Source: Team_Talk
Bruce warning at sub-standard show
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has warned his players they will have to be better if they are to achieve their aims for the season.[LNB] The Black Cats eased their way into the Carling Cup third round with a 2-0 home win over League One Colchester on Tuesday night, but were handed both their goals on a plate.[LNB]They face Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday knowing they will have to raise their standards significantly if they are to take anything from the game.[LNB]Bruce said: "We know we need to improve, but it was only 10 days, a fortnight ago, whatever it was, the first game of the season and I was purring for an hour.[LNB]"We will have to be better than that - we will be better than that - at the weekend.[LNB]"We have got a hell of a challenge and we will look forward to it."[LNB]Sunderland found themselves 2-0 up eight minutes before the break with more than a helping hand from Colchester keeper Mark Cousins.[LNB]He first misjudged Bolo Zenden's 20th-minute long ball forward to allow a delighted Bent to head over him into the empty net, and then dropped the Dutchman's free-kick at his feet with predictable results.[LNB]The visitors rallied either side of half-time with home keeper Simon Mignolet having to tip an Anthony Wordsworth header on to the bar and then keep out two well-struck shots from David Perkins, but substitute Martyn Waghorn might have extended the lead with a 75th-minute piledriver which rattled the woodwork.[LNB]Bruce, who made six changes to the side which lost 1-0 at West Brom on Saturday, was happy to have secured a first win of the campaign, but admitted there is still much work to be done.[LNB]He said: "The only real positives we can take out of it are Darren scoring a couple of goals, which do him the world of good, and Michael Turner, Andy Reid, Lee Cattermole, people like that who need games basically, and for that it's come out okay.[LNB]"Apart from that, it was difficult. We must pay a huge compliment to Colchester.[LNB]"I saw them walking on the pitch before the game thinking, 'We love all this'. It was their cup final and they are big and strong and well organised, and they made life difficult for us.[LNB]"We had a difficult evening with them."[LNB]One of the big positives for Bruce was the former of Belgian keeper Mignolet, who has been pitched in a little quicker than he might have expected as a result of Craig Gordon's broken arm.[LNB]The Scotland international is close to a return, but his understudy's performance tonight won him the applause of his manager.[LNB]Bruce said: "It's been difficult for Simon, it's been very difficult for him.[LNB]"To throw him in at the deep end is not ideal, but you can see his potential.[LNB]"He has got all the bits and pieces that you need and I think he has handled himself very, very well for somebody who's 21.[LNB]"Today, he pulled off a really, really top-class save in the first half.[LNB]"He is handling the ball a little bit better, that has given him a little bit of confidence, of course, and I am sure he will have a big, big future.[LNB]"I think today is the sixth week that Craig Gordon has been out, so if the doctors are right, hopefully we will be back in a couple of weeks."
