Bruce Urges Look To The Future

Steve Bruce has urged fans to look to the future following the tension and atmosphere during Saturday's win over Hull.

'It is tense in the stadium. I've detected that, and I can understand it after the disappointment of last season.

'I think what we have to tell everybody is that we are trying to build a new team.

'It's not easy at the moment.

'We should be saying 'hey, we're joint-top of the league, let's all come together and keep it going'.

'To be where we are, after the transformation we've had in terms of players in and out, and the tough start, was never going to be straightforward.

'So let's start getting behind the team, let's move forward as a unit, as one, and become a force to be reckoned with.

'The expectation is fair because we've been in the Premier League for four years, so that's what you get.

'You could sense a tension and edginess after 10 minutes because we weren't playing that well.

'But, for half-an-hour, especially in the first half, we played some fantastic football. It was good to watch.

'I always knew in the back of my mind, with the team I picked, that we hadn't got many defensive-minded players - and that showed towards the end.

'I've said all along we will get better, I am convinced of that.

'To give ourselves a fighting chance of it, we all must get behind one another.

'The expectation, the fact we're perceived as the favourites - we have to manage it and live with it. We are joint-top of the league but you would have thought we were at the bottom of the league at the moment; that's the way it is.'

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