Bruce: Liverpool humiliated us
2006-03-22 08:10
London - Birmingham City were
humiliated and damaged by their 7-0 home drubbing by Liverpool
in their FA Cup quarter-final on Tuesday, manager Steve Bruce
said.
"It's damaged us, let's hope not beyond repair," said
Bruce, whose side are also fighting for Premier League
survival.
"You just have to try and take it on the chin, realise
you've been humiliated in front of the nation, in front of your
own supporters and go again tomorrow morning if you can.
"You feel shell-shocked and disappointed...I don't think we
had touched the ball and we were already 2-0 down. We gave
ourselves a mountain the climb," he told Sky Sports after
Liverpool went two up in the opening five minutes.
"In the end it was men against boys," said Bruce after
City's worst FA Cup defeat since the club, founded in 1875 and
twice runners-up, were called Small Heath Alliance and lost a
tie 6-0 125 years ago.
"We were just chasing the game and trying to do something
about it. Liverpool picked us off at will...They were a far,
far superior team on the night," said Bruce, who won the FA Cup
twice as a player for Manchester United in the 1990s.
At half-time he said he told his players: "Try and win the
second half, if you can, show a bit of pride in your
performance, pride for your supporters.
"Unfortunately, we gave away some terrible goals," added
Bruce, who has been at Birmingham since December 2001 and
steered them to promotion to the Premier League in 2002 but is
now staring at likely relegation.
"We have some damaged egos and some damaged players in
there, that's for sure," said Bruce, adding with sarcasm that
"we've got two easy games coming up, Man United and Chelsea. We
simply have to go again...it's a big test for us all."
It was six-times winners Liverpool's biggest away win in
the world's oldest competition and equal second biggest at any
ground after their 8-0 home victory over Swansea in January
1990. They have scored 15 goals in their last three games.