Sunderland boss Steve Bruce urges midfielder Jordan Henderson to help club back to winning ways

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce urges midfielder Jordan Henderson to help club back to winning ways

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has called upon midfielder Jordan Henderson to guide the club back to winning ways.

The Black Cats suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham in their last English Premier League encounter while playing at home on April 30, 2011. The loss was the latest in the Sunderland’s dismal spell which saw them take just 4 points from the last 33 on offer.

At present, Bruce has some serious injury problems as strikers Asamoah Gyan, Danny Welbeck and Fraizer Campbell are unavailable for selection. Furthermore, youngster Ryan Noble has also joined the absentee list after picking up a knee problem.

Therefore, the Sunderland boss has no recognised centre-forwards available to him.

Sunderland’s last victory in the Premier League was a 4-2 win over relegation threatened Wigan Athletic. In that game, Henderson scored two goals to display his goal-scoring prowess. Consequently, the Sunderland boss is looking towards the Englishman as a temporary solution to his problems in front of goal.

Bruce said, “The one thing about him when he plays on the right, he does arrive in the box and it seems to give him a bit more license to get forward. That suited him, and for him to score a couple of goals was terrific. That's what he needs to improve - the kid knows that. The good thing about him is, as you have seen, when he does get there, he finishes. When he gets a chance, he can finish.”

Henderson has had a fantastic season for the Black Cats. The midfielder has performed consistently in the ongoing 2010-11 season and has 34 appearances to his name. Furthermore, the 20-year-old has attracted interest from England coach Fabio Capello and received his first senior team cap in England’s friendly match against France on November 17, 2010.

With just three round of games left in the current Premier League season, Sunderland may have done enough to avoid relegation as they are placed 14^th in the EPL table after collecting 41 points. However, Bruce will be looking for a win as his side takes on Bolton Wanderers in their next fixture on May 7, 2011.