Poyet: Cats’ woes not Short’s fault, but something is holding club back
Former Sunderland manager Gus Poyet says he does not believe Ellis Short is to blame for the club’s woes.
Poyet was in charge for what was arguably the highlight of Short’s tenure, a League Cup final at Wembley and the most dramatic late season charge to safety.
He was dismissed from his post by Short the following season after a 4-0 home defeat to Aston Villa, one of eight managers to have left the club in the last seven years.
Poyet, however, believes Short has done his best for Sunderland and stands by his claims that ‘something inside the club’ is wrong.
He said: “There is something inside the club that doesn’t let it be as successful as it should be,
“I don’t think it is anything to do with Ellis Short.
“It hurts a lot because I had a great time there.
“We always talked regularly when he was in England, London, Sunderland or in America,
“When you change the manager many times and it doesn’t get better, then people blame the directors and the chairman.
“I had a fantastic time with him when I was there. We were always very honest to each other, he knows what I think about everything that was happening there and it is fantastic for him to remember those things I said to him and that will stay between us.”
Poyet had a win ratio of just over 30 per cent when he left the Black Cats. He has been manager of Bordeaux since January of this year, with the side currently 9th in the table.
Short admitted on Sunday that his tenure ‘had not gone as he had hoped’ and he has agreed a deal to sell to an international consortium fronted by Stewart Donald.
The deal is currently been considered by the EFL, who will decide if the Eastleigh chairman and his investors can go ahead with the deal.
Meanwhile, another former Sunderland boss has also defended Short’s tenure at the club.
Simon Grayson, who was sacked earlier this season, says it is difficult to blame the American due to the vast sums he has invested in the Black Cats.
However, Grayson admits it is the right time for Short to go, having ‘fallen out of love’ with running the club.
Grayson said: “It’s very difficult to solely put the blame on him (Short) because he’s invested something like £200million into a football club and anybody who invests that sort of money has a real affinity with a club.
“But it’s the last two or three years where he has wanted to sell the club and not put the money in.
“Even this year we brought in £50million worth of transfer sales and replaced it with 12 players for £1million and that’s been a knock-on effect we have all had to deal with.
“So he’s lost the love of the football club, love of football and obviously decided the time is right to sell and get somebody new to start again.”