EXCLUSIVE: Bruce wants a reprieve - and more money to spend
Published 22:31 29/11/11 By Alan Nixon
Steve Bruce is heading for a summit with Sunderland owner Ellis Short - armed with a request to be allowed to spend MORE money in the winter transfer window.
Bruce plans to see the American supremo before the end of the week and wants to discuss plans for January - despite fans calling for his head after a poor start to the campaign.
The Black Cats boss, who signed 11 players in the summer, wants to buy a striker, and possibly strengthen in other areas, and is keen to find out what cash Ellis has left for him.
Bruce has never properly filled the gap left by the controversial post-deadline exit of striker Asamoah Gyan and would like to recruit a new forward to put right what he sees as his number one problem.
Sunderland have been tracking Swiss striker Ahmed Mehmedi of FC Zurich, Tottenham's Russian Roman Pavlyuchenko and Wolfsburg's giant Senegalee hitman Papiss Cisse, and Bruce would like a striker of that standard.
However, he will have to get an idea of the budget before going ahead with bids for whatever targetman he can afford - and Short is the man with the answer to that key question.
The US businessman Ellis may have to decide whether to back or sack Bruce before January's market as Sunderland's troubles up front have been one of their main downfalls.
If the Sunderland money-man does not fancy Bruce's abiity to spend yet more of his cash wisely, this could be the toughest meeting of his reign.
