Danny Mills enraged Newcastle United fans after telling talkSPORT their ‘expectations are too high’ and that Steve Bruce’s appointment is a reflection of where the club is right now.
Bruce was confirmed as the new Magpies manager on Wednesday morning, having resigned from his post at Sheffield Wednesday earlier this week.
Having lost their beloved Rafael Benitez at the end of last season, the arrival of ex-Sunderland boss Bruce has not gone down too well with the Toon Army.
But Mills argued on Wednesday’s Sports Breakfast that the 58-year-old is ‘what they need right now’.
He also said Newcastle supporters should temper their expectations, as they ‘have no divine right to the top-six’ despite their fanatical support.
And that did not go down well with the St James’ Park faithful.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Mills said: “I think it’s a safe appointment, and it’s probably what they need right now.
“Could they really gamble like Derby have on Phillip Cocu, or someone like that? Mike Ashley is not going to do that.
“It’s difficult because you look at it from Ashley’s point of view and you think, well, he’s keeping the club there or thereabouts in the Premier League, he’s not spending money which makes it difficult for the managers.
“But the fans’ expectations and what the fans want for that club are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to what the owner wants.
“You finish where you deserve to finish.
“They’ve had great players and great teams in the past and still haven’t quite been able to do it.
“They have 55,000 people turn up every single game, the fans are fanatical, but that doesn’t give you any divine right to be in the top six – you’ve got to do it.
“You look at some of the, you can’t say smaller clubs, but some of the other clubs that have come through – look at what Bournemouth have done on small budgets, it can be done.
“I just think Newcastle fans’ expectations are too high.
“They’re not living on the past, but because of that history they hark back to the days when the likes of Shearer and Ginola and all those sorts of players were there and they were challenging for things – but it’s been a long, long time since that happened.”
Mills saw his name trending on Twitter as angry Newcastle fans responded, branding to his comments as a ‘lazy generalisation’.
Many insisted they do NOT expect top six but only that their club show some ambition to progress further up the table, merely than just fight for survival year after year.
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