Source: Daily_Mail
NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Titus Bramble proves his doubters wrong (for now) after summer move to Sunderland
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce doesn't like me very much at the moment and it is not difficult to see why. [LNB]When I wrote in this column about the surprise decision to sign former Newcastle defender Titus Bramble back in July, rather than Sol Campbell, I knew it would make me unpopular at the Stadium of Light. [LNB]I was so sure of it in fact, I even admitted it at the start of the article. [LNB] Strong: Titus Bramble put in a man of the match performance in the win Manchester City[LNB]'I will not be thanked for writing this,' I said . [LNB]'But if he is going to sign Titus Bramble, Bruce leaves himself open to question, criticism and one day, perhaps, even ridicule. . . it could prove to be his resignation note.' [LNB]On Sunday night, when he was quizzed about the former Ipswich trainee's early performances in red and white, and following his man of the match performance against Manchester City, Bruce made his displeasure known to me and anyone else in the Stadium of Light Media Room. [LNB]Looking in my direction, and understandably, with no flicker of humour, the Sunderland manager said some of the comments about Bramble had been 'disgraceful'. [LNB]'And I hope certain people are prepared to admit they were wrong,' he said. [LNB]Oh dear. Well, here goes. [LNB]To Titus and Steve, an apology. I was wrong (so far).[LNB] Adamant: Steve Bruce has defended his signing of Titus Bramble[LNB]My criticism and assessment of them both was harsh and unfair. Bramble has been very good in his first five games for Sunderland - although there was a slight blip at West Brom - and I am more than happy to put the record straight. [LNB]The majority of Sunderland fans certainly seem to like him - every meaty, well-timed tackle gets a cheer, every boot of the ball, his speciality, earns the same - and he was outstanding against City on Sunday. [LNB]But we are still in the first month of the new season. And even Bruce, with so many centre-backs to choose from, cannot be certain that Bramble will be one of his first choice centre-halves for the remainder of the campaign. [LNB]Difficult times: Titus Bramble hardly covered himself in glory at Newcastle [LNB]He has competition from Michael Turner, not so long ago an England hopeful, and Ghana captain John Mensah, the defender whose presence, when he is fit, makes such a difference to Bruce's team and who the Sunderland boss was so keen to re-sign on loan from Lyon after an impressive debut season and World Cup. [LNB]I still say signing Bramble in a £1million deal from Wigan was a gamble.In a season which will mark the return of the Tyne-Wear derbies, adding a player who hardly built a reputation as a dependable defender with Newcastle seemed strange to me, and undoubtedly to many Sunderland fans. [LNB]Just check the message boards at the time.And he may still be prone to errors, just like any player, and should not be above criticism. [LNB]While I wasn't there, by all accounts it was a momentary lapse of concentration between Bramble and Paulo Da Silva at the Hawthorns which enabled Peter Odemwingie to bag the winner a fortnight ago. [LNB]As a Geordie, and a defender, and a man who has become reacquainted with the forthright opinions of supporters either side of the black and red divide, it looked like an unnecessary risk and exposure to criticism by the Sunderland boss.[LNB] Much of my assessment of Bramble was based on his performances in a Newcastle side a few years ago, and there can be little doubt on the evidence of Sunday that he has matured as a person and a player since he was signed by Sir Bobby Robson and, to put it politely, struggled with his consistency.[LNB] [LNB]Options: Bruce held talks with Sol Campbell about a move to Sunderland[LNB]Of course, unlike Bruce, we didn't get to see him every week at Wigan, and what we did see was the odd mistake, highlighted on Match of the Day, which left him open to ridicule. [LNB]Even last season, with Bruce at Sunderland, Bramble made a couple of daft errors which cost his side dear and his days looked numbered under Roberto Martinez for a while. [LNB]Bruce himself can't have been that sure about Bramble when he first took over at Wigan, because he often left him out of his side in the early days. [LNB]It was only through Bruce's own coaching and perseverance, and Bramble's undoubted commitment to his trade, that he worked his way into Bruce's affections and starting line-up and became a better defender and more reliable. [LNB]Clearly, in Bruce's opinion, he was very good value at £1 million when he was available on the market this summer. If he can win Bruce over as he did all those years ago, he can win us all over in the North East. [LNB]Let's hope we all say he has done so in May. [LNB]Meanwhile new record signing Asamoah Gyan arrives at Sunderland with a very different reputation following his impact at the World Cup Finals with Ghana. [LNB]The £13 million addition from Rennes, who has been on the Bruce radar for a year, is the kind of player who will put bums on seats at the Stadium of Light, and who, on his summer performances, can transform a game, terrorise defences and give a spark to a team. [LNB] New boy: Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan [LNB]Clearly securing the deal has not been easy, and the decision to sacrifice another promising Sunderland Academy product in Martyn Waghorn to Leicester to help fund the deal is a brave one, and one that will not have been taken lightly by Bruce or Niall Quinn. [LNB]And financing the Gyan deal is another gamble for owner Ellis Short, and, unlike Bramble, it is not a cheap one. [LNB]If it gets his club into the top ten, he will be more than pleased he was convinced to do it.[LNB] I'm Ghana flourish for incredible fans, says Sunderland's £13m new boy GyanOn the move, again! The journeymen players whose next transfer was never far away[LNB]
