Steve Bruce: West Bromwich Albion boss back on familiar territory for first game in charge

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Steve Bruce held his first news conference as Albion's new boss on Friday before his first game in charge against Sheffield UnitedImage source, Adam Fradgley - Getty Images
Image caption,

Steve Bruce held his first news conference as Albion's new boss on Friday before his first game in charge against Sheffield United

Steve Bruce will be back on familiar territory when his time as West Bromwich Albion manager begins with his first game in charge at Bramall Lane on Wednesday night.

It was with Sheffield United that Bruce's managerial career began on 2 July 1998 - and it is back to South Yorkshire he goes for his 1,001st game.

"I'll always say thanks to them. They gave my first start at 38," said Bruce.

"To go back couldn't be more difficult, but every game's tough in this league."

Bruce, now aged 61, told BBC Radio WM: "That's what I've always loved about the Championship. It's a tough but a fair league.

"It's not like the Premier League where the top six are pretty much who you expect them to be every season, but it's a fair league."

Bruce's first game as a boss was as Blades player-manager way back in August 1998.

Image source, Rex Features
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Steve Bruce was only with Sheffield United for a season - but was involved in one of the biggest controversies of his 1,000 games as a boss in February 1999 when the furore of Marc Overmars' 'goal' in an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Arsenal at Highbury led to the game being replayed

But he is now up against a United side going well under Paul Heckingbottom with seven wins from their past nine league games.

That followed a poor start to the season, including a 4-0 defeat at The Hawthorns in August, which ultimately cost Slavisa Jokanovic his job - and if the Blades, in 10th, won by three goals or more, they would even go above sixth-placed Albion in the table.

"I saw Sheffield United last week," said Bruce. "They've still got the nucleus of a Premier League squad. But, tough start or not, we still have an outstanding chance to go up there and get a result."

Bruce's Baggies old boys

If you have had as many clubs as Bruce has had, you build up a lot of contacts in the game - and he has already run into several old faces who have played for him.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, set to return to the team now his fall-out with previous boss Valerien Ismael is gone and forgotten, was Bruce's loan keeper at Aston Villa.

Bruce also worked with Jake Livermore and Conor Townsend at Hull City, while he took Andy Carroll back to Newcastle United, before Albion's new striker was let go again last summer.

"One of the biggest parts of this job is seeing lads who you've had before and watching them flourish as their career develops," added Bruce. "I'm looking forward to working with them again.

"I took Jake Livermore from Tottenham a long time ago and watched him come through. He did fantastically well for me and he's been a great servant for Albion too.

"Conor Townsend is another. I remember saying well done to him on the pitch last year [when Albion played Newcastle]. I'm delighted to see how he's improved and modelled his career."

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Andy Carroll is one of four players Steve Bruce has worked with before, having taken him back to Newcastle in 2019

As to how Albion shape up on Wednesday against a Blades side now without injured striker Rhian Brewster and possibly also defender Jack Robinson, who missed Friday's 2-1 win at Birmingham with tonsillitis, Bruce is expected to start all four of his old boys.

But otherwise he is giving nothing away, except the need for misfiring Albion to be more flexible than they were under Ismael - one of the discontented Baggies fans' main moans.

"We won't implement huge changes straight away but we will change," said Bruce. "Val Ismael's a very good man who plays a certain way and sticks with it. But I do believe you have to have the scope and flexibility to change at times."

Bruce's backroom staff

As for the men he will have with him in the away dugout at Bramall Lane, that is a tried and trusted mixture of old and new.

Bruce's old Birmingham City midfield general Stephen Clemence, who has been with him at his past six clubs, and Steve Agnew, who first worked under him at Aston Villa, are back with him at The Hawthorns.

And he has also brought in his own son Alex Bruce as coach to supplement a backroom staff already containing his long-time friend and former Manchester United team-mate Gary Walsh, the goalkeeping coach, who also worked for him at Hull City and Villa, and former Albion midfielder James Morrison.

Image source, Adam Fradgley - Getty Images
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The three Steves - Clemence, Bruce and Agnew

"Stephen Clemence and Steve Agnew have been with me a long time," said Bruce. "I've also brought along my son.

"Alex was desperate to get into coaching. He's done all his badges. A bit like when I started Stephen Clemence off when he retired at 32.

"It's nice to have a bit of a younger voice in and around you, especially when you're getting a bit older and things change.

Image source, Adam Fradgley - Getty Images
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Alex Bruce, who helped his dad to two of his four Championship promotions with Hull City, has taken on his first coaching role at The Hawthorns

"Gary Walsh I've known a long time. And James Morrison has been a great player for this club. He wants to coach, he's hungry and I wanted to keep him part of it.

"There's a lot of good people here at the club. And I didn't want to make too much change."

Steve Bruce was talking to BBC Radio WM's Rob Gurney.

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