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Ref to help out Black Cats
Sunderland, 09:43, August 20, 2010 ,
Steve Bruce is keen to address the disciplinary problems at the club and has brought in Howard Webb in an effort to do that.
The World Cup Final referee spoke to the squad on Thursday as they look to cut out the indiscipline which saw them finish bottom of the fair play league last season.
Things have not started well this season as they were reduced to ten men on the opening day of the campaign when Lee Cattermole was given his marching orders and Bruce is anxious for that to change.
He told the Journal: "We keep shooting ourselves in the foot - it is hard enough to win a Premier League game without all these silly avoidable cards we keep picking up. We have had Howard Webb here today to talk to the players. We have spoken about it repeatedly and we must improve on it.
"When you get somebody of Howard's calibre coming up and giving his time, the one thing the players will do is listen.
"They will listen to it and hopefully take a little bit of advice and learn from it. Whether refs are tagging us or not, the stats are there that tell you.
"Of the 95 bookings we have had, a third have been for dissent which has got to stop.
"We have picked up ten reds as well.
"Anyone watching us could argue we are not a dirty team but there is obviously a petulance and that has to stop. We must make sure we grow up a little bit and be better behaved."