the hierarchy and the club in public, demanding more for the team, falling in line with what every fan could see. Yet you got the sense at times Rafa was banging his head against a brick wall, while Lee Charnley hid in his office, and Mike Ashley would tell Sky News he was the ‘pantomime villain!’

Even the ever-popular Alan Pardew was screwed by the club. Managed to build a decent side around Graham Carr’s ‘French Revolution’ and finish 5th, yet the brilliant football minds of those that run the club, felt adding Vernon Anita would suffice. Even the money McClaren spent seemed to be because of the relationship between head scout at the time Carr, and the Sports Direct magnate.

Yet Bruce looks to be getting the money to spend on players that he wants, regardless of what we are told is the transfer budget for the coming season. The club have always said that money is there to spend on the right players. But given the history of this ownership to ‘lie to and mislead fans’ we can be forgiven for not believing a word of it! Yet Bruce seems to be getting that money.

In years gone past, when we as a team were linked with players, an asking price would be mooted, and as a fan base we would write that transfer of straight away. No way would Ashley sanction a deal of that size, no way would Charnley come out from behind his desk to even ask Mike for the money. Yet since Bruce has arrived, for his main targets, the asking price does not seem to be an issue.

The main difference seems to be that Bruce doesn’t rock the boat. At least not publicly. Whether he does or not behind the scenes only the halls of St James’ can tell us. This public support even seeps its way into the managers ever popular press conferences. Yet while any time Bruce showers the credit on Charnley for getting a transfer done, it makes you as a fan dry wretch, even bringing up a bit of bile at the back of the throat, his sticking to the company line in public could be the secret to his transfer success.

His willingness to accept certain deals that the club have set up, will also put him firmly in Ashley’s good graces. The deal for Allan Saint-Maximin for example, was turned down by Rafa. Benitez didn’t fancy him for several reasons, some being his injury record while at Nice, and a report on his attitude by then Nice manager Patrick Viera. Yet Bruce was all too willing to put his stamp of approval on the deal for the mercurial Frenchman, as well as a club record deal for Joelinton, that reports tell us Ashley was very excited about.

After forking out money to bring Bruce, Agnew and Clemence to the club from Sheffield Wednesday, you would think that Mike Ashley’s spending on backroom staff had ended, until he needs to bring in someone new. Yet money was paid to Bournemouth to bring coach Graeme Jones into the mix. Whether that was the club’s idea or Bruce’s, someone said yes to the deal and brought in a coach that revitalised a plummeting Newcastle side during the backend of last season.

Because Bruce has played ball with Ashley, it seems to some extent that Ashley is willing to play ball with Bruce. Even changing the Transfer blueprint (for one summer at least) and allowing him to spend ’20 million on number 9 Callum Wilson.

The team in terms of quality is better than the one that Rafa left behind for Bruce to inherit, and that can only be down to the relationship between Bruce and Ashley. Because let’s face it, no other manager during the Ashley tenure has been afforded such riches.

While the squad is lacking in key areas, unfortunately for us fans, it seems that Steve Bruce is the only one capable of drawing those funds out of the tight fists of Mike Ashley!

CARL RICHARDSON’