Source: Northern_Echo
Boss will take stick in exchange for win
AT MANCHESTER United, Steve Bruce used to relish going toe to toe with bitter rivals Liverpool .[LNB] Today, as manager of Sunderland, Bruce is expecting abuse from the Kop.[LNB] During the 3-0 defeat in March, Reds supporters sang you've got a big fat head to the Black Cats boss. But for Bruce, the abuse is like water off a duck's back, and he even considered wearing a comedy head at Anfield last season.[LNB] He said: Last year I was going to get one of those big fat heads and walk out with it, you know I've had some stick over the years from the Anfield mob, but it wouldn't be same if I didn't get it.[LNB] I'm sure I'll get some more.[LNB] I get fat head' at Liverpool, the Elephant Man' at Man City and Mr Potato Head at West Brom. Is there something wrong with my head or something I'm not blessed with the best of looks, I think that's what they're trying to say.[LNB] My mother thinks I'm lovely.[LNB] I can see the headline now: Fat Head.[LNB] The chanting gave Bruce some comic relief from what was an insipid performance last season.[LNB] Following Sunderland's failure to turn it on in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, Bruce held his hands up and blamed himself for not making enough changes. Anfield is the perfect opportunity to make good his mistakes.[LNB] He said: I should have known better against West Ham. I should have freshened it up more than I did. I had people who ran a million miles against Arsenal and to ask them to go again so quickly.[LNB] Yes, they can do it again but not with that intensity and there was a flatness about us I had not seen for a long, long time.[LNB] I'll take that responsibility but it is like running the Great North Run on Saturday and asking them to do it again on Tuesday. You can do it but not within that time or with that intensity. We had people to the limit and that showed.[LNB] I should have known a bit better, but there you go you make decisions. West Ham made seven changes while I made two, and it looked that way.[LNB] Bruce was left to rue injuries to Kieran Richardson and Anton Ferdinand (both hamstring), who were both ruled out for at least two weeks, forcing him once more to reshuffle his defence, while Asamoah Gyan (hamstring) is a doubt.[LNB] Bruce said: That's the unfortunate thing, not just getting beaten, but the aftermath has affected us badly, defensively we are short.[LNB] It always seems to be our defenders. We have enough to make sure we can manage but we don't want any more knocks.[LNB] That was the problem last year, we played something like 20-odd different back fours, so we have more strength and depth in that department, and we will need it.[LNB] With Gyan's knock and Lee Cattermole returning from suspension, Bruce is expected to opt for a 4-5-1 formation, with Bent ploughing a lone furrow up front. It brought rewards against Arsenal and Bruce expects more of the same.[LNB] He said: We have to go with the mindset of how we played against Arsenal and Man City and if we do that and get to the same heights, we can get something out of it.[LNB]
