Djibril Cisse fires angry Sunderland to big win

18 April 2009 18:34
That is because the Hull City manager, Phil Brown, was identified as the architect of his club's own downfall thanks to a newspaper headline on Saturday in an extraordinary attack from Sunderland counterpart Ricky Sbragia. Brown was accused of inspiring Sunderland to their first victory since early February by Sbragia with his pre-match comments on the Wearside club that were pinned up on the wall of the home dressing room. "Motivation wasn't a problem because we just had to put the stuff on the dressing room walls about what Phil Brown had said about Sunderland," Sbragia said. "I spoke to the players at 12.30, showed them a video on Hull and just said have some good reading when you get down there at 1.30. That was it. They were annoyed. "They've been excellent for me and I don't think they've underachieved. It doesn't matter if they are 10 million or one million. They have always given their all for me." Brown incurred Sbragia's wrath following a tabloid headline that roared: 'Black Cats A Spent Force.' "A manager should just think about his own club rather than criticising other clubs about what they've paid," Sbragia added. "The players stood up and showed him what good players they are and got the points. "He shouldn't be speaking about Sunderland and the prices put on players' heads. It has nothing to do with him. It was this under-achievement thing that annoyed us. I didn't have to have a chat with them I just put that up. "That was enough. We didn't need to chat about what players we'd bought, what we'd paid for them and had they under-achieved. They went out and done it and that's all we had to say." Brown, who was involved in an unpleasant exchange with Anton Ferdinand following the final whistle, remained defiant, responding: "I can't legislate for headlines. Is someone questioning that they haven't spent money. Are you saying that was an inspired performance? That's Ricky's prerogative. It's nothing to do with me." The managers' war of words capped a truly miserable visit to Wearside for Hull which left the Tigers precariously poised just above the drop zone. While Sunderland were not much better they hardly presented a case for Premier League survival as they leapfrogged now fourth-bottom Hull into 15th place. The Sunderland fans had been yelling in frustration in recent weeks with the Frenchman Cisse's goals drying up but he chose the perfect day to end the drought with the most important goal of his loan spell. And considering two of his precious ten goals this term had been against Newcastle illustrates just what this winner meant. Cisse put Sunderland on the road to victory in the third-minute of first-half stoppage time by converting his side's first chance of the afternoon with the goal allowed to stand even though he appeared to a yard offside. He nipped ahead of the flat-footed Michael Turner six yards from and nodded the ball beyond Boaz Myhill after Andy Reid's cross was flicked on by Teemu Tainio. "The goal was off side but I won't harp on about it," Brown added. "It was the timing of the goal that killed us. The stadium had been quietened but was suddenly rocking to say the least. "I'm sure we can fight our way out but only with that kind of commitment. That little bit of quality in final third just let us down." Irrespective of the dubious circumstances of the goal, it was harsh on Hull who had shaded previous exchanges with the powerful Manucho giving Anton Ferdinand a real runaround and Kevin Kilbane wasting his side's best opening when header was palmed away by Craig Gordon. Brown, who hails from nearby South Shields, piled bodies forward in search of an equalizer and his enterprise almost yielded a result but Caleb Folan's squandered the Tigers' best opening when he headed Sam Ricketts' cross inches wide as Sunderland were pushed further and further back. Despite their efforts, Sunderland came closest to scoring in a frantic finale when Daryl Murphy struck a post, allowing Sbragia some much needed breathing space. "I definitely feel relieved because it was a game we just had to win," Sbragia reflected.  

Source: Telegraph