In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 267 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United, claims that decisions being made over Steve Bruce's head will continue to happen as they have done for years as long as Mike Ashley owns the club.

It was a constant feature during Rafa Benitez's tenure at the club as he would constantly call out the hierarchy for a lack of funds, vision and willingness to back him, something which Bruce hasn't done and it may well have earned him extra time in the job.

Newcastle United are in talks to hand Dwight Gayle a new three-year contract despite him scoring just one goal this season and being handed four top-flight starts by Bruce, which suggests he doesn't trust him to lead the line.

Speaking on why nothing will change under Ashley's ownership and how both Bruce and Benitez have experienced the same problems, Lee told FFC:

"The decisions always come from the top and are always made above the manager's head. Rafa had the same problems and those problems are not going to go away.

"No matter who's in charge those problems won't go away and they're always the same decisions which get made above the manager's head."

Before the previous international break, Bruce was handed a vote of confidence from both Ashley and Lee Charnley who like the way he conducts himself and is respectful to the club and owner.

The Magpies earned a point against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month which saw them move three points clear of the bottom three after Fulham's late collapse at Villa Park on the same day, before following it up with a rare 2021 victory over Burnley.