Source: Team_Talk
Bruce calls for financial restraint
Steve Bruce has called for clubs to show prudence after his Sunderland side condemned Hull to Championship football and an uncertain future.[LNB] Darren Bent scored the only goal at the KC Stadium on Saturday to leave the Tigers six points from safety with two games remaining and with a vastly inferior goal difference.[LNB]Hull chairman Adam Pearson admitted Hull are around £35million in debt, although he remains confident they will not have to go into administration.[LNB]Portsmouth this season became the first Premier League side to enter administration after living beyond their means, and Bruce thinks clubs have to show more restraint.[LNB]He said: "I think we all in football have to have a look because the one thing that's certain, the (Hull) supporters stayed with them and the one thing they don't want to see is the demise of their football club.[LNB]"It's happening too often. I sincerely hope Hull can pull through because it's a great little stadium and a great atmosphere and they've had a wonderful couple of years, so I hope all the reports aren't true.[LNB]"We need to make some sort of stand. We're all hungry for success for our club and it's that horrible one where you try and chase the dream and spend money that you haven't got.[LNB]"You have to be strong enough and tell your supporters that if you can't afford it, you can't afford it. You've got to cut your cloth.[LNB]"It's a responsibility for managers and chairmen and chief executives that, if Armageddon happens and you fall out of the Premier League, then you're not in some sort of financial meltdown."[LNB]After a promising start to the season, Sunderland endured a nightmare middle part of the campaign before rediscovering their form to climb away from the relegation struggle.[LNB]Yesterday's result lifted the Black Cats into the top half of the table and Bruce is gunning for a top-10 finish.[LNB]"It means something to us all," he said. "We've said for weeks now we want to try to get ourselves in the top 10.[LNB]"In the Premier League at the moment I think we're up in the top six on current form and, after the winter we had, it's great to see them respond again. In the first half in particular we looked a very decent team so it bodes well."[LNB]Hull travel to Wigan next weekend before finishing their season at home to Liverpool, and Pearson has already made clear how important it is financially for the club to finish above Burnley in 18th.[LNB]Tigers boss Iain Dowie's contract only runs until the end of the season and, with his future uncertain, he is determined to end on a positive note.[LNB]Asked how his team would approach the next two games, he said: "You restore some pride. We took a magnificent away following to Birmingham (last weekend). We've got to go there (Wigan) and put some points on the board and get the maximum points tally we can.[LNB]"We're not going to capitulate. We've never packed in, there's no chance of that. You find characters in bad times."
