Birmingham City must emulate Aston Villa - Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce
STEVE Bruce’s last Blues game as manager was the 2-1 defeat at home to Villa on November 11, 2007. After five years and 11 months in charge – making him the club’s longest-serving manager post-war – his win-loss-draw record from 269 games was 102 wins, 100 losses, 67 draws. Bruce joined Trevor Francis’ Blues as a player from Manchester United in 1996 and made 84 appearances, captaining the side and earning player-of-the-year honours, before taking the Sheffield United player-manager’s job in 1998. He returned to Blues as manager on December 12, 2001, following an extended period of ‘gardening leave’ after leaving Crystal Palace. On Saturday he brings his Sunderland team to St Andrew's, the first time he has been back since his departure to Wigan Athletic. In an exclusive interview, he talks to COLIN TATTUM about his exciting times at the helm and his exit, Carson Yeung and what Blues must do in the future.
IF Birmingham City want to establish themselves in the Premier League, Carson Yeung has got to be prepared to spend big sums of money.
Since leaving St Andrew’s, Steve Bruce has shown that the more help you get financially, the more chance of success you are likely to have.
That has to be combined with shrewd management and coaching, of course. But money does talk in the modern game.
Bruce has seventh-placed Sunderland on the rise after cajoling more out of the players he was left with and adding quality like Darren Bent, Lee Cattermole, Lorik Cana, Michael Turner, Fraizer Campbell and John Mensah.
He has spent around £30 million this summer – he recouped about £16 million from sales.
“I think you just have to look at what Martin O’Neill has done at Villa the last couple of years,” said Bruce.
“Before he came and just after they struggled a bit and there was even a chance they could have gone down a few years back.
“Since, Martin’s invested in the training ground and invested in the team, something like more than £100 million is it?
“These sort of funds are what you need, but it is very difficult to get that sort of money, and it’s very difficult to compete.
“You’ve got six, eight teams in the Premier League who are such a long way ahead of the rest before you even start.
“Alex McLeish has been given money now and I’m sure he thinks he needs it. I’m sure he would rather have it than not.
“But it isn’t easy to try and get the right sort of players in the January window. And then if you do get five or six in, is that enough, can they gel, can they settle quickly?”
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