Steve Bruce is calling for high workrate

Nov 4 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

STEVE Bruce has demanded that his outfield players cover as much ground as midfield generals like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard as part of his project to make Sunderland one of the most industrious teams in the top flight.

The Black Cats boss is using detailed Opta stats to monitor the work-rate of his squad – and wants all of them to be matching the prodigious 13km that the likes of Lampard and Gerrard routinely cover in games.

And that challenge has been tackled with relish by emerging midfield star Jordan Henderson, whose tigerish display against West Ham over the weekend confirmed his arrival as a Premier League performer.

He believes that his move into the centre of midfield in the wake of Lee Cattermole’s knee injury has given him more of a chance to stamp his authority on matches – and emulate some of the top flight’s best.

“The gaffer shows us stats of players like Gerrard, Lampard and internationals like that and their work-rate, even though they are on the ball so often, is absolutely phenomenal,” he said.

“They are covering 12 to 13km in every game and he says that is what every player at this club wants to be aiming to do.

“We need to be taking a leaf out of the book of players like that. I definitely want to emulate that kind of player.”

Henderson is clearly enjoying his more central role in the Sunderland revolution and now agrees with Bruce that manning the midfield engine room is his best position.

Despite the obvious difficulty of replacing Cattermole – one of Sunderland’s most consistent performers in the first three months of the season – Henderson

has blossomed under the tutelage of Bruce. “When I was really young I played in the centre of midfield,” he said. “But as I got older I went to the right of midfield, through the under-18s and obviously when I went on loan to Coventry as well.

“But since I came back here in pre-season I’ve played in the centre of midfield and really enjoyed it.