Cup is no distraction to Black Cats' focus
Jan 1 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal
THEY started the season vowing to push for a trophy, but now the biggest cup competition of them all has come around, Sunderland are firmly focusing their attention on the Premier League.
The talk at the start of the campaign from players and management alike was of the need to put together their first cup run under Roy Keane’s stewardship.
But the Black Cats go into Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie at home to Bolton Wanderers in the midst of a relegation battle which, according to Kenwyne Jones, now has to take priority.
“It’s important we try to maintain our status in the Premier League,” he said. “When the Cup comes along we’ll see how that goes but I know pretty well that every game we’re going to give our best efforts and hopefully that will take us to higher heights.”
This week’s training has been Sbragia’s first in full-time control of the team. It is often said that the relationship between players and their coaches is different to that between players and managers, but Jones has not noticed any difference in the Scot since he moved from being one of Keane’s backroom staff to the boss last month.
“I don’t think there’s any reason for him to change his relationship with the players,” he said. “He knows what works for him and he’ll stick to his way. That’s fair
enough, we will see how that works out. We all know everyone in the world is totally different to each other so obviously his style is going to be different from the previous manager.
“What he is, he is and we can only work with that.”
After the intensity of the Keane era, Sbragia’s more relaxed style has gone down well with the Black Cats squad and now he has lost the word “caretaker” from his job title, they are determined to do him justice.
“I think he had the whole squad behind him when he took over so I don’t think anything is going to change right now,” he said. “All we can do now is try to perform on the pitch.”
Saturday’s game will bring back memories of the Trotters’ last visit to the Stadium of Light. Then Gary Megson’s side took advantage of a bedraggled, demoralised Sunderland side who were beaten 4-1 in what proved to be Keane’s final match in charge.
Revenge, though, will not be in Jones’ thoughts when the sides meet at the weekend.
“It’s not on my mind,” he insisted. “That was quite a few weeks ago for both teams. They’re going to come to us again and we’re going to play with a different unit than we were that last time so we’ll see what happens.”
Michael Chopra is a doubt for Saturday’s game with an ankle injury picked up in his final game on loan at Cardiff City. “Michael’s come back with an ankle injury, there’s a lot of bleeding there but we’re hoping he will be okay for the game,” Sbragia revealed. Were Chopra to miss the match it would avoid him being cup-tied, raising his potential value were the club to sell. The initial indications, however, are that Sbragia would prefer to keep Chopra on Wearside to put pressure on Jones’ partnership with Djibril Cissé – a combination still to convince many.
Jones was evasive when asked how he felt he has gelled with the on-loan Frenchman so far.
But he did say: “In the weeks coming ahead we (Jones and Cissé) have to try to be as good as possible for the team.”
