Sbragia’s focus is on staying up
May 23 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
RICKY Sbragia admits that staying in the Premier League is “essential” to Sunderland’s development.
With Ellis Short set to plunge millions into the club – regardless of which division they are in – the Black Cats do not have to consider a fire sale of their best assets to balance the books if the worst happens.
But even with that pressure off, the club is still at a crossroads. Survival would bring fresh optimism, new players and a rebirth of ambition at the Stadium of Light.
But relegation would return the club to the position it was in before the Drumaville takeover – a yo-yo club facing another campaign battling to get out of the Championship.
“The steps and the foundation is there but it takes time. You can’t build it overnight and you have a better chance of building it in the Premier League – that is what you what to attain all the time,” Sbragia said.
“That is why the focus is to keep us in the Premier League and go from there. It’s as simple as that. Of course the future is at stake but at the moment my concern is with Sunday.
“When I took the job we were in a sticky situation and it was my job to keep us up. I still believe we will be in the Premier League after Sunday.”
A likeable and decent man, Sbragia appears out of his depth in the world of Premier League management.
Results have not been good enough and the improvement in fortunes not marked enough to secure him a second season at the helm of Sunderland.
But it is to his credit that he hasn’t allowed the pressure on him to affect his general, approachable demeanour – even if his new-found fame has brought him some unwanted attention. At York Races last week he was harangued by a few discontented Black Cats fans, but he feels it is all part of the package of being a top flight boss.
“I am still approachable – I won’t change that way, that is me as a person,” he said. “I am still able to walk down street and not get pestered. There is the odd one (who will say something) but I would never be annoyed with that.
“I get a little bit more stick now and I do understand it – I don’t have a problem with that. It might not be for the best but I am very open to it and it is part and parcel of the job.
“I just get on with it, that is life. It didn’t help me at York races. I mistakenly went out and that was me. But they were ok, there was a bit of banter and stick but most were good, they were decent but I wish I had walked the other way and taken the short cut. You have to take rough with smooth, I don’t have a problem with that.”
