Bruce feels that the Blues are definite contenders for the title this season, with anyone good enough to actually finish above them this season likely to end up winning the Premier League.
"If anyone finishes above Chelsea they will win the league, in my opinion. They have some great players, the squad have been together a long time and they're geared towards winning things," he told the Black Cats' official website.
"Carlo Ancelotti's won the European Cup and Serie A and he'll want more. We know what to expect - a very tough game.
"Not many teams beat Chelsea. To be fair, we have to be at our best and we'll have a game plan to play against them.
"We'll have to do something tactically against them because if we take them on head to head they'll enjoy that with what they've got in their locker.
"We will have to do our jobs properly and hope we can produce a performance, particularly in the first 45 minutes. If we can do that, we've got a chance."
The Sunderland gaffer was aware that the fixture computer could have handed him a better home debut, but he was relishing the challenge, especially after an encouraging opening day 1-0 win at Bolton Wanderers, and was hoping that the passionate Mackem support would play their part.
"I couldn't have wished for a more difficult first home game but we're looking forward to it," he added.
"The fans are important, of course. It's my first time in front of them, and after the reception on Saturday I want us to put on a performance for the home fans which shows them what we're trying to achieve."
Despite the challenging nature of the game, Bruce does feel that his team pose a true threat in attack, with the combination of Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones possessing an intimidating mixture of pace, power and skill.
"I don't think they were ever that big when I played - they seem to get bigger now," he told The Daily Mail.
"They didn't breed them like that when I was playing, thankfully. Potentially, they have got the makings of a very, very good pair. When they are at it, the pair of them, I wouldn't like to play against them. They are a handful for anybody, that's for sure, so I hope that continues.'
"Kenwyne looked to me as if he was enjoying himself and enjoying playing with Darren, maybe a new partner who suits him a little bit. But it's not just Kenwyne, I want all of them to come and play as if they are enjoying it."
No comments:
Post a Comment