Sbragia needs his players to perform

Mar 17 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

PLENTY of water has passed under the bridge since 1997, but memories of Sunderland being dragged under with a Premier League tally of 40 points obviously still linger on Wearside.

That safety campaign eluded Sunderland by a whisker, despite doing enough to save themselves in any other season. It is an historical precedent that the Black Cats will be all too aware of as they negotiate a tortuous route to safety. Certainly, nerves are jangling again at the Stadium of Light if Saturday’s demoralising defeat against Wigan was anything to go by. It moved captain Dean Whitehead to criticise the Black Cats ‘impatient’ support and provided another worrying omen that all is not right at the club.

The biggest worry is that their marquee front two, who Sunderland were so reliant on in the early days of Ricky Sbragia’s reign, have begun misfiring.

Djibril Cissé, who looks unsettled by the speculation about his future, has been used infrequently and is performing only flittingly while Kenwyne Jones’ powers have been reduced since he signed his contract.

The painstaking recovery from a serious knee injury that ruled him out of the start of the season could finally be taking its toll, and he looks in desperate need of a break.

It would be a huge risk for Sbragia, still asserting his authority as Sunderland manager, to drop both in such difficult times but he desperately needs to freshen things up. David Healy, cruelly under-used this season, certainly deserves his chance.

Defensively, there are problems, too. Tal Ben-Haim looked capable at right-back but his form has evaporated since he replaced Anton Ferdinand in the centre of defence, and it has left the unflappable Danny Collins looking strangely harassed. What to do with Craig Gordon, back and impatient for first team starts, is another problem for Sbragia, who believes maintaining a happy dressing room is the key to staving off the drop.

Sbragia must be shaking his head in disbelief that only four weeks ago he was being hailed for leading Sunderland to a superb point at Arsenal.

But for a dreadful 45 minutes at Anfield, the trick could have been repeated at another of the division’s heavyweights. As it is, two subsequent poor displays have plunged Sunderland back into trouble and left Sbragia looking vulnerable once again.

Now, more than ever, he needs his players to translate their public support for him into performances on the pitch.