Steve Bruce is 'doing as good a job as anyone could have done' as Newcastle United manager.
That is the verdict of the Magpies' record goalscorer Alan Shearer who insists Bruce is 'doing a very good job' at St James' Park.
Newcastle were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa on Wednesday night as Dwight Gayle's first goal of the season was cancelled out by Ahmed Elmohamady's late header.
Nonetheless, the point nudged Newcastle ever closer to the fabled 40-point mark deemed enough to ensure Premier League survival and they now sit 12 points clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining.
The Magpies welcome Manchester City to St James' Park on Sunday in the FA Cup quarter-finals as well and Shearer insists Bruce, who has often polarised opinion among the Toon Army, deserves credit for the job he has done this season.
“I think, with the squad that he has got, he’s doing as good a job as anyone could have done," Shearer said while working on Match of the Day when asked whether Newcastle fans are beginning to warm to the 59-year-old.
"39 points with seven games left, got the quarter-finals of the FA Cup which we’ll see on Sunday, so I think he’s doing a very good job and they shouldn’t have to warm to him.
"It was only because of the circumstances in which he was given the job but, with the team that’s he has got, and the position that he’s in, he’s done well.”
When asked about his verdict on the game, Shearer was critical of Jonjo Shelvey and Martin Dubravka for Villa's equaliser but felt a draw was the right outcome.
“I thought Villa deserved the point but it was a sloppy goal to concede," he added.
"First of all, they let Elmohamady get across the goal, he gets the header in and then Shelvey and Dubravka are all over the place, get in each other's way when they should clear the ball away or save it.
"But, as I said, I think a draw was a fair result and Villa showed spirit.”
