George Caulkin joined the Pod on the Tyne podcast along with Chris Waugh and Taylor Payne as they discussed Steve Bruce's situation at Newcastle United and came to some interesting conclusions.

At the moment, Bruce looks to have quite a tough job on his hands amid a poor run of form that has seen them go without a win in four games.

Still, while the former Aston Villa coach has not proven overly popular during his short stint in charge given he was replacing the much-loved Rafa Benitez years after he'd last managed in the Premier League, Caulkin does believe that he's not really getting enough protection from those who sit above him in the club's hierarchy.

He said so himself on the Pod on the Tyne (26/2/2020): "Whatever you think about Steve Bruce, he's not getting any protection from the people above him and around him. And I think people just have to take responsibility and they have to help him out."

What Caulkin means here is that the upper hierarchy and the likes of Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley aren't really communicating with the fans and speaking about the situation in which the club finds itself. Considering the protests levelled against that particular regime over the years, the problems seem to run deeper at St James' Park, with Bruce currently largely the only port of call as it stands when it comes to communicating directly to the fans.

Newcastle fans, do you agree with Caulkin on this one? Should Bruce indeed be more protected from the upper hierarchy? Let us know in the comments below!