KARANKA CAN’T WAIT TO RETURN
Sunderland seek redemption back at Wembley
AITOR KARANKA is hungry to manage again four months after his exit from Nottingham Forest.
In his first interview since leaving the club, Karanka revealed he quit to give Forest a chance of promotion.
His exit from the City Ground in January was one of the season’s most bizarre stories as the fans were desperate for him to stay, but uncertainty forced him out.
The Spaniard knew of the rumours, despite supporters chanting his name and assurances from club owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Karanka, who left after just a year in charge, said: “Sometimes as a manager, the rumours are that they will sack you and I could have waited one or two weeks more and took my money.
“But I always think about everything in life and for the good of the club, it allowed them to appoint a manager who got time.
“The club had time to sign another coach and time to find the players for the new coach.
“The crowd, it was the same for them and also for the players.
“I felt under pressure and I was trying to take all the pressure away from the players.
“When there are rumours that you can’t control, it puts pressure on the players and this persuaded me to leave.
“The support of the fans really touched me.
“I’ve been a manager for just five years and in the end when you leave a club it’s disappointing.
“But both experiences, Middlesbrough and Forest, the best thing you can take is the crowds because both of them have been supportive and good with me.”
The former Real Madrid defender, 45, looks refreshed and relaxed now. Ready for the next challenge.
He still lives in England and loves our football, but with his children growing up, he is open to offers elsewhere.
He added: “We would like to stay in England, but if something is offered from another country I’d consider it because it’s time to think about other places. It is about waiting for the right project.” (2) R Nadal (Spa) bt (14) N Basilashvili (Geo) 6-1 6-0,
(1) N Djokovic (Srb) bt P Kohlschreiber (Ger) 6-3 6-0, Women’s 3rd Round
(4) K Pliskova (Cze) bt S Kenin (USA) 4-6 6-4 6-3, (1) N Osaka (Jpn) bt N Buzarnescu (Rom) 6-3 6-3, J Konta (Gbr) bt V Williams (USA) 6-2 6-4
PREMIER LEAGUE 16, Aberdeen (selected)
G Price (Wal) bt P Wright (Sco) 8-3, D Gurney (NIrl) bt M Smith (Eng) 8-3, M van Gerwen (Hol) bt M Suljovic (Aut) 8-5, J Wade (Eng) bt R Cross (Eng) 8-6
(7.45 unless stated)
Sky Bet League One Play-off Semi-final 2nd leg Charlton v Doncaster Scottish Premiership Semi Final Play-Off 2nd Leg Dundee Utd v Inverness CT
Betfred Super League Huddersfield v Hull KR St Helens v Salford
Guinness PRO14 Semi-final Glasgow v Ulster (7.35) BARREN scuffles are rarely worth £40million in League One, but Sunderland’s lockdown at Fratton Park could prove priceless.
As manager Jack Ross marshalled a shut-out as gritty as nearby Southsea’s shingle beach, the Black Cats moved within 90 minutes of rebounding into the Championship.
Their owners believe an instant return to the EFL’s upper slopes will double Sunderland’s value to £80m, and they are not cashing in their chips yet.
A Wembley date with Charlton or Doncaster awaits Ross, and watching Addicks boss Lee Bowyer would have seen little to frighten him last night. But where pragmatism, time-wasting and untidiness are usually the stuff of refunds, they were honourable virtues to go with goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin’s assured display.
Amid heightened security after a man was arrested for threatening to shoot and bomb fans at the match, Pompey were lucky to survive the opening 10 minutes with 11 men. Sunderland furiously petitioned referee Peter Bankes for a red card after Gareth Evans caught Lee Cattermole in the chops with a high challenge.
Then Tom Naylor threw the ball in Chris Maguire’s face from pointblank range right in front of a linesman. Both Pompey players were relieved Bankes’ calling card was yellow rather than red.
Maguire’s thrilling volley had given the Mackems a slender lead to protect on their 666-mile excursion to the South Coast, and he was the third name in Bankes’ collection inside 20 minutes.
Such was the industrial nature of the game a ball was often a spare accessory in the frantic scuffling. But Pompey finally called visiting keeper Jon McLaughlin into urgent action five minutes before the break, Evans being denied from close range.
Full marks to McLaughlin for staying awake but Evans should have scored, and seconds later Oli Hawkins’ looping header clipped the bar. Apart from Bryan Oviedo firing just over, Sunderland offered little ambition and were indebted to McLaughlin’s fingertips for reaching another Hawkins header.
Former Black Cats striker James Vaughan almost made an instant impact from the bench, but McLaughlin blocked his header.
MATCH STATS
MOTM