[Legend] Steve Bruce

[Andi Istiabudi]

Is Steve Bruce Sunderland’s scapegoat?
Written by James Kent

The current situation at Sunderland is a great example of how quickly football can change. In the first half of the season, Sunderland was looking like a club going places and pushing on to challenge for a place in Europe. But now Sunderland finds themselves near the bottom of the table with just 1 point from their last six games. So what exactly has gone so dramatically wrong at Sunderland?

Well injuries have obviously played their part and it’s typical for teams to have a difficult period at some point during a season. But is this simply a blip? Or something of a much more serious nature? Well I have to say that it seems to be more than just a blip, because Sunderland have gone from the top half of the table to edge of the relegation zone. Bearing in mind that the bottom 3 hasn’t exactly been in superb form that really shows how badly Sunderland has slipped of late.

It may be a little unfair to look at all this with at least not mentioning Darren Bent. It should be remembered that Bent was on fire for Sunderland in the first half of the season and the decision to sell him in the January transfer window has surely been a factor in Sunderland’s poor run of form. It is believed that the decision to sell did not come from the manager. Therefore, are the board paying the price for a lack of ambition? I simply find it hard to believe that Sunderland would be in this position, if Darren Bent was still at the club.

However, the Sunderland board must now sit down and decide if Bruce is the right man to push Sunderland forward. In my opinion Steve Bruce is still a top class manager and should receive some level of loyalty from the board. However, how satisfied they are with Bruce will depend on the expectations for the club and obviously relegation would change everything. Steve Bruce laughed off the suggestion he could get sacked. But he should bear in mind that managers are only as good as the results they get and any manager that has had the run of results Bruce has rightly should be under pressure. And the suggestion his job is safe no matter what shows a level of arrogance that may contribute to his downfall.

Source : http://www.footballfancast.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

Steve Bruce thanks fan that gave him four leaf clover for ending Sunderland's miserable run

Steve Bruce was handed a four-leaf clover before their pivotal game against Wigan but, thanks to an inspired Jordan Henderson, the Sunderland manager did not need to depend on good luck as his club’s fortunes suddenly improved.
By Rob Stewart

Bruce required a helping hand as he faced the prospect of a 10th game without a win that would have raised the spectre of relegation around the Stadium of Light but then Henderson, whose displays had been on the wane, stepped up and emerged as Sunderland’s saviour.

After the match, which Sunderland won 4-2, Bruce produced the clover, which is supposed to bring good luck, from his suit pocket and explained that it had been presented to him by a female Sunderland supporter who had previously given it to former manager Peter Reid when he steered the club to seventh place in the Premier League.

“Someone gave me a four-leaf clover,” Bruce said. “Bless her. She was there with her husband, I don’t know who they are, but I thank them for this win.”

However, in reality it was Henderson who deserved Bruce’s gratitude thanks to two goals in an outstanding second-half performance. It was a welcome change in fortunes for the 20 year-old, who was recently dropped by his manager following a run of poor form since his England debut last November, which had led to him being jeered by Sunderland fans.

“In the last couple of weeks I’ve got better and I think I have proved a point or two,” Henderson said. “Had my form dipped? Maybe a little bit. At no point did I stop working hard or working less than I was. The creative stuff I was doing wasn’t coming off.

“People say you have to be mentally strong during those periods and you can never doubt yourself. It makes you confident when you have all the players and the gaffer around you making sure you are OK. Everyone has been a bit down, but we have stayed strong and we have picked ourselves up.

“This is just the start, I can’t get carried away. I’ve only scored in two games this season and have three goals. It’s not good enough; I’ve got to keep working on it.”

Bruce, who said he “went through every emotion you can think of” as Henderson inspired a stirring comeback, is hoping that, having benefited from a brief rest, the high-energy midfielder regains the form that brought him a senior England cap.

“We are looking for Jordan to go on from here,” Bruce added. “I knew he needed that rest. I could only give him that for a week. Like everyone else, I know he has had a long hard season. There are not many of his age playing 45 games on the spin. I took him out, freshened him up a bit and thankfully he has responded.”

Even though Sunderland ended up without a striker as Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck hobbled off injured – while left-back Phil Bardsley was taken to hospital with concussion – Wigan plunged back into the relegation zone as Roberto Martínez’s side fell apart after Mohamed Diamé’s long-range opener. Gyan restored parity before Henderson scored either side of an Stéphane Sessègnon’s penalty.

“Sunderland had a real need for getting points and their home support was magnificent and I think a couple of players going off injured meant the fans got behind the team even more and it made the whole thing very difficult for us,” Martínez said.

“I cannot have a go at the players because of the way we controlled the game. We scored the first goal and that gave us a lot of belief and that is the way we have to look at it for the next four games. The way we have been performing in the last nine weeks has been excellent and I feel very disappointed with the way we lost this game when we were in control.”

Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk

[VaDLi]

flashback :
late comeback by bruce



===



dari squad di atas cuman 4 orang yang masih seger di ingetan gw taun 90an
- Paul Ince
- Gary Pallister
- Dennis Irwin
- Lee Sharpe

yang laennya belom pernah liat lgsg aksinya di tv sejak liga inggris yg mulai ditayangin di Indonesia.

[Andi Istiabudi]

Sunderland boss passes milestone, but there’s no pleasure

STEVE Bruce’s 300th game as a Premier League manager was not one he’ll look back on with any affection.

But Sunderland’s 3-0 home defeat to Fulham on Saturday did underline the fact that longevity is no guarantee of success in what the Black Cats’ manager himself is fond of calling: “the best and toughest league in the world”.

Bruce became only the ninth manager to reach the 300-game milestone, but he did so with his team still not completely safe from the threat of relegation.

And he was insistent after the game that he was taking nothing for granted, despite Sunderland passing the all-important 40-point barrier last week. “We can’t presume anything,” he said of the relegation dogfight.

“We’ve got three games to go and we have to look to pick up some more points to be completely certain. But it’s difficult.

“The last few games have been a total frustration – it has just petered away on the pitch.

“But that’s why the Premier League is one of the hardest leagues in the world. It is very unforgiving.”

Source : http://www.sunderlandecho.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

Bruce denies making Sunderland's injury situation worse
By Scott Wilson

STEVE Bruce has passionately denied accusations that he has contributed to Sunderland's wretched injury record by forcing players to return to first-team action too quickly.

There was more bad news for the Black Cats yesterday as scans detected a fractured fibula that will sideline Kieran Richardson for the remainder of the campaign.

Richardson is one of ten senior players who will miss the final three matches of the season and, like a number of his injured team-mates, the midfielder attempted to return to training, only for his problems to rapidly worsen.

The likes of Craig Gordon, Titus Bramble, David Meyler, Lee Cattermole and Fraizer Campbell have all suffered a recurrence of a previous problem at some stage of the season, leading to criticism of Bruce's selection policy.

The Sunderland boss admits he has never encountered such a crippling injury list, but denies making the situation worse by rushing injured players back into action before they are ready.

"I wouldn't put anybody onto a football pitch who I didn't think was fit enough to take part in the game," said Bruce, who also confirmed that Cattermole and Michael Turner will not feature again this season.

"When they've come back to us, they've been ready. The only one we could maybe say (that did not apply to) was Titus. He'd been out for four weeks and came back and put himself forward saying, ‘I'm fit enough and I want to play'.

"I don't think that (rushing players back) has been an issue, although we're obviously looking at why some of these recurrences have occured.

"A number of our players have had breakdowns and that's something we have to analyse. But I don't think any of those players were rushed back at all.

"I can accept criticism, that's part and parcel of the job, but if I look at myself, I don't think you can take a chance with any of your players."

Nevertheless, Richardson is merely the latest Sunderland player to suffer a serious injury that could yet hamper their preparation for the start of next season.

Bruce is hoping the England international will be available for the start of pre-season training in July, but after his injury, which was sustained in last month's win over West Brom, remained undetected for almost a month, it is hard to put too precise a time frame on his recovery.

"Kieran got a knock in the West Brom game and the surgeon went with him to have some X-rays straight after game," said Bruce. "The X-rays and report showed nothing was damaged. He then went to have a CT scan, which came back as nothing except for a badly bruised bone.

"He then tried to train two or three times, but things were not getting better. It was pretty obvious he couldn't train, so we scanned his leg again and detected a stress fracture in his left fibula. The medical staff tell me a stress fracture can appear ten days to three weeks after the injury occurs.

"It's obviously a blow, but it just really sums up what's been happening since January. In the last few months, it's been one thing after another."

Like Richardson, Meyler will also not be involved in the final three games of the season.

Instead, the Irish midfielder, who returned from a six-month absence in December, only to suffer a recurrence of his knee injury at Aston Villa on January 5, will travel to the United States to conduct a month-long rehabilitation programme with a leading knee specialist.

"David's going to America to see a specialist and do some conditioning work," confirmed Bruce. "It's a programme that's been tailored specifically to him.

"It's strengthening work rather than an operation or anything like that, and it's a big time for him to try to make some progress with his problem."

The mounting injury problems have contributed to Sunderland's worst run of the season, with the Black Cats winning just one of their last 11 matches as they have tumbed to 14th position in the table.

Bruce's position as manager has been called into question as a result, but while he understands the fans' frustration, the North-Easterner insists no club could have coped with the absence of up to a dozen senior players.

"It (the criticism) doesn't surprise me because I always knew how difficult it would be to be a manager up here," he said. "When you have five different phone-ins every night, then you know what's going to be coming.

"People have been saying, ‘Off with the manager's head', but I think I'm experienced enough to know what being a manager's all about.

"One week I'm the best thing since sliced toast - the next I'm incompetent. But I don't think any club could have coped with what's happened. We haven't been able to cope, but I still maintain we have the nucleus of a decent squad."

Source : http://www.durhamtimes.co.uk

[Andi Istiabudi]

Bruce rallies the troops

Steve Bruce is looking to round off Sunderland's home campaign on a high against Wolves this weekend.



Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has rallied the club's fans ahead of his side's final home game of the season this Saturday lunchtime as the Black Cats go in search of their third-highest top flight finish in 55 years.

Bruce was full of praise for the travelling fans at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday after their wholehearted backing spurred Sunderland on to a 93rd-minute winner against Bolton Wanderers.

The Sunderland manager continues to target a top-half finish - something only achieved twice in the top division, in 2000 and 2001, since a ninth-place finish in 1956.

And Bruce is encouraging supporters to once again turn out in their droves this Saturday as Sunderland play their final home game of the season against Mick McCarthy's Wolves this Saturday (KO 12.45pm).

Bruce said: "The support we have had, not only on Saturday, but throughout the season has been quite amazing. The north east is unique in that sense. The passion people show for their football club is extraordinary.

"The fans played a huge part at Bolton and when you consider that we could have more than ten times that amount at home against Wolves on Saturday, it's a massive advantage to have."

With a number of Barclays Premier League clubs upgrading final home fixtures to Category A status - ramping up prices - SAFC are maintaining Saturday's fixture at Category B status, with tickets starting from £10 for concessions and £23 for adults.

Bruce added: "We are now in a position, with the run-in we have, where we can really have a good go at it and achieve what would be the club's third best finish in 55 years.

"Make no mistake, the other two clubs [Wolves and West Ham United] are fighting for their lives, but we also know we could send a packed stadium home happy this Saturday and we have a real chance to finish on a high."

Source : http://www.safc.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

STEVE BRUCE: ALEX FERGUSON WOULD WIN IT WITH TOP-FOUR RIVALS
By Niall Hickman

SIR ALEX Ferguson would have guided any of the current top-four clubs to this season’s Premier League title, it was claimed last night.

His former title-winning skipper Steve Bruce believes Ferguson makes all the difference and adds that certain something which separates the winners from also-rans.

It is a tribute to Ferguson’s enduring quality – but also an indirect swipe at the competing abilities of Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger and Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.

Bruce helped Ferguson win United’s first title for 26 years back in 1993, leading the side who ended their long championship drought. Since then, title after title has returned to Old Trafford and Ferguson needs just one point from United’s last two games to overtake Liverpool and win a record-breaking 19th championship.

Bruce, whose Sunderland side stand in mid-table following a horrendous run of injuries, said: “United were fantastic against Chelsea.

“It was a great performance. I hope they can reproduce it and beat Barcelona in the same fashion.

“If Sir Alex had been manager of any of the Premier League’s top four, they would have won the title.

“He is a genius. He is the greatest ever. I don’t think anyone will get close to his achievements.”

Source : http://www.express.co.uk

[Andi Istiabudi]

Poor form sees Bruce learn about expectation levels
By Steph Clark

SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce admits the past few months have been the toughest he has experienced in management, but insists he has learned a lot about the expectation that comes with managing a North-East club.

Last weekend's win at Bolton lifted Bruce's side clear of trouble after a worrying run of eight games without a win saw the Black Cats slip into the relegation battle.

That run of form also piled the pressure on Bruce, who received a wave of criticism from certain sections of fans, who were even calling for the boss to be sacked.

Rewind a few months and it was a completely different story with the Wearsiders lying in sixth position having taken 37 points from 24 games, with a top-ten finish looking almost certain.

Despite their abysmal run, there is still a chance Sunderland can finish in the top-ten should they win their two remaining games against strugglers Wolves and West Ham and the Black Cats boss insists that is still the aim.

Bruce admits there is no room for hiding when it comes to his team's collapse, but insists that the run of eight without a win included games against five of the Premier League's top-six teams.

Speaking about the expectation that comes with managing in the North-East, Bruce says he now understands how quickly things can change.

"In our defence we were against the top six, we weren't against the bottom lot, but for whatever excuses we've got I know we've had major problems," Bruce said.

"The vast majority can see through that, but it's made me learn how quickly the North-East changes and how difficult it is here.

"I wouldn't change anything let's get that straight but it does change very quickly, it can turn here for whatever reason.

"It's been the most difficult period I've probably ever had. It's taught me about the North-East too.

"It's taught me about the expectation. I knew all about it beforehand, of how difficult it is, because it changes like your vest.

"One minute you're going along very nicely and all of a sudden within weeks, I'm incompetent and that's how difficult it is here."

Sunderland took 4,500 fans to the Reebok Stadium on Saturday, something Bruce admits highlights the hunger for success in the region.

Born and raised in Northumberland, Bruce understands the passion that surrounds football in the region and admits that after spells managing in different parts of the country, nowhere is quite like the North-East.

He said: "It is driven by the media, no disrespect to anyone who's involved in the media, but here we have phone-ins every night of the week on four stations. That never happens anywhere else in the country.

"It's an insatiable appetite for football in the area. It's taught me a lesson but I still wouldn't swap it.

"We have a level of expectation. For one thing the size of the crowds we get is fantastic.

"If we get 40,000 this week we'll average over 40,000 for every home game this season and for a club like us that's quite incredible. They enjoy the football so much.

"The 4,500 that went to Bolton last week. Thank God we won for them because they were terrific."

Source : http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

[Andi Istiabudi]

Kasihan juga kalau Steve Bruce sampai dipecat, sebenarnya dia cocok melatih untuk klub-klub menengah Inggris ...

STEVE BRUCE: I NEED NINE CATS' LIVES TO SAVE MY SKIN
By Clive Hetherington



STEVE BRUCE faces a huge fight to persuade Sunderland’s wealthy owner Ellis Short to splash the cash on up to NINE new signings this summer.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is under growing pressure after his side’s dramatic mid-season slump.

And he admits his *Sunderland career could be over if he fails to find a replacement for Darren Bent.

Injuries to key strikers was a contributing factor but it was the loss of Bent, 27, to Aston Villa in a £24million deal in January that had the biggest impact on this season.

The Sunderland gaffer believes wealthy Yankee backer Short knows he must splash out after losing the club’s key striker.

Since Bent’s departure, Sunderland have taken just ten points out of 42 and didn’t win a single match *between January 23 and April 23.

Injuries to £13m record-buy *Asamoah Gyan, 25, on-loan *Manchester United youngster Danny Welbeck, 20, and Fraizer Campbell, 23, have left them *without a senior striker.

But Bruce is more *determined than ever to win over the fans.

West Ham striker Demba Ba, who turns 26 on Wednesday and faces the Mackems today at Upton Park, is one of Bruce’s *targets.

Brucie said: “I don’t have any *regrets over *Darren Bent. It was very *difficult at the time but the boy wanted to go. Obviously we’ve missed him. We have also had the problem of Welbeck, Campbell and Gyan *being injured.

“I’m meeting the owner next week. He has put in a fair few quid here but knows the squad size is unhealthy. It’s a huge challenge.”

Bruce has spent around £60m during his two years in charge of the Black Cats but will argue he has shown a net profit on transfers.

Short though is understood to be unhappy with some of Bruce’s big signings, particularly Paraguay midfielder Cristian Riveros and Argentina right-back Marcos Angeleri, who have hardly figured this season.

Bruce signed a new three-year deal in February but Sunderland are 14th going into today’s final game at West Ham, a place lower than they finished last season.

Source : http://www.dailystar.co.uk

[Andi Istiabudi]

Steve Bruce: Laga Persahabatan Yang Tak Masuk Akal

Bola.net - Manajer Sunderland, Steve Bruce menganggap laga persahabatan yang dijadwalkan di tengah pekan ini sebagai sesuatu yang tak berguna dan juga tak masuk akal.

Beberapa pemain Liga Premier Inggris dipanggil untuk memperkuat negara masing-masing hanya beberapa hari menjelang digulirkannya musim baru. Salah satu diantaranya adalah laga Inggris melawan Belanda hari Rabu (10/8) waktu setempat. Bruce beralasan laga tersebut rentan akan membuat pemain cedera, akibat kondisi yang belum sepenuhnya fit.

"Ada 7 pemain kami yang dipanggil untuk bermain di laga persahabatan yang tak penting, sungguh hal yang menggelikan," ucap Bruce.

"Saya tidak dapat mengerti mengapa ada laga persahabatan sebelum kompetisi bergulir. Dan jika melihat pengalaman kami di musim lalu, sepertinya ini akan merusak rencana kami di awal musim."

"Saya tidak pernah tertarik dengan laga pra musim, saya membencinya sewaktu aktif bermain."

Hingga menjelang digulirnya Liga Premier, kubu Sunderland termasuk yang beruntung karena tidak ada pemain kunci yang cedera. Dan dengan bekal ini The Black Cats berharap bisa lebih baik dari musim lalu.

"Selain John O'Shea, yang baru bisa turun minggu depan, semua pemain dalam keadaan siap," pungkas mantan tangan kanan Sir Alex Ferguson ini. (gl/mac)

Source : http://www.bola.net