Brucie in The Mirror, pressure mounting

Steve Bruce has come out fighting and demanded Sunderland show some “b***s” to get out of their relegation scrap.

The Wearsiders' boss says he is being driven on “by the fear of failure” as his side look to end a slump of just one point from nine games.

With his former club, and fellow relegation candidates, Wigan visiting the Stadium of Light at the weekend, Bruce admits he needs a change of fortune to ease the growing pressure from home fans.

Bruce turned his phone off this week to get some thinking time, and says he will learn lessons of what went wrong this season and put them right next term - making it clear that he would not walk away from the challenge.


He said: “As a manager, you have to be resilient. You must make sure you have people that can come with you. You have to show your teeth and come out fighting and hope that the people around you have the same kind of b***s that you do.

“You become hardened to it. It’s how you respond and react and get out of it. Only your team can do that for you. They’re the ones who can produce a performance and send the fans home happy on Saturday.

"The people around me - my family - it probably upsets them more than me. For six months I was the best thing since sliced bread. And then, all of a sudden, I haven’t won in nine.

"You’ve got to analyse what has gone wrong. I’ve tried to do that.

"People are saying Wolves are now gone - and that’s just taking Kevin Doyle out of their team. Just one player. We’ve had six of our big players missing for long spells. Only seven of our players have played in more than 60 per cent of the games, which is way way short, and ultimately that’s what’s caught up with us. That’s genuinely where I think things have gone wrong.

“If I could have picked a team without these injuries, we would not be in this position. But I can’t put over that reason too often, because ultimately it’s an excuse and that’s what I don’t want to give.

“I had a game of golf this week - it’s about the only thing I’ve won recently! That’s how you relax - a game of golf, a few beers and throw the phone in the drawer.

“I was off on Wednesday and my phone was off too. In the past, I wouldn’t do that, but I put my phone away and tried to switch off because all the energy has to be focused on Saturday.

“It helps that the chairman, Niall Quinn, is a football man like myself, but I can never ever take that for granted. Make no mistake, he’ll be getting some s**t right now, too. Right?

“If you’re a chairman or manager of a club, you’re going to come under the cosh at times unless you’re extremely lucky, and not many of us are Sir Alex Ferguson. I won’t Niall for granted - I’ve got to get him a result and then we’ll go again. We’ll analyse where we’ve gone wrong, I’ll certainly analyse myself, but for me it’s personnel.

“The owner has been away. He’s not very happy at the moment either, but none of us are. I’d expect that."

Striker Danny Welbeck has a chance of being fit to face Wigan but Kieron Richardson is a doubt.

Bruce added: “We’ve a magnificent following of supporters - a quite unbelievable hardcore - who haven’t had much to shout about over the years, but they’ll be there in their thousands on Saturday. For them, I hope we can go and produce a performance. Pressure is only what you put on yourself.

“The only thing I’m scared of in my life is failure. That’s what keeps me going - the fear of failure.”















Read more: http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=586449#ixzz1KFoNLS70

 

To late he already has failed, thats why people want him out, its like bolting the door after the horse has gone

 

Its the switching the phone off mate, always the sign that the pressure is on and you know it.

 

Brucie in the mirror,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,with no reflection.