Bruce fires a warning to shot-shy forwards

Sep 21 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal

STEVE BRUCE has warned his Sunderland stars they can not rely solely on Darren Bent to fire the club to Premier League success.

Bent scored his fifth goal in six games in the Black Cats’ 3-1 defeat at Burnley. Only Kenwyne Jones (with two) and Andy Reid have also scored for the club in the top flight this season, with Hull’s Kamil Zayatte weighing in with an own goal.

While Bruce defended his decision to start with the goalless Fraizer Campbell at Turf Moor ahead of Jones, he has instructed his shot-shy players they must begin to contribute from all quarters if Sunderland are to shed the tag of inconsistency.

He said: “We can not keep relying on Darren Bent to score all the goals. Somebody else has to come to the party too.

“The midfield players have to add to it. Bent has a wonderful return, five goals from six games in the Premier League.

“Darren is enjoying himself and has had a wonderful start, but we need more from the others.

“We were so good last week I thought he (Campbell) deserved to stay in the team. He was instrumental and played his part, so I stuck with the same team.

“For an hour we were equally efficient and good, but the last half hour was disappointing.

“We did not play with the same spark, tempo and energy. We did not pass the ball as quickly as we did in the first half.

“We did not get forward the way we did in the first half, when we looked the real deal.

“I am not sure whether it is complacency, naivety or what, but if we are going to be a big club we must have a big club mentality, come to places like this and get the result.

“Consistency level is definitely a key but it is disappointing after such a good start, and with a good team we fall away. I will have to look at that.”