Max: We must roll up our sleeves & find a way to win
feel, but there’s good players in this squad.
“I’ve had success in this division before and there’s playerswhoareabovethislevel.At the moment, I’m saying that and people might disagree, peoplewillhavetheiropinions and that’s fine, but at the moment we’re in a tough period where’sthere’snohidingplace.
“You’ve got to roll your sleeves up and find that way of winning football matches. We’ve got to take the criticism that comes our way and stand up and be counted.”
This was the second time Sunderland’s players have faced cries of ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ in recent weeks. The first had come from the travelling support, in the final stages of a woeful defeat at Scunthorpe United. The stakes were higher now and so was the anger.
As Power noted, the Stadium had stuck with the side through a tepid first half and thedecibelswentupwhenthe Black Cats started the second on the front foot.
Itcouldn’tlast,notafterthe response in the closing stages, and mustering a response is the challenge for Parkinson and his squad.
Power insists he will keep fighting to achieve his goals on Wearside, urging the players to stick together and work through this patch of poor form.
“It should hurt,” he said. “It’s football. If you’re not winning games, criticism comes your way. That happens everywhere.
“You can go two ways, let it affectyouandduckunderit,if youlookattheplayerturnover hereoverthelastfewyears,it’s clearlyaffectedalotofplayers.
“I certainly don’t want to leave this club without having achieved what I set out to do which is to get out of this division.
“At the moment it looks a long way away but things can change quickly in football. I’ll keep going, I’ll keep doing everything I can and hopefully we can turn the corner at somepoint.Thesetoughtimes do come in football, it’s about rollingyoursleevesup,finding that bit of quality and getting that confidence back.”
“It’s a really disappointed dressing room,” he added.
“Words were said, but again, for me the top and bottom of it is we’ve not kept enoughcleansheetsandwhen we’vebeeninperiodsofgames where we’re on top, we’ve got to go in front.
“I’ve been through tough periods in my career before and I’d like to think I’ve come through them. I won’t change, I’ll keep working hard.
“We’ve got to stick with it. It’s a cop out to say, tough club to play for, this that and the other. That 15 minutes at the start of the second half, the place is rocking and you’re thinking, ‘right, come on, we’reontophere’.Weconcede a goal and don’t respond, simple as that.”