Bruce must show his staying power

Leo Spall13 April 2012

Crystal Palace supporters will find out in the next few days whether manager Steve Bruce is staying at the club. The 40-year-old has been linked persistently with the vacancy at Birmingham and, despite saying repeatedly how happy he is at Selhurst Park, Bruce has refused to rule out a move.

Since Trevor Francis left the Midlands club two weeks ago, speculation about Bruce replacing him has overshadowed Palace's tremendous success.

The former Manchester United captain has guided Palace to second place in Division One with a run of eight wins in nine League games yet the club, plagued by financial and personnel problems for most of the past four years, remain cloaked in uncertainty.

Supporters and staff have endured a spiral of decline which began under Mark Goldberg in 1998 and almost ended in relegation last season, so it would be a cruel blow if Bruce were to walk out five months into his reign.

But those same fans and staff are set to be spared any more heartache. Bruce and his chairman, Simon Jordan, are to discuss the situation and will probably make a statement in the next few days which should draw the issue to a close.

It would be foolish to think that money will not be an important part of their talks but the evidence that shows Bruce is doing a good job should influence the outcome.

"I will sit down with the chairman and we can take things from there," said Bruce, who has moved his wife and 14-year-old daughter to London since his appointment.

"I can never stop the speculation but I am manager here until somebody tells me different. I need to have stability and certainly Crystal Palace do.

"This is my fourth club in three years, which is far too many. In my playing career I only had four clubs in more than 20 years."

Bruce's managerial record does not make great reading. In 1999 he walked out of his first job, at Sheffield United, over the forced sale of players. In October last year he was sacked by Huddersfield after falling out with the board and in May he ended a shortterm agreement at Wigan to take over at Palace.

He is defensive about his CV and claims a degree of success at each club he has managed.

But he knows how it looks and how difficult that would make it for him to leave Palace after such a short time, never mind the potential his team are showing.

Compared to Birmingham or anyone else outside the Premiership, managing the Selhurst Park outfit with their free-scoring strikers Dougie Freedman and Clinton Morrison must be a good job at the moment.

The pair have already scored 24 goals this season and will be in action again tonight when West Brom visit Selhurst Park.

Bruce said: "We are way beyond my expectations for this stage of the season because only a few months ago the team were a few minutes away from being relegated.

"To be halfway up the League table now would have been progress and given us a chance to push on into the top places. But we have done remarkably well in a short space of time and the credit should go to the players for the way they have worked.

"A lot of the team are playing at the top of their game and the expectation around the place has gone through the roof. We have tried to create an atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work but it is my job now to try to keep a lid on things a bit.

"In the last eight weeks we have had the virtually the same side every week and we have had no injuries.

"The acid test will come when we get people needing treatment and getting suspended.

"Then we will see if we have got the squad to cope with the demands ahead."

Bruce believes he needs to strengthen his squad and with the permanent signing of defender Steve Vickers from Middlesbrough now unlikely, he is active in the transfer market again.

He takes things a month at a time but says he want to build his own team. He added: "I got to the top with Manchester United because of a determination to succeed and a lot of hard work. That is the way I try to manage my club.

"If we can get through tonight's game and Walsall on Saturday, we should have a two-week break because of international commitments and that would give us some breathing space.

"Then we could get people rested and clear up a few knocks. It might also allow us time to find the right people to bring in." Bruce does not sound like a man who is about to leave. He said: "People are telling me it is the best football they have seen here for years. The players deserve that sort of credit and we have to aim to keep putting smiles on people's faces."

A statement clearly saying that he has no intention of leaving Selhurst Park for Birmingham or anywhere else, would probably be a good place to start.

Crystal Palace v West Brom
8pm, tonight, Selhurst Park

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