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Sunday 27 October 2019 16:25, UK
Steve Bruce admits he is unsure if he will be able to strengthen his Newcastle squad in the transfer window and says he has not held any discussions about January with the club's board.
Newcastle brought in Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin and former striker Andy Carroll in the summer as Bruce succeeded Rafa Benitez at St James' Park but they have endured a difficult start to their Premier League campaign which sees them sitting just outside the relegation zone.
Despite a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Manchester United before the international break Newcastle have scored just five league goals so far this season but Bruce admits there have been no talks over whether he will be able to add to the squad this winter.
"I haven't really had that discussion quite yet," he told Sky Sports News. "I think it is vitally important that we get over the start and analyse the squad. I've only been here two or three months and the most difficult thing is analysing everybody concerned.
"I hadn't seen a couple of them play up until last week. Allan Saint-Maximin, for example, has only played the last couple of games. I hadn't seen Dwight Gayle or DeAndre Yedlin play up until a couple of weeks ago.
"But if we can improve the club will always try to improve but as for conversations about January, I've just got on with my job at the moment which is to try and make a fist of this difficult start we've obviously had."
Bruce's appointment was met with some unrest among the Newcastle faithful and, despite previously being in charge of fierce rivals Sunderland, Bruce says the most daunting aspect of taking over on Tyneside was following on from the "adored" Benitez.
"The Sunderland thing was a long, long time ago," he said. "The big thing was to follow somebody like Rafael Benitez, who was adored up here. There's no disputing that because he's a very talented manager. We all can't be Champions League winners, that's for sure, but I understood it was going to be difficult.
"I think whoever was sat in this chair was going to find it a little bit difficult because of how Rafa was and how he was adored up here in Newcastle. He decided to take the route he did, and it obviously left an opening.
"The easiest thing for me would've been to stay at Sheffield Wednesday. I could have stayed in Sheffield, where I thoroughly enjoyed my time, but the lure of the North East and the lure of this job was too great for me at this time in my career to turn it down."
Bruce hopes he is starting to win over some of those who doubted his appointment and says he deserves some respect for his time in the game.
"Results help - I think they can see what we are trying to achieve. They are quite a unique support," he said. "Against Manchester United of course we got the victory, but St James' Park was the way it should be. It was rocking that afternoon so that's what we've got to try and recreate.
"I understand you need a few results along the way to get the doubters over to your side. I'm never going to be everyone's cup of tea, I understand that, but after 950 games I would think you'd show some sort of respect.
"I like to think I know what I'm doing. Whether it's going to be good enough in some people's eyes that's for everybody to see but I'm delighted to have been given the opportunity and I'm relishing the challenge of it."
