Steve Bruce laments Sunderland display against Norwich City
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has expressed his concerns over his side’s latest performance against his former club Norwich City in which the Black Cats lost 2-1 at Carrow Road.
The loss signals Sunderland’s third of the season and places them in 14th with five points, just the one point above the relegation zone. Bruce was most concerned with the team’s passing of the ball claiming his players gave the ball away far too easily.
“We didn’t pass it as well as we normally do, we gave the ball away too cheaply, which is one thing which we have improved on, especially after the performance against Stoke. Today we had too many people that gave the ball away too cheaply, well for me anyway.”
The sunderland manager continued:
“We made a rally towards the end, but we needed to score maybe a little earlier and then it might have been a bit different. But overall I’m slightly disappointed with it.” Well the timing, straight afterwards we’ve switched off and not gone with runners and not the done the basics, and the first one was exactly the same. They played a one-two down the side of us and we’ve switched off for that minute, and that’s what it takes.”
Bruce did have some praise for his opponents though and did not lay all the blame on his players, adding:
“But fair play to Norwich and the crowd and all the rest of them. It was going to be a difficult one, and one in which we needed to play well on the night, and unfortunately we didn’t do that.”
Sunderland beat Stoke City last weekend 4-0 to relieve some of the pressure on Bruce with some suggesting it is now time for the former Manchester United defender – after much spending in the summer transfer window – to leave the Stadium of Light.
