Steve Bruce received 'glowing' reports from Les Ferdinand and Tim Sherwood about Nabil Bentaleb - and the Newcastle United head coach does not have a problem with the midfielder 'having an argument' because he 'wants to win'.
Bentaleb played in the last 16 of the Champions League for Schalke last
season but soon found himself banished to the reserves because of disciplinary issues.
The Algeria international had not played for the first team since April but has kept himself fit and will make his Magpies' debut against Oxford United on Saturday.
Bruce did his homework on Bentaleb and received 'glowing' reports from Ferdinand, who spent two unforgettable seasons at St James' Park before going on to coach the midfielder at Spurs, and Sherwood, who brought the 25-year-old through and handed him his first-team debut.
"I don't think he is a maverick. I don't think that's quite right. It's fair to say he will have an argument but he wants to win and I've got no
problem with that," Bruce told reporters ahead of the FA Cup fourth-round tie.
"The people I've spoken to, who had him before, had no issues at all. I always check up and all the reports I came back with were nothing but
positive.
"He's got himself into this situation because he's had a row with someone but how often have we seen that? It's our advantage. Up until last year, he was playing week in week out for a big club in Germany and playing in the Champions League, and playing very well too.
"Because of that situation, I think we have got ourselves a very good player. It's up to me to get the best out of him, manage him, and I am
quietly confident that's what we will do."
Bruce has monitored Bentaleb's progress since he broke through at Spurs in 2013 before the midfielder went on to join Schalke because of a lack of game time under Mauricio Pochettino.
Bentaleb has trained with his new team-mates this week and Bruce has seen enough from those sessions to 'know he is a good acquisition'.
"He's a good player. All this week has been where is he in terms of fitness levels?" he said. "Excellent in all of it so there's not even a
question mark to say he's not going to play because his fitness levels are fantastic considering he hasn't played. Well, he played 45 minutes about three weeks ago but not for the first team. He's terrific. He's in great nick."
Newcastle could reach the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2006 if the Magpies beat League One high-fliers Oxford, who have
decent cup pedigree.
The U's beat a much-changed Newcastle at this very stage of the competition three years ago and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup earlier this season.
Bruce has vowed to play his strongest possible team at a packed St James' Park - Bentaleb looks set to start - and that stance has its roots
in leading Hull City to Wembley in 2014.
“I’ve never changed on it. I really haven’t. I think now the team have bought into it," he added. "Dave Meyler was at the training ground with
Ciaran Clark talking about the FA Cup and the greatest day of his career and it certainly changed me because I am never going to win the Premier League.
"We were close to winning the FA Cup. It’s the only thing we can realistically try to achieve. We have to have a bit of luck along the way
but let’s try and beat Oxford and it’s a great opportunity to get to the next round."
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