Source: Team_Talk
Bruce happy to ease Gyan in gently
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will resist the temptation to pitch his £23million strikeforce into Premier League battle - for now.[LNB] The Black Cats invested in excess of £13million during the summer to add the firepower provided by Ghana international Asamoah Gyan to the proven class of Darren Bent, who scored 25 goals last season.[LNB]Bent and Gyan are yet to start a league game in harness and with the pair having contributed nine of the club's 10 goals to date this season - the other was a Stephen Carr own goal - there is a growing clamour for Bruce to unleash the full power of his armoury.[LNB]However, the manager is happy with the way his side has been playing in recent weeks with the England international at the pinnacle of a 4-5-1 formation, and is unlikely to tinker with that as he heads into tomorrow's home clash with Aston Villa.[LNB]Asked if he is tempted to change system and play both men from the start, he said: "There will be a time when we do it, of course. But the team is playing very, very well and the team comes above anything.[LNB]"It is quite rare now in the Premier League, for instance, to see any team playing with two.[LNB]"We are playing with two out-and-out strikers because Danny Welbeck is a striker, but he is playing towards the left.[LNB]"It is very difficult. I have always played 4-4-2, I have always been one who has enjoyed playing 4-4-2.[LNB]"But I do believe that you do need decent possession of the ball in the big games now, and who of the big teams does that anymore?[LNB]"Even Manchester United, when they play the big games, play 4-3-3 or 4-5-1, if you like; Chelsea do; Tottenham did on Wednesday night until they had somebody sent off.[LNB]"It's becoming a trait, isn't it?"[LNB]Gyan has started just one game for the club - the 2-1 Carling Cup third-round defeat by West Ham - but has two goals to his name, and Bruce is making no apologies for easing his big-money signing into the English game.[LNB]He said: "I had no hesitation in paying the money for him. What it has enabled me to do, though, is let him have a little insight into England.[LNB]"To be fair, his first game, he thought, 'Dear, oh dear'. It's the intensity - for instance, at Blackburn the other night.[LNB]"It's the intensity and the way teams play. Nobody plays like that in France.[LNB]"He hasn't seen it before. He has probably seen it on TV, but when you are up there and see it...[LNB]"It has enabled me to let him come to the club and quietly let him settle in. Believe me, he will have a big impact when we unleash him."[LNB]Sunderland head into the Villa game sitting in 13th place in the table, but just two points worse off than their opponents in eighth.[LNB]They have lost only once in the league all season - at West Brom on August 21 - and after a run of fixtures which has seen them play Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United already, Bruce is reasonably satisfied with their return.[LNB]He said: "I knew when I looked at the first 12, 13 games of the season, we were playing the top 10 of last year, apart from Everton, so we knew it was going to be a difficult start, a really difficult start.[LNB]"If we can come out of the first 12 games - and I include Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea and Tottenham, who are all coming up - and be in the pack or close to the pack after those sort of games, then we are obviously going to be pleased."
