Sunderland boss hints at January signings

Bruce could be forced to bring in a new defender due to Titus Bramble and Michael Turner’s injuries.

“We’ll have to see because the two lads have done remarkably well and we’ll have to see what they’re like when the transfer window resumes again,” Bruce told The Journal. “We’ll just have to manage without them.

“It is not a coincidence we lose with goals like that and they’re missing. That was the reason why we were hindered last year and why in the summer we did something about it.

“We brought in a new goalkeeper (Simon Mignolet), (Nedum) Onuoha, Bramble, and all of a sudden we were a different kettle of fish.

“We have to defend better. That is the reason behind our success (this season) and why we have been where we are. We have been rock solid but (on Saturday) we have given individual errors away.

“It was a tough winter last year and we’re going to be reminded of it but I’m confident we can bounce back and defend better than we did at Wolves.”