Planet Swans ArchivesSteve Bruce was very critical of the mass hysteria that can engulf a football manager as he prepared for his visit to Swansea
Bruce will bring his Sunderland side to the Liberty Stadium amongst early season calls for his head through a start that has seen them draw with Liverpool, lose to Sunderland and be dumped out of the Carling Cup at Brighton.
But he is dismissing that talk and concentrating on the job in hand – namely Swansea City of whom he was praising of the fact that they even reached the Premier League
“You have to say, what Swansea have done over the last few years is fantastic,” Bruce said. “It wasn’t so long ago that they were almost out of the league.
“As always, we look forward to the challenge and we know it will be a big, big game for us. “They play their own style and the two wide lads get at you and they have a certain way of playing that has served them well over a few years now.
“They seem comfortable in doing it and we know what to expect.
He added: “They’re cock-a-hoop from getting promoted to the Premier League. “Blackpool are a prime example last season of a promoted team who took the league by storm to start with and certainly Swansea have played some very good football over the last two or three years and we have to compliment them on that. “
But we’ve shown so far this season that we can play as well and we’ll go there in the belief we can get a win and kick-start our season.
“It engulfs you with two results, which I find disappointing. But I have to accept it and realise that’s the way it is up here and I am not going to change it.
“That’s why loads of managers have probably sat here and struggled and found it difficult because of what engulfs you straight away.
“It shows you how difficult it is up here. The mass hysteria, I find some of it pathetic, to be honest.
“But, then again, you come to expect it. It’s two games, and nobody is going to tell me in that Newcastle game that they were far better than us. They weren’t.
“We deserved to get something out of the game. That’s how it was.”
He continued: “It’s unfortunately part of where we play football here in the north east.
“Some of it, in my opinion, has been unjust and unfair, but we have to live with that and accept the criticism.
“But I know for a fact I am not going to be derailed from what we are trying to do and what we are trying to achieve.
“We are an inch away from it as far as I am concerned and if we add a bit more firepower, we have got the nucleus of a very, very good squad to see us all right this season.”
