George McCartney: I expected Cats to take off

Dec 17 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal

DISAPPOINTED by another false dawn, George McCartney admits Sunderland have regressed just at the point when he expected them to move forward.

If the aim of Europe is to be attained, he stressed the Black Cats must make a swift return to winning ways.

After victory over Arsenal last month, the Northern Irish international anticipated something of a Premier League “take off” for the Wearside club.

Negotiating two subsequent away fixtures was always likely to be tricky, given Sunderland’s form on the road.

But the post-Gunners theory went that a straightforward home win against Portsmouth would then be followed by at least a point against Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.

Instead, after all too predictable defeats at Wigan Athletic and Fulham, Sunderland were held to a draw by Pompey and beaten by Villa, despite McCartney’s insistence that his side had “matched, even shaded” matters against Martin O’Neill’s team.

All told, one point from the four games since overcoming Arsenal has been a “step back” which, allied with their previous disappointments against the likes of Stoke City, Burnley and Birmingham City, could – McCartney warned – cost the club a place in the Europa League if an alarming plunge in form is not rectified.

He said: “Over the last few weeks, particularly after the Arsenal result, everyone was expecting things to take off, onwards and upwards.

“But we haven’t, we have taken a

step back if anything. When you lose goals so late on like we did against Portsmouth it hurts and it does have an effect.

“I don’t think Portsmouth have got a result away from home for a long time, never mind a win. They were bottom and we were expecting to win easily, maybe.