But Darren Bent insists the whole squad remains behind Bruce ... despite what reports may suggest.
Bruce has made some strange decisions, such as dropping his entire back-four following a defeat, and he still hasn't won over the Mackem fans.
Bent: "All the players are behind the manager 100 per cent.
"We know he's the man to take us forward. We'd all like to be further up the league, but it shouldn't be forgotten that it's still early days for him and his team.
"At every club, the manager is the one who gets the stick, but it's the players who have to perform on the pitch."