Grayson on back foot over fans comments

SIMON Grayson insists he will never criticise Sunderland fans – saying his comments on the eve of the Black Cats’ trip to Preston were taken out of context.

In his pre-match Press conference, which came less than 72 hours after Sunderland’s 5-2 defeat at Ipswich Town had prompted an understandable wave of criticism, Grayson said: “If everyone is going to buy into what we are going to do, it will be a lot easier.

“I accept that there is a lot of frustration around and results like Tuesday will bring people out of the woodwork who are moaning and complaining, they have probably never been to Ipswich on a Tuesday night or been up and down the country watching this team.

“On the other side of it, there are a lot of supporters who have done that and they’re entitled to voice their opinion, but we have to be positive in everything we are looking to do.”

Many Sunderland fans had taken that as a criticism of those who did not make the 550-mile round trip to Portman Road.

But in the aftermath of yesterday’s 2-2 draw at Preston, when asked about the reaction to his comments, Grayson said: “I want to have an affiliation with these supporters.

“I don’t criticise them for any criticism they want to give the players, some of it the players deserve.

“I was more meaning people outside the club thinking players don’t care, because of what they read or hear.

“I’ll never have a go at our supporters, because they travel the length and breadth of the country, spending large amounts of money, following the team.”

That was certainly case at Preston, with just under 3,000 fans making the trip from the North East to Lancashire.

Grayson said: “The fans came in their numbers again, and you can never criticise our supporters because they travel up and down the country.

“Whether it’s 750 on a T u e s d a y night at Ipswich, or just short of 3,000 here t o d a y , t h e y w e r e f a n - tastic.”