Black Cats only have themselves to blame as they pay for mistakes

Mar 4 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

RICKY Sbragia warned that complacency would be Sunderland’s greatest enemy in their continued battle against relegation – and the Black Cats duly served up a couple of reminders that in football, nothing can ever be taken for granted.

Defeat at Anfield, where Liverpool remain unbeaten despite the cracks that have appeared in their title challenge, was not unexpected. But the identity of the two players who conspired to help the Reds over the line most certainly was. Márton Fülöp and Kenwyne Jones have been two of Sbragia’s most reliable performers as his Sunderland side clamber away from the relegation zone, but they shared equal culpability for ensuring Liverpool bounced back from defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

With the game in its embryonic stages Jones, whose goals have delivered vital victories over the last month, spurned the kind of gilt-edged chance that has become his stock in trade this season.

And Fülöp, so consistent that he was rewarded with a new contract last week, effectively handed Liverpool the chance to kill the game with an uncharacteristic fumble from David Ngog’s weak shot.

The pair will not expect the kind of blistering criticism that former boss Roy Keane might have meted out – that is not Sbragia’s style – but with Sunderland now boasting options in reserve, they will be sweating on their places for the visit of Wigan.

Uncertainty remains regarding Sunderland’s top flight status, too, despite the six-point cushion that exists between them and the Premier League’s drop zone. Safety will not be secured by virtue of points gained at the Emirates or Anfield, instead it will be results against the likes of Wigan and Tottenham – the next two on the horizon for Sbragia – that will determine whether Sunderland continue their pleasing progress under Sbragia.

That is probably just as well, because his plan A was looking decidedly ragged by the end of 90 pretty joyless minutes against Rafa Benitez’s improved Reds.

Arsene Wenger will no doubt have allowed himself a chuckle at the footballing order being restored, but Sbragia can quite rightly point out that things would have been different if Jones had scored in the early minutes.

As it was, Liverpool survived and ultimately broke down Sunderland’s disciplined defence. Sbragia’s tactics were understandable after the creditable and hugely encouraging draw at Arsenal. The Sunderland boss opted to stick with the 4-5-1 formation that had frustrated Wenger so much, providing Kieran Richardson licence to roam from midfield while Jones rather than ex-Liverpool man Djibril Cissé shouldered the burden of the lone striker. And for 45 minutes it worked to perfection. It should even have led to that unexpected early breakthrough, but Jones set the tone for an underwhelming performance with a lamentable effort on four minutes. Released by Tal Ben-Haim’s ambitious pass, Jones sprung the Liverpool defence but his final effort was weak, under-hit and easily parried by a grateful Pepe Reina.

Startled, the home side looked to their talisman Steven Gerrard to prompt a response.

But while Liverpool’s skipper was his usual bundle of energy, his accuracy from dead balls and open play was nothing short of woeful for the opening half hour.

On a rare start Grant Leadbitter was proving an able replacement for Teemu Tainio, worrying Liverpool’s back four on the rare occasions he was afforded both possession and space to roam forward.

Indeed, such was the early success of Sunderland’s spoiling strategy that it was a full half-hour before Fülöp was forced to make a meaningful save.

On the half-hour mark, the home side came close to breaking the deadlock when Albert Riera cut inside, evaded Ben- Haim’s challenge and struck a fizzing low drive that cannoned off Leadbitter’s thigh. But Fülöp clawed the ball away after an instinctive dive to his right. Javier Mascherano, impressing in an unfamiliar right-back role, shaved the crossbar with a fierce shot in the passage of play that followed but it was slim pickings for a side supposedly challenging Manchester United’s Premier League supremacy.

Going into the interval, the sense of unease around Anfield was palpable. The Black Cats needed a similarly cagey start to the second half to keep the pressure on their hosts, but an early second half strike from David Ngog changed the complexion of the contest.

Inevitably, it was a moment of inspiration from the Liverpool skipper that unpicked the Sunderland defence. When Riera swung a cross into the heart of the box, Gerrard nodded the ball cleverly into Ngog’s path – and the French striker duly converted from close range.

Plan A lying in ruins, Sbragia summoned Cissé from the bench and switched to two up front. But before Sunderland could muster an attacking riposte, they were two behind after Fülöp committed a glaring error.

Under no pressure, the Hungarian fumbled Ngog’s ambitious overhead kick – presenting Yossi Benayoun with the simplest of tap-ins to effectively end Sunderland’s chances of an unlikely point.