Bruce throws down gauntlet
STEVE BRUCE has called on his back-up defenders to “start earning their money” in the absence of John Terry.
The Aston Villa captain, right, limped off with a fractured metatarsal during their 2-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday – Villa’s first home league defeat of the season – and will be missing for up to 12 weeks.
“We have to deal with it,” said Villa manager Bruce. “Chris Samba is an experienced player, Tommy Elphick, Micah Richards, they’re all people who can start earning their money now.
“John is a big loss, but we have to get over that.”
Leon Clarke produced a remarkable four-goal blast in the second half to get Sheffield United back to winning ways and expose Hull’s defensive
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frailties in a 4-1 victory that took them up to second place.“I’m a laid-back person, so for me it’s just about the team winning,” said Clarke.
“That was important after the disappointing result at QPR. It’s really, really nice to get four goals, but if the team’s winning I’m happy.”
“We deserve to be where we are in the league. We play some fantastic football and work hard for each other.”
Leonid Slutsky’s stay in English football looks more and more likely to be shortlived after Hull’s third consecutive defeat left them 20th. “There’s big pressure on me now,” the Russian conceded. “I speak to the owner before the game and he supports me, but each match changes the situation.”
Bristol City are a point behind third-placed Cardiff after beating them 2-1 in a feisty Severnside derby.
Fast, physical and furious – with five yellow cards and a red for Cardiff’s Omar Bogle – this match gave off the kind of heat that used to melt the home side last season.
But goalscoring defender Aden Flint said: “It was a Neil Warnock side, so we knew it was going to be a physical, second-ball game. We dealt with it.
“We’re more streetwise now and we have grown as a team.” Bolton striker Gary Madine believes swapping pasta for chips is his recipe for success in front of goal. Madine’s opener against Norwich helped Bolton to a 2-1 win and he said: “I’ve been eating pasta for 10 years the night before a game and I’ve never gone into games feeling great “I spoke to the fitness coach and told him it makes me feel lethargic. “Now I’m just eating chips on a Friday night and it has given me the energy the pasta hadn’t really been doing.” Nottingham Forest and Reading found some form, each scoring four in wins over QPR and Derby respectively.