The Black Cats open their home campaign against their near neighbours on Saturday having taken just a single point from the Magpies last season and suffered an embarrassing 5-1 drubbing on Tyneside into the bargain. Bruce classes that defeat at St James' Park as the most humiliating of a career in the game which extends beyond 30 years, and hopes of revenge were dashed when it took a last-gasp Asamoah Gyan equaliser to deny Alan Pardew's men a double in the return at the Stadium of Light. But while the Tyneside-born Sunderland boss heads into the latest chapter of one of English football's most keenly-contested rivalries intent on securing the first victory of his reign to date, he is still looking at the bigger picture. Asked what a win would mean to him, Bruce, whose side finished in 10th place in the Premier League last season, two better off than Newcastle, said: "I know what it means to a lot of supporters. "The big thing for me is that we finished above them for the third time in a row, which hasn't happened for a long, long time, and our aim is to finish on top of them again. "As long as I am the Sunderland manager, the one thing I want to do is finish above them, and I am sure Alan Pardew is the same. "It helps if you win a derby, of course it does, but it's not the be all and end all - but I know to some supporters, it is. "No matter where you finish, as long as you beat Newcastle...' will be some people's take on it. It certainly isn't mine." Last season's Halloween horror show at St James' Park prompted Bruce to look at himself as well as his players, and he admits in hindsight, there was not enough experience in his side to handle the white heat of derby day. It is not a mistake he will make this time around with summer signings Wes Brown and John O'Shea - the Republic of Ireland international is rated at 50-50 to make his competitive debut after returning to training following a hamstring injury - having seen and done it all at the highest level with former club Manchester United and their respective countries. Bruce said: "It [the 5-1] was probably the worst result I have ever had in 30 years in the game, I can't really remember a humiliation like that. "But you learn from the experience and handle it and try to come out fighting, and two weeks later, you have your best result when we beat Chelsea 3-0. "That sums up what football is all about. "Last year, we didn't handle the occasion, so we must make sure we are experienced for it. "Last year, I made a mistake. There were maybe too many with not enough experience to handle it. I have got to take my proportion of the blame too. "You learn from it and we will make sure the experience we have in the team on Saturday will be fine. "A lot of them have handled the situation before, people like John O'Shea and Wes Brown, it's not going to faze them for a start. "They have played in big games, European Cup finals, so they will handle the occasion, not a problem." Meanwhile, Bruce also pleaded with both sets of fans not to spoil the day after trouble at both fixtures last season. He said: "That's what the derby is all about, the rivalry - but let's make sure it stays that way and there is none of the ugliness we witnessed last year. "It is a ferocious atmosphere, but it has got to be a rivalry rather than a hatred."
