BRUCE ON THE BRINK

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is fast becoming the bookie’s favourite for the first manager to be fired this season, after becoming a target for fans in the North of England.

Steve Bruce has overseen one of the worst Premier League campaigns for Sunderland, as they lie perilously close to the drop zone – they are just two points ahead of 18th placed Bolton Wanderers, the last place for relegation into the Championship. Sunderland have been in the Premier League since Roy Keane brought them back from the Championship back in 2008.

There have been a lot of calls for the head of Steve Bruce and the recent defeat against Wigan Athletic has put even more pressure on the former Manchester United midfielder. Previously, it was thought that Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez was the favourite to get the sack, but many bookies have since made Steve Bruce as the favourite manager to be sacked before Christmas. It remains to be seen if Steve Bruce would contemplate resigning from the job given the animosity from the fans. He has literally no support from the fans whatsoever and another defeat would probably be the end of the line for Bruce.

After the defeat against Wigan Athletic, Steve Bruce said “I can’t speak for the owner, but he was here so he knows what’s happened. I thought we absolutely battered Wigan, but it didn’t make any difference, we still got beat. We are going to be judged on results and unfortunately they have not been good enough.”

Sunderland managing to lose a six-point match against Wigan makes the situation even more desperate for Steve Bruce, whilst the fact that friend Niall Quinn is no longer involved in the board matters makes his situation almost untenable. However, Bruce has revealed that abuse will not be forcing him out.