Steve Bruce defends Sam -Allardyce over Murphy views

SUNDERLAND manager Steve Bruce has launched a defence of Blackburn counterpart Sam Allardyce amid the ongoing debate over reckless tackling.

The two managers go head-to-head at Ewood Park this evening with Allardyce's approach having been questioned by Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy, who singled out his team, Wolves and Stoke for criticism over the physical nature of their play.

Yesterday Murphy said his comments had been "blown out of all proportion".

Bruce insists his Blackburn counterpart's reputation is unwarranted.

He said: "The reason, I have said repeatedly, the Premier League is like it is is the competitiveness of it. If we take it away, we will end up like leagues in France and Spain and Italy where, if I take you to a game, it is just all technique and there is no real physical element.

"If we take away that element, we will take away what we have got in this country, which is a fantastic competitive division.

"I think I speak for Sam and every other manager when I say none of us want to go and send a team out that will physically hurt anybody, but if one of my players jumps out of a tackle against Blackburn, he will have 40,000 people - rightly - on his back."