Bruce: defining part of our season is upon us

SUNDERLAND BOSS Steve Bruce has urged his players to bounce back from their mauling at Manchester United to set up an exciting conclusion to the season.

A depleted Black Cats side went down 2-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday as United maintained their place at the top of the Barclays Premier League table although the margin of victory did not start to tell the story of the home side’s dominance.

Alex Ferguson’s men won at a canter as injuries, suspension and ineligibility cut a swathe through opposite number Bruce’s resources.

However, seventh-placed Sunderland have an early opportunity to make amends from what was only their fourth league defeat of the season.

Only West Ham have won on Wearside this season, and that in the Carling Cup, and while Ian Holloway’s men will arrive refreshed having not played since December 11 because of the weather, Bruce is confident his side will be a different proposition.

He said: “Now the defining part of the season is upon us. We have got back-to-back home games against Blackpool and Blackburn – can we go and win them both?

“If we can, then we have got an exciting Spring to look forward to.

“It won’t be easy, and they will be as fresh as daisies as well. They haven’t played at all now for two weeks, so all the little injuries and knocks and all the rest of it that they have had will be okay.

“Our home form has been terrific and we are a different beast. We hope to go and produce the kind of performance where we are capable of getting a result at home, and we will be trying our utmost.”

Lee Cattermole is available after completing his one-match ban, while Danny Welbeck will also resume and Kieran Richardson is expected to have recovered.

Bruce said: “We have had some wretched bad luck. We went to United without seven players, but we have three or four of them back.”