The position of manager at Newcastle United under Mike Ashley is almost 'untenable' but Steve Bruce is doing a 'brilliant job'.
That's the view of former Aston Villa and Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood, who believes the objective for the Magpies has to be to stay in the Premier League.
United remain winless this season, and a run of just seven wins from their last 36 matches in all competitions means Bruce is currently leading the Premier League 'sack race' among the bookmakers.
Despite this poor run of form, the head coach's position at St James' Park is not believed to be under scrutiny from the wantaway Toon owner at this stage.
ChronicleLive understands Ashley is prepared to give Bruce time to revive the team's fortunes, and will only consider a change if United are cut adrift in the relegation zone heading into the hectic winter period.
The United boss has been subjected to fan chants calling for his dismissal and resignation in recent weeks, but the 60-year-old insists he will not walk away from the role.
Newcastle currently lie outside the relegation zone despite failing to win their first six Premier League fixtures, and Sherwood believes survival is a 'massive feat' for a host of top-flight clubs.
He told My Betting Sites: “Steve Bruce is always going to be under pressure, but not from the man who matters most, which is Mike Ashley because he did a brilliant job of keeping them in the league last year. The fans will always put Steve under pressure because they didn’t want him.
"It’s almost like an untenable job, but he knows that, and he’s got broad enough shoulders to deal with it. It’s a tough environment to manage under, but Steve just wants to carry on.
“Everyone forgets, he’s actually a Newcastle fan. He wants what’s best for them, but he doesn’t feel like he can give them the style they demand because of the players at his disposal. He just needs to do what he needs to do.
"Unfortunately the objective there is to stay in the league. The fans want that to be a lot higher. At the moment, just to stay in the Premier League is a massive feat for a lot of football clubs.”
