Even without fans, the decibel levels will be high at Turf Moor on Sunday with hollerers-in-chief Steve Bruce and Sean Dyche fighting for their Premier League lives.

Bruce will not hold back on the touchline, particularly with Newcastle in the midst of a relegation dogfight that could go down to the final fixture.

In his more reflective moments, the 60-year-old wishes he could be a little calmer on matchdays. But he realises he will not be changing now. His Toon players can expect another earful at High Noon.

'I was always vocal as a player,' says the former Manchester United captain. 'You don't get as many vociferous players these days — it's a dying art.

'I've always been the same, trying to get involved rather than just sitting in the dugout quietly. I've seen other managers sit there quietly and thought, "Oh, I wish I could be a bit like him". But the one thing in management is to be yourself.'

Having travelled the length and breadth of England during his career — he first left Newcastle aged 16 to sign for Gillingham — Bruce's return home has not been the fairytale he envisaged, and that is putting it mildly.

Owner Mike Ashley wants to sell, Toon fans regard him as a downgrade on Rafa Benitez and relegation is a real possibility.

Newcastle are 17th and their clash against Burnley looks critical, with imminent fixtures against West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester City likely to prove challenging.

Bruce has been beset by injury and Covid issues, and even the news that top scorer Callum Wilson will return is offset by skipper Jamaal Lascelles missing with a foot injury that may rule him out for the rest of the season.

Worryingly, Newcastle have looked insipid for much of the campaign. Ashley has belatedly put his hand in his pocket but spent badly. At £40million, striker Joelinton cost more than any of Liverpool's front three — Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane — but last week's goal against Spurs was only his eighth in 73 games.

Bruce's rolling contract means he is entitled to a nice payday if he is dismissed. He appears more controlled than he did during the final Premier League knockings at Hull City in 2015, but some gentle pressing makes it clear he has found this job his most difficult yet.

'Look, it ain't easy,' he says. 'Managing this club up here is arguably the toughest because of what it means to the area, to the supporters, to everybody in the North East.

'The football club is a big part of a lot of people's lives. With that comes huge expectation.

'Let's be brutally honest, when you are with Hull there is a realism you could get relegated. Here it's different, of course.

'It's how you deal with it. If you have got a little bit of experience, it helps. In management, the more experiences you can draw on the better.'

Bruce's longevity has helped him deal with problems that might have finished him off earlier in his career.

He accepted the appointment of coach Graeme Jones, made by the club, even if it looked like an insult to the abilities of him and his staff.

Matt Ritchie has returned to the team despite a training ground bust-up that saw the player brand his manager 'a coward'.

Ryan Fraser was unhappy at being axed once Allan Saint-Maximin had recovered from Covid, though officially the Scotland international has a groin injury.

Newcastle beat Burnley 3-1 earlier this season, and will be desperate for a repeat this afternoon.

Standing on the touchline next to another heavyweight in Dyche, Bruce knows the stakes. Television viewers may need their earplugs.