Hull City manager Steve Bruce will face Sunderland for the first time since being sacked AS Steve Bruce prepares to welcome former club Sunderland to the KC Stadium on Saturday, Hull City goalkeeper Steve Harper believes the former Black Cats manager is still hurting over the way his reign on Wearside ended. Bruce spent just over two years in charge at the Stadium of Light, in which he led the Black Cats to a tenth-place finish in the Premier League, but a bad run of form cost the former Manchester United defender his job in November 2011. Saturday will be the first time Bruce has met his former club since being sacked by chairman Ellis Short and Harper, who joined the Tigers following his departure from Newcastle United in the summer, admits his boss has been relishing the opportunity to face his old club. Following his dismissal on Wearside, Bruce felt the fact he was a boyhood supporter of Sunderland’s arch-rivals Newcastle contributed to his sacking. Harper, who played in last Sunday’s narrow defeat to Tottenham, is likely to keep his place in goal against Sunderland after first-choice keeper Allan McGregor was ruled out for up to six weeks, and the 38-year-old admits Bruce is still hurting over the way things ended on Wearside. “I would think he still hurts from what happened at Sunderland,” Harper said. “Especially considering the job he did as well. He was 13th, 10th and then they had a dozen games or so when they played the top six and he lost his star centre forward as well. “I think it he hadn’t been a Newcastle supporter as a youngster he probably wouldn’t have lost his job as quickly as he did. That was held against him. His record there is a good when you look at what’s happened since, it stands it up even more. I’m sure this will be a fixture he will have his eyes on.” Harper could have played under Bruce a lot earlier in his career had the former defender accepted an approach from Newcastle to become their manager in 2004, but the Corbridge-born boss was keen to stay loyal to his club at the time, Birmingham City, with whom he has just signed a new contract. However, Harper believes the chance to follow in Sir Bobby Robson’s footsteps was an opportunity missed for Bruce, but understands why he decided not to take up the offer. Harper said: “There are a lot of similarities in the way Steve does things to the way Sir Bobby did, and I think, we haven’t discussed it, but I’m sure he regrets not taking that opportunity to do that. “You could probably understand his reservations at the time following on from such an iconic and legendary football man, but I think as time has gone on he probably realises that, especially supporting the club as a boy, what a fantastic opportunity it was, but who knows in the future.”
Oh ffs all that time sat on the bench has scrambled his brain.... In management the great Sir Bobby and Bruce, should never be mentioned together.. Daft as a ****ing brush, this 2nd rate g/k.
What's different is that we didn't boo our manager or spit at him when we were challenging for the title. Bruce got loads of support and only got any stick when he started blaming the supporters for the **** football we were playing.
I remember cheering Bob Stokoe to the rafters...............think he came from the same region. Plus he actually PLAYED for the mags. Harpers opinion is as pointless as his career
Every fan going to Hull at the weekend with banners calling Bruce a liar!!! It still makes me foam that he claims his Geordie roots done him. He had won about 2 games in a calendar year FFs!
Harper fails to mention that the 'iconic' Sir Bobby Robson was hounded out of Newcastle by supporters after only finishing 7th in the league..
Maybe not but the sold out away end chanting Its coz you were ****e Its coz you were ****e Not coz your a geordie Its coz you were ****e Loud as **** will
Bruce has so far said nowt, so good on him. Harper on the other hand has opened his gob without putting brain into gear first. for the record, I thought Bruce's downfall was letting Bent get his petulant way in the transfer window without having a replacement in place. His record was dreadful after that..
I may have taken this seriously if it had been a footballer talking. As it's coming from a player who wasted any career they could have had, to warm a bench. Nah!
One of my son's is a football player who dropped a division to play for the first team in front of a crowd. I respect him for his decision. Harper may as well have been stacking shelves at Tesco ............... what a waste of an obvious talent. He claimed to be 'doing it for the love of Newcastle' but has ended up at Hull who recently beat Newcastle
If we win we will be too many points ahead of you to catch up.-BUT you did beat the Geordies-well done
Not very good at maths are you? Unless you are saying you are going to win all the rest of your games. You wouldn't be silly enough to claim that would you?
