Source: Northern_Echo
Has wheeler-dealer Bruce gone too far?
MOST people were aware of Steve Bruce's tendency to wheel and deal whenever an opportunity presents itself and this summer has backed that theory up. If his decisions are vindicated, this season could be a huge success, otherwise the cynics will be circling.[LNB] He has managed to significantly reduce the wage bill by offloading a number of players on the payroll who had failed to make inroads towards his first team.[LNB] But it has also reaffirmed a belief that he finds it difficult to overlook a deal for any of his players. Such a tactic is not necessarily a bad thing, although there is every chance it could backfire.[LNB] The last six weeks have seen his captain, Lorik Cana, depart for Galatasaray just 12 months after his arrival and Kenwyne Jones has sealed a club record move to Stoke for considerably less than the £15m Liverpool were quoted in January.[LNB] Bruce has every right to change his opinion on players, particularly when a player like Cana demands to move on the first day of preseason training, but there is a sense that Sunderland are almost starting again.[LNB] [LNB] Five permanent deals have already been concluded for new players, with the defence taking on an almost entirely different look, and there are likely to be more further loan signings to go with those already agreed.[LNB] Sunderland fans have been left trying to guess what Bruce's starting line-up will be for the opening match against Birmingham tomorrow, but it could be a vastly different team when they travel to West Brom the following weekend.[LNB] At least two of Sunderland's signings Cristian Riveros and Marcos Angeleri are unlikely to be considered because they have not figured during preseason.[LNB] The first few weeks are likely to be a case of testing the water.[LNB] Vaguely I have in my own mind the team that will start against Birmingham, said Bruce, who also signed Simon Mignolet and Ahmed Al-Muhammadi from the Belgium and Egyptian leagues. But given the fact that we have just had an international break, my ideas could all be thrown out of the window after the break.[LNB] Angeleri is nowhere near yet. He has a lot to do. He had a knee injury towards the back end of last season and he rocked it a little in Portugal. It opens the door.[LNB] There's always someone who stakes a claim.[LNB] It has been a little frustrating but I purposefully wanted a couple of the lads during the World Cup to take time off.[LNB] John Mensah, Paulo Da Silva and Cristian Riveros have all had time to rest.[LNB] Selling Jones represents Bruce's biggest gamble since taking over at the Stadium of Light last summer. The Trinidad & Tobago international might be viewed as something of an enigma, given his exceptional ability and his relaxed approach to the game, but he was still one of the few genuine matchwinners in his squad.[LNB] Martyn Waghorn, who spent last season on loan at Leicester, is high in Bruce's thinking this year and, with Jones heading for pastures new, he could find himself given more of an opportunity than he would have imagined, particularly if the search for a new striker is unsuccessful.[LNB] Wheeling and dealing is something Bruce has become renowned for, but insists that it is not just Sunderland that have had to listen to offers for their big players.[LNB] If you look, apart from the top four, I think there are five clubs who have not spent anything and then the average for the rest is about £3m being spent, said Bruce. I do believe that there's a cold wind blowing through football now.[LNB] At one time, you could go to the bank manager and try to borrow, but you can't do that any more. At the moment, there seems to be no value for the average Premier League player and yet if you've got a really good one, there's always a value.[LNB]
