Reliable European journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft has named former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre as the "favourite" to replace Steve Bruce at Newcastle United.

What's the story?

The Magpies confirmed earlier on Wednesday morning that Bruce had left the club via mutual consent, and that has naturally prompted the inevitable merry-go-round of manager names being linked with the job at St James' Park.

And, according to Fjortoft, there is already a leading contender to replace Bruce.

Writing on Twitter, he said: "I understand Lucien Favre is the favorite to get the Newcastle job."

Attacking football at St James' Park

In his time at Dortmund, Favre enhanced his reputation as a manager who could get his side's attacking pieces firing on all cylinders.

A passage that perfectly summarises his brand of football can be found on the Bundesliga’s official website, which said: “If Jürgen Klopp's BVB played 'heavy metal football', Favre's Dortmund are modern jazz: there's a lot of room for improvisation and individual expression, but it's within a well-defined framework that ensures all the pieces fit harmoniously."

The Swiss coach took the club forward with an energetic, free-flowing style of football, with Favre’s side scoring 84 times throughout the 2019/20 campaign, a tally that was only second to Bayern Munich.

Given the fact he's had experience managing one of German football's biggest teams, taking on the prospect of managing Newcastle in this new era shouldn't be as daunting as it would be for someone far less experienced.

Favre will know all about the pressure and expectation that comes with taking on a job at such a prestigious club, and his history of getting his teams to play attacking football bodes well for Magpies fans, who will surely be buzzing.

Meanwhile, George Caulkin has dropped some behind-the-scenes insight on PIF...