Allardyce defended by Bruce

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has leapt to the defence of Blackburn Rovers counterpart Sam Allardyce amid the ongoing debate over dangerous tackling.

The two managers will clash at Ewood Park on Monday evening after Allardyce’s approach was recently questioned by Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy, who criticised Rovers, Wolves and Stoke for their physical style of play.

The comments from Murphy, who insisted his remarks had been “blown out of all proportion” on Saturday, have prompted Bruce to launch a passionate defence of his close friend and fellow Premier League boss.
Defence

“The reason, I have said repeatedly, the Premier League is like it is, is the competitiveness of it,” said Bruce.

“If we take it away, we will end up like leagues in France and Spain and Italy where, if I take you to a game, it is just all technique and there is no real physical element.

“It is half the pace our games are at and if we take away that element, we will take away what we have got in this country, which is a fantastic competitive division.

“I think I speak for Sam and every other manager, none of us want to go and send a team out that will physically hurt anybody else, that is absolute nonsense.

“I don’t know where Danny’s comments have come from or why he has chosen to do that. His manager, Mark Hughes, for instance, had a Blackburn team that was very competitive.

“This Premier League is the way it is and the biggest spectacle that is beamed around the world because of the competitive nature of it, and if we take that away, we will just end up like everybody else.”

Bruce is expecting a tough test at Rovers and heaped praise on the achievements of Allardyce, who forged his uncompromising reputation at Bolton.

He said: “We know what to expect. You all know I am a big friend of Sam and enjoy his company, and whenever you are up against his teams, you know physically if you don’t stand up and be counted against them, you will be caught short.

“He has done fantastically well to finish 10th again with Blackburn on really limited resources and selling all the players he has.

“You look at his record at Bolton and he was very, very successful.

“Yes, he is much-maligned for the way he plays, but it is difficult, you know it is difficult to play against them, and that’s another challenge.”

Bruce has predicted a highly physical encounter at Ewood Park, and insists the travelling fans will expect nothing less.

Physical

“If one of my players jumps out of a tackle here, he will have 40,000 people – rightly – on his back,” he said.

“They want to see their team tackle and compete for the ball. That doesn’t mean to say they want these over-the-top tackles which are creeping in from these cowardly players we have got.

“But the ones who are genuinely trying to tackle and make a challenge for the ball, it is part and parcel of the game and part of the spectacle.”