One man paid the price for Sunderland’s poor start to the season, but Michael Turner believes turning it around will be a collective effort. Stuart Rayner reports
IN a week of navel-gazing at the Academy of Light, Michael Turner was going all David Cameron on us.
As Turner chatted to the media, a “tough week” was only halfway through. Steve Bruce was still hours from becoming the first Premier League manager sacked this season.
It will have had no bearing on the message Turner was anxious to put out.
There is nothing like a managerial sacking to prompt a bit of soul-searching in a football squad.
While players are generally most at fault for the results which cause a desperate chairman to reach for the trapdoor, the boss almost always carries the can.
It is amazing how often the only way a manager can deliver the metaphorical boot up the backside his players need is by clearing his desk.
Sunderland will hope that is the case at Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow. If it was a must-win game while he was still in a job, his absence does not lessen its importance.
It was clear from listening to Turner, though, the introspection began with a beleaguered Bruce still in the building.
Even without the soundtrack of vitriolic terrace abuse, it was clear just how damaging losing to a Wigan Athletic side defeated in their previous eight games had been.
From the number of times Turner said “we are all in this together,” it was not hard to guess the message Bruce hammered home in his last days as Sunderland manager.
The 28-year-old centre-back said: “Losing any game is difficult going into the next week, but the way we lost makes it even more disappointing.
“It has been a really tough week. We have all been back in training and getting ready for the next game.
“All we can do is try to focus on getting on with the job.
“We are all in this together, we have been in every day to try to get us together.
“We are just working hard and looking at the next game.”
Turner – one of many Bruce signings for the Black Cats – was adamant there was little wrong with the squad.
Martin O’Neill is expected to be in the stands and, with the game on television, Sunderland’s next manager will certainly be watching.
Turner and co must hope he reaches the same conclusion.
