Steve Bruce leapt to the defence of Titus Bramble after the defender was sent off in Sunderlandâs controversial goalless draw at Borussia Monchengladbach. The defender was dismissed in the 70th minute by German referee Christian Bandurski for a second bookable offence following a harmless-looking challenge. The game was spoiled by the home sideâs tendency to go to ground too easily and Sunderland were punished time and time again. Bramble will not be banned for the opening day of the season against Liverpool. Instead, he will sit out Wednesdayâs clash with Kilmarnock, organised to give Wes Brown and Asamoah Gyan more playing time. Bruce said: âBig Titus has been out for the best part of five months and I had a word with the ref beforehand to say, âLook, itâs his first game back in months and heâll make the odd challengeâ. It was more clumsy than anything else. âBut thank goodness itâs only a friendly and he wonât miss the first game of the season.â Judging by what i read the ref was over protective and the Germans were falling like cards.
Sent off in a friendly banned for the next one simple, still think he has a fair way to go before he is back to what he was at the start of last season and, for that reason I'd think about leaving him out of the first few games. After all we have O'Shea and Brown who can cover at CB. Turner has been about the same as Bramble still needs some more time to get himself sorted lets just hope we are allowed that luxury for the start of the season.
I must confess that I find it very 'unsporting ' for a player to be sent off in a pre-season friendly. Surely the sporting thing to do is for the ref to have a word with the bench and say next foul and he will be off, so as to allow a substitution? Ive seen that happen several times in such games in the past. Bloody krauts still cant get over 1966 can they, or those two minor conflicts in the early and mid 20th century where they finished a poor second on all 3 occasions. Lol
U It sounds like the ref was just a jobsworth. Unless a foul was reckless or malicious the Dick should've kept his cards in his pocket for both sides. In these games any ref worth his salt should realise the players aren't going to be Upto speed. There are going to be some mistimed tackles. Thankfully Bramble will only miss the kilmarnock game.
