Source: Team_Talk
Bruce questions summer of change
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. 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.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.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."We have sort of thrown them in at the deep end because of necessity, and that's maybe a bit unfair on them."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."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."But he will learn from it and given time, he will adjust."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.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."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."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.Michael Turner and Lee Cattermole are available after suspension, while Andy Reid and Anton Ferdinand could return from injury.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.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."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."Bruce is hoping a win on Tuesday night will belatedly kick-start a season during which the Carling Cup will be a priority.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!"