Newcastle's Bruce ready for axe to fall after Wolves defeat

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce said he "knows the drill" in a hint he would not be surprised if he lost his job after a 2-1 Premier League defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers stretched their winless start to seven games.

The outcome left Newcastle in 19th place on three points ahead of the international break and Bruce conceded they had a mountain to climb.

"Whoever you are in the Premier League, if you haven't won in seven games we all know the drill," Bruce told the BBC. "We all know what comes.

"It's not easy. It still disappoints you and upsets you. I look at myself straight away. Can we do better? We'll keep looking at it and working on it."

Jeff Hendrick cancelled out Hwang Hee-chan's opener for Wolves in the first half but the South Korean forward had the last laugh as he netted a 58th-minute winner from a sublime assist by striker Raul Jimenez.

Bruce rued a missed chance to turn the match on its head in the 50th minute when Allan Saint-Maximin, who lacked any support up front, was denied by a superb save from Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa.

"We got back into the game," said Bruce. "After we scored, we had the big chance in the second half and unfortunately we didn't take it.

"The second goal was a bit too easy for my liking and l feel like a long-playing record at the minute."

Wolves boss Bruno Lage, who succeeded Nuno Espirito Santo after his Portuguese compatriot took over at Tottenham Hotspur during the close season, praised the home fans and Jimenez.

"The support from the stands was amazing," he said. "It's three more points. This is the hardest competition and we are happy at the moment but we need to continue.

"Jimenez didn't score but he is very important for us, especially what he did with the second goal."