Source: Northern_Echo
Bruce warns: do not be intimidated
SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce takes his team to Old Trafford on Boxing Day and believes it is important his players do not lose the psychological battle in the tunnel before a ball is even kicked against the Premier League leaders.[LNB] Teams are often overawed by the occasion of playing against a side such as Manchester United and subsequently end up leaving on the back of a defeat.[LNB] But the Black Cats have already caused an upset this season, when they beat champions Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and they'll be looking to inflict more damage on the title race when Bruce meets his former manager.[LNB] Bruce hopes his players can go into the clash with the same no-fear attacking attitude that shocked Chelsea, but the former Manchester United defender knows his side face a tough task.[LNB] A lot of teams are beaten in the tunnel and I always say you must go and take part in a game and have the courage to take the ball and take them on, Bruce said.[LNB] If you do that you have a chance and even then you have to play to your maximum.[LNB] They don't lose many at home but it is great to play there and if you have anything about you these are the ones you should enjoy 70,000 at Old Trafford that is what you play football for.[LNB] You want to go there and show your skills and show you are a player.[LNB] Last season we played very well there, in fact we played well against them twice. I hope we can go and do the same again and get a result this time.[LNB] I could confidently say we are better than we were two years ago and that goes for a lot of teams improving significantly and that can only bear well for the Premier League. I hope it is not a fluke.[LNB] When Bruce and Ferguson lock horns on Sunday, the Black Cats boss will be looking to beat his former manager for the first time in his managerial career.[LNB] Ferguson's former players have managed just two wins in 24 games against him.[LNB] Only Mark Hughes at Blackburn and Bryan Robson at Middlesbrough have taken all three points from the club's longest-serving manager, in 2005 and 1998 respectively, but Bruce hopes he can add to that on Sunday.[LNB] He has always had a good team and he always enjoys beating us too, the former Wigan boss said.[LNB] It is quite incredible there are a load of us still involved who played under him and at one stage there were four of us I think in the Premier League.[LNB] Make no mistake he welcomes you and then invariably sends you away again feeling miserable after a defeat.[LNB] I haven't had the honour of beating him yet so I don't know how that feels, or what his reaction would be, but the one thing I have learned from him is that he is always gracious in defeat, but maybe that is because he doesn't get beat very often. Let's hope it's this time. There's a first time for everything.[LNB] Meanwhile, Bolo Zenden says there is no reason why the Black Cats can't repeat their win over Chelsea when they travel to Old Trafford.[LNB] Zenden was part of the side that surprised Carlo Ancelotti's men last month and the Dutchman believes there is no reason why they can't cause another upset.[LNB] We go into it having had good results against the big boys and they haven't had a game for some time now so they must have had a good rest, the former Chelsea man said.[LNB] They've got a few games in hand and they're still top.[LNB] We'll just try to do our job and any result we can get will be a bonus.[LNB] But considering the fact that we've done well against the big boys in the past, why not do it again[LNB]
