Source: Telegraph
Manchester City must give Mark Hughes time, says Sunderland manager Steve Bruce
The former United skipper will pit his wits against Manchester City manager Hughes at Eastlands on Saturday with the Welshman coming under mounting pressure from the club's supporters following a 3-0 defeat at Tottenham on Wednesday. [LNB]Bruce himself is hardly having the best of times at Sunderland having guided his club to five points from a possible 24 but his position is not the subject of constant speculation that seems to the case with Hughes at mega-rich City. [LNB]Guus Hiddink, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have all been linked with taking over the reins at Eastlands, but Bruce believes former United striker Hughes' paymasters must follow the United way and be patient as Hughes tries to take City into the upper echelons of the Premier League and land a major trophy. [LNB]"Myself and Mark played for an unbelievable club that has an unbelievable mentality," Bruce told reporters on Friday. [LNB]"But to start with, though, with myself and mark at the start of it, it took years. Manchester United didn't win the league for 23 years or something like that before it turned around eventually for Sir Alex. [LNB]"Of course he is the barometer that we all want to be. I am sure Mark, like myself, will be given time to get it right and make sure that our clubs go forward. [LNB]"Will he be given time? You hate to see managers who just go into clubs for six or eight months and then just be judged on one transfer window. Surely you have to be better than that but who knows with football these days." [LNB]Bruce added: "I go back all the years to when I worked under Sir Alex. He got something like five years - not one transfer window or one result -because the people behind him who employed him looked at the good work and they knew eventually that he would get it right and they had the foresight to see it. [LNB]"I think that all managers now - and we know it is a different age and can change round in weeks - but we all want to be given a little bit of time and then be judged when you have built your team when you have had two, three or four years at it and then you can be judged and if you are not good enough then, you deserve the sack. It is as simple as that. But one transfer window and one result seems a bit harsh to me." [LNB]Despite Sunderland's poor run of form, Bruce is adamant his club is moving in the right direction but believes "mentality" must be changed at the Stadium of Light. [LNB]"I hope that the people who employ me and I think they are good people can see that we have made progress," Bruce added. [LNB]"Even last summer we had something like 14 players out and six in. so there is still a huge job to be done. I am convinced that I will be given that time. Absolutely convinced of it and I am sure in three years' time we will be far, far better then we are at this moment in time. [LNB]"I still believe we are making decent progress. It is going to take time. But there are decent signs there. We are not getting beaten badly. It is the odd goal here and there. [LNB]"But we have seen that at our ultimate best we are a very good team and then you see us another day, like against Wigan, and you think how have they beaten Arsenal. For instance at Wigan we were so poor on the day that you scratch your head and think why. [LNB]"So there you have it. That is the big challenge for myself and the staff of changing the mentality to turn to club round and have that big mentality of going to Wigans and Fulhams and having the mentality to win." [LNB]That is something Bruce knows all about thanks to his time at United where his club began their domination of English football in the mid-90s. [LNB]Bruce continued: "There was one time when there were four or five of us who had all played in the same team at Old Trafford who were all managing in the Premier League when Incey (Paul Ince) was there and myself and Hughsie and Robbo (Bryan Robson). [LNB]"Of course a winning mentality has been ingrained in us because we have played at a level where you have to win. It is as simple as that. If you don't you don't play there. So you have to be on your mettle." [LNB]
