Steve Bruce questioned on his Newcastle United future

Bruce's side were convincingly beaten 3-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last night. The result left the club in 15th place, and seven points above the relegation zone, ahead of Saturday’s game at Aston Villa.

“I think half the league’s in a relegation battle,” said the former Sunderland manager. “We’ve been stuck, unfortunately, on 19 points for a while. We always knew this was the most difficult part of the season for us in terms of fixtures. We’ll keep plugging away. I’m sure it’ll turn.”

Asked if he was the right man for the job, Bruce said: “I’ve been in it a long, long time.

"When you’re in the bottom half of the table, the reason why you’re there is some part of the season you’re going to have a difficult spell. It’s how you deal with it. I’m not going to shy away from it, so yes, 100%.”

Bruce was asked what he said to his players after the game.

"Whatever I say in the dressing room will remain between me and my players, but there weren’t harsh words,” he added.

“I’ve been in the bottom half of the Premier League for a long period of time, and the reason you are down there and in the bottom half is because you go on runs which are difficult.

“It’s a difficult period, but it’s about how you handle yourself and go about your work, stick to your beliefs and principles, and get through it.”