Sunderland FC

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Bruce supports Black Cats duo

19 Sep 2009 - 11:51:59

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Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has defended midfield duo Lee Cattermole and Lorik Cana against suggestions that they are over-physical in their approach to the game.

The summer signings have both picked up a number of yellow cards already this season, but Bruce is not too concerned about that situation.

He told the Sunderland Echo: "They are not deliberately going out to maim somebody, that's for sure, but the amount of tackles they both try to make, they are going to make one too many or mis-time one.

"But if we can just calm them down a little bit, then obviously we will do.

"You can see the way Cana plays, he is a huge competitor and wants to compete, he wants to do all that stuff.

"Of course, we have got to curb the exuberance he has got and try to take away the yellow cards if he can.

"But make no mistake - I think I said it when we signed him - he will be a cult hero here because of the way he plays.

"He doesn't want to try to hurt anybody, he just enjoys that part of the game and Cattermole does exactly the same.

"That's why I brought the two of them here, to give us a competitive edge in the middle of the park."