THE HEAVY SIGHS, THE WORLD-WEARY grimace, the furrowed brow. Few personalities from the Barclays Premiership can rival Steve Bruce for hangdog dejection, although few have had as much scope to practise it. On Saturday evening, Bruce muttered his way through a predictable and familiar list: the sick-list, the error, a tired resolution that luck would turn.

Birmingham City had just lost their fifth league match in succession and, with his side a skinny point better off than Sunderland at the foot of the table, the manager was groping for context and comfort. He remarked — with some justification — that his tactics had smothered Newcastle United into mediocrity, that the “better team lost”, that “we’ll get it right” and “we’ll be OK”.

To those whose inclination is to recoil from excuses, he hailed the example of Muzzy Izzet, whose career has been derailed by a knee injury. “I wish the supporters who question the players’ commitment could see Muzzy in the dressing-room,” Bruce said. “He’s got cuts galore and ice-packs everywhere. He was absolutely superb. We’ve been without him for 14 months, but he’s showed that he’s as good as Scott Parker and as good as Emre.”

Bruce’s was the consummate performance of a wounded soldier, although the veneer of unity cracked when he was asked about the only goal, a 25-yard shot from Emre Belözoglu that Maik Taylor palmed into the net. “No, it didn’t get a deflection,” he said. And then came a moment of unintentional hilarity: “I never, ever publicly criticise anybody, but the goalkeeper knows he’s made a howler.”

Yet, from a wider perspective, the stated reasons for Birmingham’s miserable form do not quite compute. They were lacking significant pedigree in Stephen Clemence, Nicky Butt, Damien Johnson and David Dunn, but does that explain their single Premiership victory this season and their lack of them since August? The lonely clean sheet? The six league wins in 2005 compared with 17 defeats? Bruce expressed optimism that the international break would allow “four of five” players to embrace fitness and the next month may prove decisive for both his position and that of the club. Their forthcoming run of fixtures — Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland, West Ham United, Fulham — offers respite before they play Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Chelsea around Christmas.

“We would have loved to get something here, for our own confidence, but human nature is a funny thing,” Bruce, who 14 months ago was approached by Newcastle to replace Sir Bobby Robson as manager, said. “When things are going for you, you feel you can take on the world, but when it takes a knock, you have to keep believing you’ll pull through.” That belief is being stretched to transparency.

Bruce’s native Tyneside offers solace, however. It took a narrow victory over Sunderland for Graeme Souness to bolster a shaky position, since when Newcastle have stabilised. They have grasped a maximum return from three games, conceded no goals in six of their past eight matches and trail Arsenal by two points. Souness described this as “hard to watch and not particularly enjoyable”, but they have a modicum of momentum.

The sight of Titus Bramble launching high passes towards Michael Owen (Martin Taylor, his marker, is 6ft 4in), was disturbing, particularly as it circumvented Emre, their hub of industry. Signed from Inter Milan for £3.8 million, the 25-year-old courted favour with locals by scoring against Sunderland, but his popularity is likely to endure. When he was given possession, he used it adroitly.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise he’s done so well,” Souness said. “He’s the biggest star in Turkey. He can’t walk down any street there without being mobbed and I suppose he’s the equivalent of what David Beckham is here. It’s early yet, but I think there’s more to come from Emre. I’ve seen him play and I get the impression he’s still feeling his way in our football.”

While they are not fluent, it is a measure of their improved circumstances that Newcastle will allow Alan Shearer to undergo hernia surgery in Munich today — Souness may require a similar operation — and they expect their captain to be available for the match away to Chelsea on November 19. Birmingham, who struck the woodwork through Jiri Jarosik, can only marvel at such luxurious options.