Steve Bruce knows just how important tonight’s clash with Stoke is as the Black Cats look to kick on once again.
Bruce’s boys have failed to win a top flight game since November 21 and the Wearsiders are in danger of being sucked into a relegation dogfight after a bright start to the campaign.
Injuries haven’t helped Sunderland’s cause but a win against the Potters would lift them to 12th in the table and six points clear of the drop zone. Bruce is aware of the importance of the clash and believes the next fortnight could define Sunderland’s season.
Can you put your finger on why the team hasn’t won since November?
I could make excuses all day long about what the problems are. The simple fact is we need to get people fit. Once we do that and I can get my big players fit, we will be all right. Please believe me, we will be all right. But, until then and until I can get a settled back four in particular, we are always going to find it a little bit difficult. When you are on a run like we are, you have to come out of it quickly.
You have Stoke and Wigan at home in the space of five days – are these high pressure fixtures?
I don’t really feel the pressure – I always think ‘pressure’ is an over-used word – you know the job you are in. I always tried to quell the expectation, I always tried to say to people ‘listen, we have just been out of the Championship two years, we have been in the bottom five for two years, so it’s going to take a big turnaround, it is going to take time before we get ourselves established’. You always try to go down that route. It’s not very easy and, of course, with a club like ours when you get off to a great start, the expectation goes through the roof. If we had stayed injury-free, I think we had a possibility of carrying it on. But it wasn’t to be.
But five the respective positions of the teams they are big games for you aren’t they?
It can define our season – if we can win the pair of them, then we can look to try to catch Everton or Birmingham or Fulham; if we don’t, then we know what’s in store. We have been here before. The club, over the last couple of years, has been in the bottom five, so we’re certainly not immune to it. We will have to get on with it and hope we get the result.
Staying with Wigan – they have complained about your interest in Maynor Figueroa haven’t they?
We have tried to do things properly and tried to go through the right channels. You have never heard me talk about Maynor Figueroa in public until now. It's obviously got into the public domain and Roberto (Martinez, Wigan manager) has had his say on it, which I respect. It's never easy when someone wants your players. I know exactly what he is talking about. It's never easy, but it is part and parcel of when somebody wants your player, and if you do it correctly and people go through the right channels, unfortunately it does get into the media, it does cause uncertainty and I fully understand that.
You will be welcoming back Dean Whitehead and Danny Collins tonight after their summer transfers to Stoke won’t you?
Danny (Collins) and Dean (Whitehead) were both good servants to the club and well liked by supporters. The club got very good offers for the players in the summer and we wished them well in their move. I’m expecting they’ll both get a good reception on Monday night as they were liked and respected by fans. We’ll welcome them back but of course we’ll be hoping they have an off night and we can beat them that’s for sure.
