Advocaat looks to build on Defoe wonder winner
Rodgers rubbishes Liverpool crisis talk
SUNDERLAND, United Kingdom, April 6, (Agencies): Dick Advocaat thinks Jermain Defoe’s wonder-strike in the Wear-Tyne derby could give Sunderland the perfect boost to keep Premier League football at the Stadium of Light next season.
Head coach Advocaat claimed his first win since taking over until the end of the season from Gus Poyet courtesy of Defoe’s stunning 22-yard volley in the final minute of the first half against Newcastle United.
The 32-year-old striker’s brilliant winner lifted the Black Cats up to 15th and three points clear of the relegation zone with seven matches remaining.
Defoe watched striking partner Steven Fletcher’s flick on drop invitingly for him before he displayed astonishing technique to power a dipping volley into Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul’s top left corner.
Advocaat, whose side face Crystal Palace this Saturday at the Stadium of Light, said: “Jermain gets paid for scoring goals. It’s just a first win for me. We had to win today, there was a lot of pressure on the team. “I had the feeling when we arrived on the bus with the way the fans treated us, I felt it was something special. This helps us in our aim to be outside the bottom there on May 24.
“I said to Steven Fletcher, ‘it’s time to do something now’. I said to Defoe ‘do I have to say something to you’? He said ‘no, I know what I need to do’. So I’m taking credit for the goal. I’m not sure if the players will be able to celebrate, they’re all tired in there.”
While Defoe’s moment of magic earned Sunderland a fifth straight victory over Newcastle for the first time, the bigger picture was that it has given Advocaat a greater chance of leading the club to topflight survival.
The former Holland coach said: “It was a well deserved win, and I was proud of the team. It was a brilliant goal, we had good opportunities to get some more goals and give us some breathing space, but it wasn’t to be. We know we have still three home games to go and we have to get those points there. From tomorrow we start concentrating on Crystal Palace.”
Newcastle struggled to deal with Sunderland in the first half, hardly making an impact in the opposition half. The Magpies, who have now lost four league matches in a row, are still nine points above the bottom three.
“Maybe some can’t handle it. It’s the manner of defeat more than anything else. If we’d have had a right go and been on the front foot I could have said at least we’ve had a go. I can’ make things up though because we’ve not done that.”
Newcastle goalkeeper Krul was criticised for waiting to have a joke with Defoe for the volley which stunned the Stadium of Light as the players left the pitch at halftime.
Carver said: “Tim Krul is the most passionate man about this club, but sometimes when someone has a bit of brilliance about them then you can congratulate them. I’ve got no criticism of Tim, he appreciates a bit of skill because he couldn’t have done anything about it.”
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has defended his players amid media reports of an acrimonious squad meeting following the 4-1 loss at Arsenal at the weekend, their second Premier League defeat in a row.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn Rovers, Rodgers praised “a great bunch of players who work tirelessly every single day and give me everything”.
Asked whether a reported ‘crisis meeting’ had taken place at the club’s Melwood training ground, he added: “It was nothing really, it was just purely analysing performances and where we are at ... it’s just unfortunate something else was made of it”.
Rodgers said the heart to heart with his squad was par for the course at fifthplaced Liverpool who also lost their previous league match at home to Manchester United.
“We have lots of meetings here in terms of analysing performances,” he explained. “This was no different really to a whole host of meetings that we have had throughout the year.”
Rodgers said Liverpool, who are now seven points adrift of the Champions League qualification places, would now focus firmly on the clash with Championship club Blackburn.
“It’s a real strong objective for us this season to do well in the cup competitions and this is an opportunity for us to get to another semi-final,” he added.
“This was always going to be a game that was very important for us despite the (Arsenal) defeat.”