Steve Bruce Shouldn't Be Under Pressure....

By Luke Edwards on Nov 5, 10 11:24 AM

I know the North East means a lot to a lot of people. I know it is THE game of the season and I know the prospect of listening to Newcastle United fans banging on about 5-1 wins for the next 20 years makes a Sunderland heart sink, but it still shouldn't mean Steve Bruce loses his job.

Bruce has taken a right old battering this week as some supporters use the derby demolition as an excuse to kick their manager's achievements on Wearside.

As ever, a sense of perspective is needed. When you are in pain, you lash out, normally at those who are closest to you and Bruce is an easy target.

He is the manager and he is ultimately responsible. It was a dreadful performance and a humiliating defeat, but it was not entirely Bruce's fault and neither does it mean Sunderland are suddenly a bad team.

They had a bad day, no, they had a terrible day, but it was only their second league defeat of the season, they are still unbeaten at home and a win against Stoke at the Stadium of Light this weekend would lift them back into the top nine or eight. Hardly a club in crisis.

Sunderland have shown steady improvements over the last 15 months and that should not be allowed to go to waste just because one woeful derby performance and the embarrassment that follows.

Bruce has already come out fighting, and he will be backed by Niall Quinn when the Sunderland chairman speaks to the press today to mark his decision to become a patron of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Now the players have to do the same. They were the ones who didn't turn up last weekend, they were the ones who were out-played and out-fought by Newcastle and they were the ones who conceded five goals at St James' Park.

They have shown this season that they are more than capable of holding their own against the best teams in the country, now they have to prove they have the strength of character and the professional pride to bounce back from a major setback.

If they slip into another four month winter slump like they did last year, then yes Bruce's position will be under threat, but not now, not after one bad defeat. That is just stupid.

Bruce has responded to the defeat by finally pairing Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan against Stoke, while John Mensah will return to the defence in the place of the suspended Titus Bramble.

These are two players Bruce has placed a lot of faith in, yet neither have really played this season because of the good form of others.

In particularly, having spent £13m on Gyan and sold Kenwyne Jones to get him, big things are expected of the Ghana international.

Bruce needs him to start repaying some of that faith as well as the club record fee. If he doesn't perform over the next few weeks the manager might really be in trouble.