Robbie grabs at straws for winless Cats
WHERE’S Roy Keane when he’s so desperately needed?
Crisis-torn Sunderland are bottom of the Championship for the first time since Keane arrived as manager in August 2006 as their winless run stretched to 14 games.
Within a year of the Irishman’s arrival, the Black Cats were playing in the Premier League.
Whoever comes in as their latest potential saviour will need a salvage act of Keane-like proportions just to prevent them crashing into League One.
Rebound
They weren’t abysmal at the Riverside but never looked like cancelling out Boro’s sixth-minute opener from 18-year-old Marcus Tavernier.
By then, the visitors’ best chance had been and gone.
Sunderland really should have gone ahead when, with the sun in his eyes, Darren Randolph failed to hold Didier Ndong’s shot. But Lewis Grabban couldn’t convert the rebound as the keeper redeemed himself with a brave save.
Wantaway owner Ellis Short claims the club should be occupying a top-eight spot in the Premier League.
While Short fantasises, the rest of Sunderland endures a nightmare.
Caretaker boss Robbie Stockdale insists they can survive this term.
“I’m bitterly disappointed but saw enough to believe that,” he said.
“We were always in it but didn’t create enough chances to put them under pressure in the second half.” Boro have now won three in a row but don’t yet look like a team who will “smash the Championship” as chairman Steve Gibson promised in the summer.
Their goal was rarely threatened once Tavernier scored in only his third league appearance.
He nipped in ahead of Billy Jones to smartly convert after Danish international Martin Braithwaite, who was the game’s outstanding performer, pulled the ball back into his path.
Braithwaite came close to doubling the lead in the second half only to be denied by a double save from Robbin Ruiter.
The keeper also did a top job in pushing away a Stewart Downing free-kick.
“It was never going to be easy for us but we scored with the one real moment of quality,” said boss Garry Monk.
“Marcus will remember that goal forever.
“We’ve been excellent this week and warranted those nine points.
“We’ve shown a response after a difficult period.”