Steve Bruce slams Sunderland’s ‘awful’ defending in Fulham defeat

EPL – Sunderland vs Fulham, Lee Cattermole and Carlos Salcido

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Steve Bruce has slammed Sunderland’s defending and inability to take their chances as they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light to Fulham.

The Black Cats went behind in the first half to a Gael Kakuta goal and then conceded a further two goals in the second half from a Simon Davies brace – something Bruce was not happy about.

He told reporters: “I think the disappointing thing for me is of course we have created the chances but we needed to take one, certainly in the midfield areas I know Jordan got two last week, he’s had a great chance. Cattermole’s had a great chance, Steed’s had two and we needed to take one of them and give ourselves that cushion.

“Unfortunately the way we defended and the goals we gave away were horrific to be honest. That’s the shame of it and then we were chasing it and we had not really anything to chase with. Obviously we had one of those horrible afternoons which we have to accept and move on.”

The Sunderland boss singled out Steed Malbranque for criticism after he spurned two glorious chances to give the Black Cats the lead in the first half.

He said: It’s quite incredible I saw the other day the boy Clint Dempsey overtook Steed as Fulham’s all time Premier League top scorer. With 38 goals, he went to Tottenham and got seven, eight goals a season.

“To be fair, I think that’s what Roy’s bought him for. He gives you everything he’s got but since he’s come to Sunderland I think he’s got one Premier League goal in three years.

“It is a difficulty when you’re looking for a goal and someone with his ability, running through surely you think this is the day but he doesn’t take it. We’ve had four or five chances in the Premier League that’s all you’re really going to get you know so we needed to take one but we couldn’t. “

Bruce admitted his side could be dragged into the relegation scrap if they fail to pick up points something which has trouble them since the end of January when they have just amassed four points out of a possible 33.

He added: “We can’t presume anything, you can’t presume anything especially the way the table is at the moment. There’s been a few results today, so we’ve still got three games to go so we might need to pick up a few points who knows?

“That’s the disappointing thing for me the last 10 games since the end of January have been a total frustration, in terms of what we have produced on the pitch it’s just petered away it could have been one of them very good seasons.

“It is what it is. I keep saying about the Premier League, that’s why it is the hardest league in the world. As I said we were without 10 today it’s too much we can’t cope so we have to bite the bullet and get on with it and see if we can get one or two results to get us over the line.”

The Black Cats boss praised the support his team received from the Stadium of Light crowd despite the team’s woes on the pitch, he revealed they deserved better from their team.

He said: “I have to say the supporters this week and last week. I think they understand the situation that we’re in without 10 players like we were today, I think they understand. But make no mistake they’ve played their part, in the first half they were terrific and even towards the end. They were terrific, they are a fiercely loyal bunch of supporters and they deserve a little bit better than we showed today.”

Bruce also rued his injury list and revealed he was without 10 players of his first team squad which included strikers Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck. This forced the Sunderland boss to put Nedum Onuoha up front for the second half when his side were chasing the game.

“We were without 10 today, it was only last week when Gyan and Welbeck did their hamstring so I can’t really see them being available.

“So we are going to have to be a bit of a make shift. It’s difficult. It’s certainly desperation stakes when you put Onuoha up front to try and give you a bit of presence. It is what it is and we have to try and close out the season if we can.”

The former Wigan boss admitted he was frustrated by his club’s current situation as his opponents were able to throw on quality opposition as his side  struggled to cope.

He said: “If you look at Fulham going towards Christmas they were in the bottom three, they were without Zamora and AJ Andy Johnson and a few of their players today they have people like AJ and Etuhu coming on.

“Their squad’s healthy at the moment ours is nowhere near that’s the thing we’ll analyse is there a reason. But as I said to be without 10 and even Ryan Noble and Billy Knott who have been playing in the reserves and the youth team this year even they got injured on Wednesday. That is the frustration deeply frustrating but it is what it is.”