bruce says...relax just do it!

STEVE Bruce has urged Sunderland’s new boys to curb their over-eagerness to impress.


The 11 summer signings at the Stadium of Light have understandably been eager to make their mark for the Black Cats, particularly given Sunderland’s indifferent start to the campaign.

But the likes of John O’Shea, uncharacteristically sloppy with his possession in Monday’s defeat at Norwich, and Connor Wickham, who spurned a glorious opportunity against the Canaries, are still to hit top gear.

Boss Bruce believes some of his acquisitions have been weighed down by a desperation to shine and cites the example of Craig Gardner as one who felt the responsibility to live up to his reputation as a goalscoring midfielder.

The 24-year-old hit double figures for Birmingham last season, but struggled for the Wearsiders until he broke his duck in Sunderland’s last outing on Wearside against Stoke City.

Bruce told the Echo: “Anyone who moves to a new club is obviously keen to impress.

“But I’ve just felt that with the likes of Craig, he’s been trying too hard and this tag of 10 goals from midfield has been weighing on his mind.

“All he wanted to do was score a goal, but then he forgot that he was a midfield player.

“The most important thing was to have a quiet word in his ear and tell him to calm down a bit and go and enjoy it and let me do the worrying.

“Getting a goal should settle him down though.”

Meanwhile, Bruce is hopeful that Seb Larsson will be back to full fitness for Saturday’s visit of West Brom.

The Swedish midfielder sustained a toe injury against Stoke and struggled to participate in training in the run-up to the trip to Carrow Road.

But after completing more than an hour against the Canaries, Larsson should be in contention to keep his place at the weekend, with Bruce under no illusions about the 26-year-old’s importance from deadball situations.

“The good thing is that Larsson’s set piece delivery has been excellent for us,” added Bruce.

“In the two years I’ve been here, we’ve not been a threat from set pieces, basically because we haven’t had anybody capable of delivering it.”

 

I actually agree with him

 

Bruce may have a point here. Stokoe only signed three players in his first season - Halom, Guthrie and Young. The others, who had looked like liabilities till Bob came, were suddenly free of all Alan Brown's military-style discipline and they revelled in it. Within months, players who were joint second bottom in the Championship (and deserved to be) looked like world-beaters ! If players relax and have fun, they can play much better.

 

I have been saying it for a while we need some time.

A couple of good signings in Jan and we could have a good season, we just need to be in contention in the middle of the table by then. Even if were 12th 13th and its a close amount of points from there to 7th then I think we will come good in the end.

 

Larsson injury is the reason he was took off against Norwich, will anyone apologise about slagging Bruce off about that sub? Doubt it but shows people are far too quick to judge.

I agree Vegas we shoud come good near the season close this time instead of the blip, we just need to keep in touch until then and as you say 12th/13th wouldnt be a bad position going into January.

 

I slagged him off for bringing larsson off but if he was injured fair enough, he should have brought a midfielder on and a striker instead of two strikers, was mcclean on the bench? was larsson playing left midfield?

 

Bloody hell where's all the negativity gone finally people starting to get behind bruce and the players.
I still say you do not become a bad manager overnight its only a year or so ago that he was tipped for the England job however so was Allerdyce.
We need a little luck and not all bad.

He did not see Gyan leaving
He did not shove drugs down Brambles throat

I would really like to know what budget he is working to we sold Ferdinand which now may leave us short.

 

nothing like a bit of a scandal and the mags taking the piss to bring all us Sunderland fans together and get us behind the club.....

 

Don't get carried away lads. One sensible comment from Bruce does not clear up nine months of failure and confusion. Two home wins in nine months won't go away as fast as you would like it to. I want him out tomorrow at the latest.

 

Which of them were trying to impress at Carrow Road then? Can't remember anyone looking over-eager

 

Exactly. Remember a couple of seasons ago when I think Spurs only had 2 points at this stage of the season and went on to finish 6th with no personell changes of note, save the manager. We still have time, even though the majority of our fans seem to be massivelly impatient.

 

So let's change the manager and go for sixth. 'Spurs proved that it can be done, and Liverpool did something similar last season.

 

Well maybe, but at the same time who would you realistically expect us to get? For me Rafa might be feasible, the likes of Hughes and O Neil aren't any better in my eyes.

 

I have been saying this for months and i don't think hughes is any better than Bruce. if we start to drift into trouble too much then he may have to go but untill then i think we have a good midfield and think we will get a striker in Jan so lets get behind him.

 

If we lose to West Brom he should go. There's 2 weeks till the Arsenal trip and that gives us time to appoint a new manager and for him to have a few days on the training pitch.

I've lost faith in Bruce but hope we kick the living day lights out of west brom

 

Every discussion these days seems to end in one away from the thread, and usually about changing the manager, and with whom, but nothing is going to change until higher management take action, so until then, we have to just get on with it. Unfortunately.