Here are your Newcastle United evening headlines for Wednesday, January 20.
Steve Bruce sack odds change
Steve Bruce is no longer the bookmakers' favourite to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked.
Newcastle lost to Arsenal on Monday night, producing another insipid display, extending their winless run to nine matches in all competitions.
Bruce was temporarily made favourite to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked, but after Chelsea lost to Leicester City on Tuesday night, Frank Lampard has taken the unwanted number one spot.
In terms of a potential Bruce replacement, Paddy Power has Eddie Howe as the favourite to succeed Bruce. The ex-Cherries boss is currently 7/2 to make the move to the North East, while Mark Hughes and former Magpies boss Rafa Benitez remain at 4/1 each.
Takeover breakthrough for beIN Sport
There has been a potential breakthrough for beIN Sport coverage in Saudi Arabia which could aid Newcastle's previously failed Saudi-backed takeover.
BeIN Sport coverage has been blocked in Saudi Arabia since 2017 due to diplomatic rows in the Gulf. The BeOut Q piracy operation, which the Saudi government was accused of facilitating, led to their attempted Newcastle takeover falling through.
However, on Monday night, Reuters reported that BeIN Sport has been showing in cafes and bars in Saudi Arabia, with the TV channel later saying that while there has been no change in the prior blocking, an agreement could be possible in the future.
"There is currently no change to beIN Sports’ situation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the broadcaster said.
"However, we are hopeful of positive moves to fully allow beIN back into the country following the recent political reconciliation."
Any potential Saudi-backed takeover will have to resolve the piracy issues, and this seems like a step in the right direction.
Bruce sends defiant message
Bruce sent a defiant message to his players and Newcastle supporters after Monday's 3-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Newcastle have slipped to within grasp of the relegation zone, with Bruce coming under heavy pressure for his conservative tactics and the poor performances the team has shown.
But this week, he reiterated that he and his players must stick to their beliefs and continue working hard to turn around their struggles.
"We have had a difficult run and the only way through it is to stick with it and stick to your beliefs with it," he said.
"We're not alone that is why we are in the bottom half of the Premier League. It's how you cope with the situation we find ourselves in."
