Steve Bruce still cannot win as a manager against Manchester United. In his post-match e-mail, he praises a good but losing performance …
Dear Colin,
With the penalty shout the right decision was made. There wasn’t any real clarity on it even after seeing a replay.
It was a handball, we could all see that. Ultimately we’ve got no complaints.
It’s such a shame for Wes [Brown] to score on own goal; we seem to make a habit of conceding own goals at Old Trafford.
It’s especially disappointing because the back four and the goalkeeper were terrific today.
Defensively we were excellent. I can’t remember ever being as comfortable in a first half against a Manchester United team, but unfortunately we fell to a set piece.
We posed a real threat and it’s disappointing because when you play so well here you’ve got to take your chances, but unfortunately we never managed to do that.
Keiren Westwood has been knocking on my door looking to get a chance in the team and he played very well today. All of those training sessions he’s put in have paid off for him today.
As always, the fans were great. The support for our club is fantastic, they travelled in numbers to see their team and they can be pleased with them today.
We weren’t quite good enough to get something out of it but certainly gave a good performance.
All the best,
Click here: £9.50, post-free for UK buyers, from the Salut! Sunderland ShopAll the best,
Steve Bruce
Keith mate I quote ‘Bruce has spent significant amounts of cash’ as a Bruce outer you fail to mention the amount of positives on the balance book. Yes he fat, yes he’s a Geordie blah blah blah.
Let’s take a step back to last year and Bruce’s ‘ a few marquee signings’ quote. Do you think he just made that up or were his hands tied by ES financial constraints and ‘modern professional footballers’ mercenary attitudes?
Let’s all just get behind ‘OUR TEAM’ and not pants wet about a certain club riding high early doors, FFS we have seen how quickly a house of cards can collapse(Burnley, Wolves, us….).
As for SB I’m still undecided, when he has had HIS SETTLED core team available we have done well.
Keith wrote:
‘Everyone is entitled to their opinion but temper it with reality and base them on fact’
You should take a leaf out of your own book, the fact of the matter is Bruce was brought in on a three year contract to stabalise the ship and prove year on year improvement. And although we did finish 10th last season the distance in points from relegation was not great, we could still have been in the mire on the final games of the season.
Additionally, from January 2011 till now our results have been, with one or two exceptions, a disgrace. Has Bruce achieved his core goals, are we seeing season on season improvement, I think not. This season we are seeing a continuation of the kind of form that we displayed since post Bent.
Additionally we have not resolved the post Bent striker problem which should have been a priority. We are still non-creative from the midfield and lack firepower up front. Bruce has spent significant amounts of cash and still we are tactically limited and motivationally bereft.
I am all for giving a manager a chance and getting behind the team but there does come a time when you have to get real. The facts do not support your stance and to suggest otherwise is just sticking your head in the sand.
Keith – the Anti Bruce brigade will never get real on here , it’s Bruce out , then hope for the best.
Newcastle are riding high , and riding their luck , which all stems back to their win at SOL , It must have been a huge confidence boost to beat your local rivals after being pummeled for most of the 1st half .
Good display from the lads on Saturday – we had a go , and it was nice to see Westwood in goal , he certainly inspired more confidence than Mignolet , in my opinion
We are building a new team and most of them are young or very young, give them and the manager the time and respect they deserve. We need a more balanced and patient approach from the supporters. We have lost to Man U, Arsenal Chealsea & newcastle all top teams Norwich was a bad result but other than that we have played well and are improving every week. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but temper it with reality and base them on fact. It is time to be positive and ambitious not time for change. Lets get behind Brucie and the lads.
As usual, I agree with Bill. There is something lacking and it is to do with a lack of motivational ability and poor man-management, I think. Bruce is desperate to play to the camera and schmooz around his more illustrious buddies, but there is a sense of a lack of focus and discipline in his managerial style. What ever goes on behind the scenes, Pardew comes over as sharp and efficient and evidently has a sophisticated approach to training and fitness. I still would like to be proved wrong but although we weren’t bad yesterday, we weren’t that good either, and is that good enough?
I have a horrible feeling Alan may be right. The team don’t give their all because Bruce hasn’t a clue how to motivate them. The best army needs a good general. Newcastle, on paper, isn’t as good a side as Sunderland but Pardew knows how to get the best out of them and has them surfing on a wave of confidence now. Bruce, meanwhile, has his guys splashing around trying to keep their heads above water.
I don’t have any faith in Bruce either Alan. The other day he said ‘You can talk about formations and tactics all you want if you don’t give your all you’ll get nothing’. Or something similiar. I wouldn’t care if we actually played with passion and gave our all but we don’t even do that do we?
I am not a mag I have been a season ticket holder for six years at Sunderland and I love my club I just have no faith in Steve Bruce can’t understand his methods and his selections of the squad it’s not rocket science that square pegs won’t go into round holes but this muppet thinks they will
I’m no phsycic but I think Alan may be a mag. So then, is anyone confident we’ll win our 3 home games coming up?
Nothing to day and as another week goes by the maggies win and we don’t that’s another 3points they are in front of us and another week we get further near relagation people keep saying to me we won’t go down come may we will see then the same people will be saying why didn’t we get rid of that maggie in charge of us then it will be to late can’t see where we will win our next game now our goal scorer Larson is suspended is that muppet of a manager bruce got no morals please bog off now and go back where you come from sick to death of you once a mag always a mag in my eyes and yr proving it week after week
Pete Sixsmith: “Slipshod defending…”
Steve “It’s Disappointing” Bruce: “Defensively we were excellent.”
I think I’ll take Pete’s word for this.