"I am never going to b******* anybody" - those were the words of Steve Bruce last July just after the Magpies had narrowly beaten Doncaster Rovers 3-2 in a pre-season friendly on a balmy night at the Eco-Power Stadium.
The former Newcastle United boss was referring to the lack of summer funds after finding himself back in front of journalists for the first time since lockdown with no Zoom restrictions. Even then a slightly more refreshed Bruce knew that the odds were against him in his dream job, but even he, after a life in football, could not have predicted what was about to unfold.
