IT would be a cold-hearted sports journalist who begrudged Steve Bruceâs decision to swerve the post-match Press conference with the print media after yesterdayâs 4-0 drubbing of Stoke City. The Sunderland boss is usually affability itself, win, lose or draw, with the gentlemen of the Press. But the events of the past few weeks have most definitely put him under real strain and yesterday he was a no-show, sending assistant Eric Black up in his place. Bruce suspects that newspapers, far from reflecting anger and frustration on the terraces, have only served to fans the flames at best, or mischief-make at worst. âThe mass hysteria that has engulfed us for the last two weeks after the defeat against Newcastle has surprised me,â he said. âWe finished 10th last season, but we lose against Newcastle and all hell breaks loose. âWeâve picked up five points and these two weeks have been incredible by the media. âFans are fed by the media, but when they are writing this nonsense â one had me gone in 48 hours â some of the journalists have to look at themselves. âIâve had stick all my life, but you donât become immune to the frenzy.â In truth, the manager was only half-right about the flak heâs received. Some of it was certainly unmerited. Much of it could be construed as unfair. But the fact remains that a derby defeat at the Stadium of Light on the back of seven home defeats in the preceding eight games was always going to bring him no end of grief â media manufactured or not. When the going got tough though, Sunderland got going, delivering from the opening whistle yesterday and forcing two goals home inside the first dozen minutes. âIf you get off to a good start in the Premier League and if you score first then 80 per cent of the time you win,â Bruce pointed out, before re-iterating his belief that he and his players are on the right track despite a difficult opening few weeks. âNothing will derail me from the job of competing around the top 10,â he said. âAnd given my squad, and a bit of time, Iâm confident we can do that
Bullsh*t. There were a lot of people (supporters, not the press) wanted rid of him at the end of last season. He's just using this Newcastle result as another cop-out. Is he really saying the Brighton disgrace would have been acceptable if we hadn't lost to Newcastle? Tripe.
Results and performances dictate the fans mood and the media attention, both for good and bad, follows that mood. It doesn't create it. It was the appalling results of the last 8 or 9 months that had people such as myself calling into question his management and with much justification. Our home record prior to yesterdays game was as poor as at any time in the last 15 years and some of up were demanding action. That Bruce himself changed the team for the game yesterday shows he had called it wrong so far and the evidence was there for all to see. He changed his team and won the game and he gets a big pat on the back from us all. However, 1 result doesn't put right all the wrongs and we need to kick on and put a little run together now to prove we really have turned the corner. It is in Bruces hands, as it always was to shut the likes of me up but rest assured, another slump and the press and fans will again voice their concerns.
Hmm, the usual sarcasm of a BiB with no real answer. Would the Brighton thing have been acceptable to you then? Would it?
and the usual one dimensional argument was from a BOB founder member, where you happy with the Stoke result, was that "acceptable", Liverpool result ok? Brighton were a team on fire at that stage of the season - new stadium. ambitious manager, we were not the only Premier team to exit the competition at the early stage - are those clubs shouting for their managers heads? Anyway, this board has not changed - I have not posted for a month or so as I was sick of every article turning into a Bruce out debate, I was just cutting to the chase and you took the bait quite predictably. I'm off, i will let you rabid dogs chew Bruce(your teams manager by the way) to shreds as only Sunderland supporters can - no other board does it better than not 606 so I hope your all proud of yourselves. I bet Bruce seems like Caesar on the ides of March.
The Stoke result was very good for me. The Liverpool result was o.k., too. And I said so. But there were a lot of people wanting Bruce to go at the end of last season. You can't deny that, surely? So how come it all boils down to one Newcastle result in August? That's rubbish, man.
BiB OR BoB, not bothered, has Bruce been fairly treated by the press, or are his claims of mass hysteria by the press founded?
You can't have nine months like he's had and not expect to take flak. That's the nature of the job. O.k., there have been bright spots - Wigan, Liverpool, Stoke, etc. - but there have been an awful lot more black spots. He can't really complain, and he certainly can't pin it all down to one Newcastle result in August. I think he's been treated like any other EPL manager would have been treated.
Our best league finishes in recent years the table does not lie. i think progress is slowly being made 4 games in and people wanting him sacked i still think the top 10 is easily achievable barring no bad injuries. I just don't understand what people expect we are not going to get the Top 6
With all due respect to everyone who posts on here BiB's BoB's and fence sitters - the real issue Bruce has (as was demonstrated by sending EB out to meet the media) is, IMO, the press not the fans. How much notice do we all really think anyone in the higher reaches of the club reads or takes notice of this or any other message board? Fans are allowed to huff and puff, show support and dissent as they feel appropriate. The Press makes a living from making **** up, exagerating what they do print and assisting the agents with their speculation...Bruce has a right to be annoyed with the press in the same way we have to be annoyed at him if we believe he is not doing the right thing.
I agree Mitchmackem. I'm neither BiB or BoB, I want Bruce given a fair crack of the whip this season, he delivered a tenth place last season which the majority of supporters would have been happy with at the start of the 2010/11 campaign. Where Bruce went wrong was building up the expectations of the supporters by exceeding how we expected the team to do, Europe beckoning and then we had the awful run(post Bent sale and injury crisis) and made tenth. If we still had Bent and no injury crisis then I would have been calling for his head. He has till Christmas to be around the top 10 barring a 4 match beaten run and then I reckon he should be replaced. Its how I see it - I think I'm being fair and even handed - are you?
I think the crowd were split 50/50 before the game yesterday. While taking my pre game slash in the West Stand I overheard 2 groups of blokes having a discussion about Bruce, they obviously did no know each other, 1 group was very much BIB and the other BOB. It was all friendly banter and a few others got involved but it struck me that in general (before yesterday anyway) the fans are very much split on if they want Bruce or not. All I care about is us winning and playing well, we did on Sunday so at the moment I am still with the BIB camp.
