Why Sunderland’s derby defeats to Newcastle United spelt the end for Steve Bruce as manager
Steve Bruce shows the pain during the derby defeat to Newcastle earlier this season.
STEVE Bruce’s two-and-a-half year reign on Wearside reached a conclusion last night after the almost inevitable axe was wielded on the Sunderland manager.
But when emotions settle after a troubled final few months for the former Wigan and Birmingham manager, how will Bruce be remembered for his tenure at the Stadium of Light?
SportMail’s Chris Young looks back on Bruce’s reign and examines the factors which led to his dismissal.
WHEN thousands launched into a venomous chorus directed at the weight and birthplace of their manager last weekend, there was no way back for Steve Bruce.
It was the knock-out blow to Bruce’s hopes of remaining in the Sunderland hot-seat, even if privately he still remained doggedly determined to secure the second successive top half finish earmarked during a hectic summer.
But the beginning of the end for Bruce wasn’t when Franco Di Santo punished Sunderland’s defensive calamity to send a rag-bag Wigan side into delirium.
The fatal wound was dealt three months earlier when Bruce was unable to finally relinquish his tag as the derby jinx.
To outsiders, the notion of losing one game and then coming under the full glare of the supporters’ spotlight is ludicrous, even if it is against the fiercest of local rivals.
Ordinarily, that would apply to Sunderland. Both successful predecessors Peter Reid and Roy Keane suffered damaging defeats to Newcastle United yet went on to banish those memories in the goodness of time.
They enjoyed several advantages which never applied to Bruce though.
Neither were from Tyneside, both went on to beat the Magpies and most crucially, never suffered the humiliation of the heaviest defeat against Sunderland’s arch-rivals in 54 years.
Bruce’s black and white heritage has been over-played in recent weeks, perhaps inevitably with the chanting delivered towards the 50-year-old last weekend.
But other than for the most blinkered, the Geordie moniker was only ever a label to beat Bruce over the head with when times were troubled.
Read more of Chris’s thoughts on Bruce’s departure in today’s Sportmail.
Email to a friend
Print this page- David Moyes to fight to keep Wayne Rooney, Gareth Bale to sign Spurs contract and Andy Carroll to leave West Ham
- Three more possible Hartlepool gypsy sites added
- Family tribute to son killed in A689 crash
- Arson victims lucky to be alive
- Liverpool and Sunderland fight for Tottenham’s Danny Rose and Man City’s Tevez is wanted by Juventus
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Hartlepool
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
