ADVOCAAT TARGETS ‘UGLY’ WINS
DICK has six games to save Sunderland’s season and his own proud record of never having been relegated. For you can as good as write off the last two matches of this desperate campaign, trips to Arsenal and Chelsea. Sunderland have not won away in 2015 and there is no evidence to suggest they will start to do so at the home of top-four opponents. Advocaat started three strikers at West Ham, 24 hours after rubbishing mention of his defensive reputation — but things have quickly got ugly. ‘The only important thing in the final games is winning,’ said the 67-year-old, whose Premier League debut ended in defeat when Diafra Sakho struck two minutes from time. ‘The way we do that is not important. So, if we win games very ugly I like that. We will play very negative if we need to.’ Advocaat (right) has given his players the early part of the week off, an agreed rest which is the legacy of Gus Poyet’s ill-fated reign. The Dutchman joked the club don’t have many international players so their preparations for the visit of Newcastle on Easter Sunday will not be disrupted. That, you feel, is a match Sunderland must win. By a quirk of fate, previous bosses Paolo Di Canio and Poyet both enjoyed derby victories in their second match in charge. ‘Being at home in derbies gives a big advantage,’ said Advocaat. ‘I know the intensity of these games. Newcastle, for us, is the most important thing. We have a good period to practise and the break is a good thing. I have time to see what my best line-up will be.’ Hammers boss Sam Allardyce shrugged off speculation linking him with Sunderland at the end of the season.
SUPER STAT: Guus Hiddink remains the only Dutch manager to win his first Premier League match. Five others have all lost.
WEST HAM (4-4-1-1): Adrian 6.5; Jenkinson 6, Collins 6, Kouyate 6, Cresswell 6.5; Downing 5.5, Song 6.5, Noble 6, Jarvis 5 (Cole 46min, 6; Nolan 6 (Nene 80); Sakho 7.5 (O’Brien 90). Subs not
used: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Poyet, Amalfitano. Scorer: Sakho 89.
SUNDERLAND (4-3-3): Pantilimon 6.5; Reveillere 6, O’Shea 6, Brown 5 (Vergini 12, 6), Van Aanholt 6.5; Larsson 6, Rodwell 6, Gomez 6; Wickham 7, Defoe 5 (Graham 88), Fletcher 6 (Johnson 73, 6). Subs not used: Jones, Bridcutt, Watmore, Mannone. Booked: Wickham.
Man of the match: Diafra Sakho. Referee: Lee Mason 5.