Bruce's Geordie past not important
SO, Niall has got his man.
After days of speculating and anticipating, Steve Bruce became Sunderland's new manager yesterday after putting pen to paper on a three-year deal.
His arrival received the usual fanfare treatment, and was greeted by the usual media circus.
And as you've probably guessed, by and large, the train of thought among the assembled journalists was fairly one track - 'Steve about your Geordie roots?'
Personally I've come to realise that for all the badge kissing, all the claims of bleeding (insert your colour here) and white, and vows to crawl on your hands and knees or walk over broken glass, football is a mercenary business.
To fans it will always be about loyalty to your club - your heart ruling your head - and that's how it should be.
But for professional footballers or managers, it is all about them.
Can they get an extra nought or two on their pay cheque? Can they land a club big enough to help them achieve their ambitions?
Bruce wants to be the best manager he can be, and that means being at a club with a big fanbase, the right facilities and a substantial budget to spend - what colours they play in doesn't matter.
Bruce wants to be successful and wants to take the next step up.
He sees Sunderland as the place to do that, and believe you and me, he won't have given his 'Geordie roots' a second thought before signing on.
There is no denying that Bruce is not the "world class" candidate Niall Quinn has mentioned on more than one occasion.
But if the former Wigan Athletic boss sees the Black Cats as the next stepping stone in his career, then maybe we should view him in a similar light.
I'm honest enough to admit he wasn't my first choice, but now that he is here I've kind of got used to the fact and I'm hoping that he can bring some stability to the club.
Maybe he isn't the massive name we all hoped for, but he has a proven track record at this level.
We have a long way to go before we become an established Premier League side.
And further still before people across the globe start to recognise Sunderland as a force in the top flight.
Is Bruce the man to take us to that level? That remains to be seen.
But for now, he is our boss and he deserves our full backing whatever colour he used to support - he will certainly be getting mine.
Not that it would matter if I didn't agree with his appointment - I can't walk away and look for another club.
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Weather for South Shields
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
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Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 19 C
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