Sunderland Will Be Happy With A Top Ten Finish

By Luke Edwards on Jul 7, 10 03:24 PM

Interesting to see Steve Bruce target a top eight finish for Sunderland this week, while also suggesting it will be virtually impossible to achieve. A novel approach to managing expectations at the Stadium of Light.

To translate, Bruce knows Sunderland aspire to be play European football - Niall Quinn has talked about this happening within the next two years - so he publicly indicates he shares that ambition while simultaneously implying it is unrealistic.

Simple but effective way of balancing the demands of the boardroom with the need to protect your own position.

Sunderland have improved under Bruce, there is no question about that. But they probably haven't improved as much as he would have liked and this is an important time for him as manager.

There was talk of a top ten finish at the start of last season when Bruce breezed into the Stadium of Light, but the Black Cats had to make do with 13th in the end.

Bruce did well to contain expectations in his first year and was impressive during the troubled mid-season period when the pressure was on, but more will be expected this time.

He has the full backing of the board, but no manager's time is unlimited. If Sunderland look like they are treading water questions will be asked. That's the nature of the football beast.

Nevertheless, progress and the very fact they weren't ever seriously threatened by relegation - despite going three months without a win during a particularly bleak mid-winter - was significant, not just for the club's own peace of mind, but also for how others perceive the Wearsiders.

Bruce has talked about the importance of this in the past, and the fact Sunderland can now start to talk about themselves as an established Premier League club should help with that progression towards becoming a European contender.

But have they done enough to move on to the next level? A top eight finish is too much to expect at this stage of Bruce's reign when you consider they are competing against the likes of Everton, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool for that status, but many fans - and members of the board - will be looking for signs of continued progress which probably means a top ten placing come May.

Bruce has put the foundations in place, now he has to add the fixtures and fittings. He is building this summer from a greater position of strength than he was 12 months ago, but can Sunderland attract the calibre of player they need to make another leap forward?

He still has to move players out as well as bring new ones in. In moving the club on a level, he needs to clear the decks, replace average Premier League players with good ones.

That hasn't been done so far and it will be interesting to see whether there are anymore new signings until some have been sold.

Ellis Short is a very generous benefactor, but he isn't a daft one. The club is operating at a significant loss, money he covers out of his own pocket, but the situation has to be controlled.

The dead wood has to be trimmed from the wage bill - Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney, Teemu Tainio, Nyron Nosworthy and possibly even Phil Bardsley will be sacrificed - before any new branches can be supported.

There is still plenty of time to go until the transfer window shuts, but while Cristian Riveros looks like a good signing judging by his World Cup performances the squad still lacks the required quality in both full-back positions and at centre back.

Don't be surprised if another striker comes in as well, even if Bruce has indicated he wants to give Martyn Waghorn an opportunity after a season on loan at Leicester City, while the interest in Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia suggests he feels pace and goals are lacking in midfield.

After the summer break, Bruce is back at work and he has lots to do....