Former Scotland full-back Alan Hutton is adamant that his former boss Steve Bruce has what it takes to lead Newcastle United under new ownership.
Newcastle Chronicle understands that Bruce, who was appointed manager at St James' Park in July, will have until the end of the season to prove himself to the club's future owners - who are now only a matter of days away from completing their £300m takeover.
In the meantime, Rafa Benitez, Massimo Allegri and Mauricio Pochettino have both been linked with a job in the hot seat in the North East with reports predicting that the takeover will provide make funds available to significantly improve Newcastle's playing staff.
But Hutton wants to remind Magpies supporters of the good work that Bruce has done so far and he believes that he could be the man going forward to lead United to success.
“I think he’s done a great job," said Hutton, speaking to Football Insider.
"Yes, some fans might not be happy with the way he plays in certain games but it is effective.
“If you want to reach that top level, you have to be playing free-flowing, exciting football and it’s whether he can do that or not. I think he can, he’s definitely got that.
“When you look at it, when new powers come in, it’s obviously a worrying time for everyone underneath, whether that be manager or players, it’s a case of starting again.
“An owner coming in and spending a lot of money is going to want success," he explained.
"They’ve obviously given Steve Bruce a time frame to see if he makes his objectives if you like. It depends where they want to go and where they see themselves.
“Do they see themselves getting back to the top six and spending a lot of money? If that’s the case, it’s about the style of football you play – you want to be playing attractive football, winning games."
Hutton added: "If Newcastle bring in a standard of player that they’re talking about, I’m sure he’d be able to handle those type of egos and push them forward."
