Bruce questions summer of change

23 August 2010 16:04
Steve Bruce admits he has probably been too active in the transfer market again this summer as he attempts to take Sunderland to the next step.[LNB] Bruce has drafted in eight men to date - Titus Bramble, Cristian Riveros, Simon Mignolet and Marcos Angeleri, as well as loan signings Ahmed Elmohamady, John Mensah, Danny Welbeck and Nedum Onouha - and is still in the market for two more, while around 25 players have headed through the exit door since his arrival on Wearside.[LNB]However, after a disappointing start to the new Premier League campaign, which has seen the Black Cats take just a single point from clashes with Birmingham and promoted West Brom, the manager has admitted it will take time for his new boys to bed in.[LNB]Bruce said: "We have done a lot - probably too much again - and when you do make a lot of changes, like Saturday for example, people like Simon Mignolet and Cristian Riveros and Ahmed Elmohamady, the one thing they all need is time.[LNB]"We have sort of thrown them in at the deep end because of necessity, and that's maybe a bit unfair on them.[LNB]"Every time when you go away and bring a player in from abroad, you must do one thing, give them time. Wilson Palacios, for example, was six months, Maynor Figueroa was 12 months before I put him in.[LNB]"You have got to give them time to adjust. I noticed on Saturday Cristian Riveros scratching his head and thinking, 'Wow, I have never been kicked around like that before' - and that's by West Brom, who, no disrespect, are one of the less physical teams in the division.[LNB]"But he will learn from it and given time, he will adjust."[LNB]Bruce is yet to replace striker Kenwyne Jones following his £8million switch to Stoke, and while the club is actively pursuing targets, he insists nothing is close to completion.[LNB]He said: "I would love to bring in a couple of players, as I have said before. Whether that's possible, I'm still not quite sure.[LNB]"We have got a couple of irons in the fire. We hope we can pull them off - it would be nice to if we possibly can, but at this moment, we haven't got anything imminent."[LNB]Sunderland will hope to register their first win of the campaign when they entertain League One Colchester in the Carling Cup second round on Tuesday evening.[LNB]Michael Turner and Lee Cattermole are available after suspension, while Andy Reid and Anton Ferdinand could return from injury.[LNB]They would do so with their manager still reflecting on a disappointing 1-0 defeat at West Brom which highlighted once again the club's dismal run of results on the road which has seen them win just 10 times in their last six top-flight seasons.[LNB]Bruce said: "I am looking at our club here, a big club like it is, and we have won 10 times away from home in the last six years. That's how difficult it is.[LNB]"But we are not alone. I saw Fulham's stats, Blackburn's stats away from home - it is difficult and that's the division we are in."[LNB]Bruce is hoping a win on Tuesday night will belatedly kick-start a season during which the Carling Cup will be a priority.[LNB]He said: "I have always said since I came here, it is going to be very difficult for us to win the Premier League, but the one thing we are capable of is winning a cup because you only have to win five or six games - as long as they are not away from home!"

Source: Team_Talk