Steve Bruce Quotations

We've agreed the fee and we'll take things from there.

There is no magic formula, we have just got our bigger and better players available again.

With my mother being Irish it was a close call. I nearly went, but I decided against it as we were going to be hindered as a club at Manchester United with the five foreigners rule.

We fear a rupture of his Achilles. That could leave him out for a long time although we don't want to speculate at this juncture. He has gone to hospital for a scan but we do fear the worst for him.

Ultimately it will be Kenny's decision. We'll review the situation at Christmas. He has been a fantastic servant for us and Ireland and he is good enough to carry on after this season.

We're seeing a lot of speculative money coming in. Anyone who's bought in this market on the belief of El Nino devastation has lost money.

We've got four games left and we aren't going to give up the ghost. We have given ourselves a fighting chance with the way we performed in the previous three games and the lads gave everything today as well.

We've got four games left and we aren't going to give up the ghost.

We were always the better team but Everton threw on their He-Men and I was always worried they would get a touch or ricochet.

We've been here and done it but it's never easy when you don't take your chances.

We've seen Jiri score a couple of goals like that before but that was his most important, that's for sure. It was huge result.

Six months is a long time to keep everybody bubbling along, making sure they do not lose their confidence. The big turning point was the humiliation we felt against Liverpool.

Portsmouth have had back to back wins so it proves anything can happen between now and the end of the season.

Nicky is the same sort of thing as Jiri. If we stay up, there is a proviso for a deal to be done with Newcastle.

Nicky has flicked at him between the legs - but does that deserve a red card?

I do not want to give Robbie Savage any more publicity. I am fed up to the back teeth with him.

Butt has a chance and we are hoping he can join in full training towards the end of the week.

Fortunately Emile's scans showed that he was okay but we're unsure at the moment whether he'll be fit for Saturday.

He had it at half time but we're hoping we've caught it in time and it's not too serious.

He is a quality player and also has the added advantage of being able to play as a second striker.

He is going to have an X-ray but it is not looking very clever.

He has scored goals all of his life and in his career at the top level, and we expect him to do exactly the same.

He got a slight strain. It was best that we took him off. Hopefully it's not too serious and he will OK for Chelsea.

He goes into the box, and does very well at falling over. Remarkably well

When he was leaving Celtic, Gordon Strachan said to me: 'You'll not work with a better centre forward'.

We've got to show a bit more resilience than we did tonight. We are in a relegation scrap.

He's given his best all-round performance since he's come to the club and led from the front.

He was sensational and we all know what a talent he is. For the last few weeks he has started to play well again, which is very, very good for us and let's hope he can carry on doing that.

Kenny got through the game remarkably well because he hasn't trained for the best part of two weeks. He has got a very sore groin which could put him out for a good month.

Kenny Cunningham is in a similar position to Roy. He's good enough to carry on playing a few seasons. He doesn't drink or smoke and he's the first in to training every morning.

I will be doing my own inquiries into it and we will deal with the matter over the next 48 hours in our own internal way.

I went to watch Preston against Sheffield United and people are putting two and two together although, of course, it was an ideal opportunity to see the lad (Nugent).

Thankfully all the speculation surrounding Robbie's future can now stop here,

My players have been rightly hammered from pillar to post this week but at least they rolled their sleeves up and didn't collapse after that dreadful start.

I thought he responded like a man. There were no frills about it, but he played his part and I was pleased for him and with his performance.

That's the sad reality as far as hamstrings are concerned. We will have them assessed but you have to fear the worst.

I would like to strengthen defensively. We are very light there but I am not going to hold my breath. We've had a bit of money to spend, there is a bit left but I don't think we are really close at the moment.

I would like to thank the fans personally for the backing they've given us this season. They're a wonderful bunch and even in times of huge disappointment, they stuck right with it.

We were near pandemonium conditions in the spring and summer when we realized that, yes, we were running out of corn at the time. (But) now, we're seeing a 180-degree turn from that.

We had to restore the attitude of being hard to beat. Over the past 18 months we've tried to change that philosophy because you try to improve by getting in better players and trying to play more open, attractive football. We had to go back to basics and to do that I had to rely on players who have been with me a long time. I always know what I'm going to get off them and they gave everything they could.

We have already exercised the two year option.

We had eased Matthew back carefully after his other injuries and had hoped he would be available for the finale to the season.

We haven't got a lot of money in the coffers. We must bring in the right person. We will see what develops so we need to keep our options open.

The problem we have is that we are too honest in the Premiership. The rules are applied to the extreme. We all know the referee was right under the laws to show the red card, but I'm convinced he would rather have shown just yellow. It killed the game as a spectacle because in the first half hour I thought we were fractionally the better side.

We were just chasing the game and trying to do something about it. Liverpool picked us off at will...They were a far, far superior team on the night.

We played well there last year and we were only a few minutes away from beating them. But they are a fantastic outfit and team and are setting the standards for everyone, so it's an uphill job, but one you look forward to. You love to play against the best and at the moment Chelsea certainly is that.

We are more hopeful about Nicky as we don't think his is as severe - 10 to 14 days with a small strain. He could possibly be available for Villa.

Too often we are reading about him on the wrong side of the newspaper-he should be on the back pages, not the front.

The opening bid is laughable. It is so derisory.

We've been battered all week, and at least (the players) have responded. We showed courage to take them on.

We were in it up until the second half when we gave the penalty away. At this level you cannot make elementary mistakes like that.

We've had two opportunities and to give yourself any chance here you have to take one of them and unfortunately for us we didn't.

We've had a good week. We've had a cracking result against Chelsea and Bolton at home and we needed to come away from home and get something.

There is dialogue between the two clubs, and we will have to see what develops.

We have a couple of irons in the fire. We are close to tying up a couple of things.

You guys in the media use this word 'pressure'. You lose two games and you are under pressure. It's absolute nonsense. Laughable. But that's the territory we're in.

We are upset Emile has got another ban. He has an impeccable record and we hoped it would have been taken into account.

We have done everything we can to support him. But we cannot live his life for him.

Emile's knee has been aggravating him the past few days so we've sent him for a check. Hopefully it's nothing too serious.

There was absolutely no chance of it going ahead and the ref was right to call it off.

The scan showed nothing conclusive and Emile is 50-50 for Portsmouth. He is still a bit sore and we have to be careful with him.

I've never chucked nothing. It hurts badly but the one thing I'm determined to do is see it through and turn it around. I still think I am the right person and I will try my utmost.

Sometimes away from home you hold your hands up when you have been beaten by a better team. But, for me, the best team lost - but then it's the same old story.

Sometimes football kicks you in the teeth. You just have to try and take it on the chin, realize you have been humiliated in front of the nation and your own supporters, and go again tomorrow morning.

Sometimes football kicks you in the teeth and certainly that is the biggest one I have taken. You are just shell-shocked. In the end it was men against boys.

A result like this can turn our season.

They have just gone out of Europe so I am convinced they will want to try and win this competition, that's for sure. Whatever team they put out, when Man United come to town, it is going to be a tough, tough game but one that we will relish and we will look forward to the challenge.

It's going to be a tough winter, but I'm confident we can pull through.

It's been a long, long, time since he scored and I'm delighted for him too. This time last year, he went on his best run of form and I hope he does it again.

Derby asked to take Jamie but, at the moment, with the way we are and with the injuries, no-one is going anywhere.

It's so frustrating. I'm convinced we would stay up if players like those two were available but we have got to be realistic now. In my head I'm just dismissing them.

It's damaged us, let's hope not beyond repair.

It was never a classic, but when you're the away team coming to a place like Fulham then you're pleased to come away with something.

I'm disappointed by the owner's criticism. I don't think that should be aired in public. But he is the owner of the club and you have to respect what he says. He is entitled to his opinion.

I'm delighted for the young lads. It was a horrible night and the ball was swerving all over the place in atrocious conditions. It takes a little bit of time to settle. A few of them haven't played at this level. I thought the reaction was terrific after Reading equalized.

In his eyes, he's done nothing wrong. He had been to a concert, went for something to eat, went to a VIP party afterwards. Yet therein lies the problem. You can't put yourself in these situations.

In the first 45 minutes we looked a threat every time we went forward and to be fair we could have been four or five goals up and it could have been game over at half-time,

In the end it was men against boys.

Clemence will not play again this season. He has torn his hamstring and you are looking at 28 days out of action with such an injury which basically takes you up to the end of the season.

I don't know if I could have played the game today.

He's two-footed and you wouldn't know which foot was stronger. We've seen him before score a couple like that, but that was his most important that's for sure.

He's a powerful midfielder player who's very strong in the air. It's his versatility that really appeals.

He's a powerful midfielder player who's very strong in the air, ... It's his versatility that really appeals.

I feared the worst on Sunday and it has been confirmed that Matthew has ruptured his Achilles. Of course, we are keeping our fingers crossed he can return as soon as possible, but you are looking at six months out.

He's got a calf problem and with two or three weeks to go, I can't see him making most of the season either.

You could understand Emile's frustration. That's why he reacted the way he did.

The kick in the teeth was the hideous mistake we made in conceding that first goal.

The good thing is we are more hopeful about Nicky Butt. His hamstring injury is not as severe. You are normally out for 10-14 days with a small strain and he possibly could be available for the Villa game.

The disappointing thing is the situation is now out of our hands. But I still think there are some major twists left.

There was never any question about Scholesy's quality as a footballer. He was known as the little ginger magician in the youth team. Some reckon he's the best United player of the modern era, and there's a case for saying that. You don't hear him blowing his own trumpet, though - he just gets on with his job. He's the real deal.

I think we are all frightened a little bit when a new broom starts to sweep.

In football, you can never say anything is certain. The benchmark is 38-40 points. That has always been the case. That will never change.

No disrespect to the country. It's a wonderful place, the... where's he gone again?

I've never been involved with anyone who's set out to hurt people, to break legs. It is a bit of a dying art

They've kicked our backsides... we've got to lick our wounds...

He’s a fantastic talent and the complete footballer, probably the most coveted in the Premiership. It’s a privilege for the rest of us to be on the same field. If i could have anything i wanted for Christmas, i’d take Thierry Henry