SAFC hierarchy willing to advocate time and patience

Mar 9 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

Steve Bruce will feel the eyes of owner Ellis Short on his back against Bolton tonight but he told Chief Sports Writer Luke Edwards why he does not expect a knife to follow

THERE is nothing more precious to a football manager than time and for all of his problems at Sunderland, Steve Bruce knows he has found this most valuable of commodities on Wearside.

It is not infinite, he can not live forever on the promise of what he intends to do, but Bruce knows he has an owner, Ellis Short, who is willing to back his judgement and a chairman, Niall Quinn, who recognises sustainable success takes time to create.

There has not been a public vote of confidence, that dreaded, carefully worded statement which so often precedes a P45 slip and a trip to the Job Centre, and as far as he is concerned, Bruce does not need one.

He received all the assurances he needed on the day he first spoke to Quinn about the job and what was expected from him if he took it.

“What the owner and chairman have done for this club is why I came here,” said Bruce, who also felt the potential to win things at Sunderland was far greater than it would ever be at Wigan.

“You hope you get time to do the job and of course it will get tickly. Not winning for three months, not winning a game over the winter, I wouldn't have thought that possible back in the autumn after the start we had.

“But you look to the chairman, the influence he has had, and the owner who has been very, very supportive in a very short period of time.

“Before you get the job, you look and see what he has done for the club. We are very fortunate we have him. He lets you go on as a manager and do your job.

“Eventually I will reward him and give him the team he wants, I am confident of that.