Source: Team_Talk
Bruce gets inspiration from Trotters
Bruce launches his reign as Black Cats manager in earnest on Saturday with a visit to the Reebok Stadium, where Gary Megson has taken on the mantle of former Bolton boss Sam Allardyce.[LNB]Megson was a surprise choice for the job in October 2007 after Allardyce's right-hand man, Sammy Lee, had a brief, unhappy stint in charge.[LNB]But the former West Brom and Leicester boss has defied the sceptics by escaping relegation in his first season, then leading Wanderers to a comfortable 13th-place finish last term.[LNB]Sunderland, who have earned a reputation as a yo-yo club after being relegated three times from the Premier League in nine years, have come perilously close to going down again in both seasons since Roy Keane returned them to the top flight.[LNB]Now Bruce, appointed in June after quitting Wigan, is urging his reshaped squad to follow Bolton's example.[LNB]He said: "For what they have done as a club, I have the hugest respect. For a team like Bolton to be in the Premier League for the past eight years is a quite remarkable achievement, fantastic.[LNB]"They've added three or four to their squad which will make them bigger, better and stronger, and it will be a tough test. Anyone who goes to Bolton knows what to expect.[LNB]"That's the way we have to go to establish ourselves. We have to go nine or 10 years in the Premier League.[LNB]"Then you don't have to make six, seven signings at a time and keep changing manager. You just have that consistency and continuity. That's what we need here and that's the aim."[LNB]Bruce was quick to salute Megson, saying: "I have a lot of respect for Gary. I don't think he has been given the credit he deserves.[LNB]"He's obviously left in place what Big Sam had achieved. They played a certain way and Sammy came in - and I'm looking from the outside - and wanted to change things quickly and they weren't used to that.[LNB]"To be fair to Gary, he's gone there and reverted to the way they played under Sam. I don't think Gary has ever had to prove anybody wrong.[LNB]If you look at everywhere he goes, he does okay.[LNB]"He plays a certain way and he does it his way and won't waver from it. He does really well and gets the best out of what he has.[LNB]"It was always going to be difficult for someone like Sammy to follow Sam - he got them into Europe twice, that was a remarkable achievement. If we can do that here at Sunderland, I'll be absolutely delighted, that's for sure."[LNB]Bruce is relishing getting down to serious business, admitting: "I hated pre-season as a player and it's just the same as a manager with these friendly games and all this nonsense that we play. We've done well in pre-season and I hope we can continue that way.[LNB]"I think we're taking something like 5,500 supporters to Bolton, so I hope we can go there and show them what we are about and what we mean to do."[LNB]Bruce will assess the fitness of striker Kenwyne Jones and winger Carlos Edwards following long-haul international duty with Trinidad and Tobago, and new £5million midfielder Lorik Cana, who has been away with Albania.[LNB]He also faces a decision over Paraguay defender Paulo Da Silva, one of five recruits this summer, who has just received a visa and looks unlikely to figure due to a lack of match practice.[LNB]Bruce said: "I'll see how Kenwyne and Carlos are and I'll see how Lorik is. He was in Albania and to get back from there he's had to make two or three plane journeys as well.[LNB]"We will see how they are physically and assess them on Saturday morning."[LNB][LNB] Bolton v Sunderland. Click here to bet.
