Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia lays down the law

29 January 2009 11:54
The Scot has pledged to defy police orders ahead of his side's trip to St James' Park because he believes their instructions were to blame for Sunderland's 2-0 defeat in the corresponding fixture last season. [LNB]Officers from Northumbria Police told the Sunderland party to set off early for the game but, as far as Sbragia is concerned, that only meant his players ended up kicking their heels in the dressing room and were ill-prepared for local hostilities. [LNB]"Last year, we seemed to be in the dressing room for about two-and-a-half hours before the game, which was absolutely ridiculous," said Sbragia, who was then a member of manager Roy Keane's coaching staff. [LNB]"I thought the preparation for that game was poor, and whether or not it was forced on us, it had an effect on the game. The police had asked us to leave early and we stayed in there for so long, and I thought we looked really lazy and tired going out. [LNB]"They asked us for this one to leave at 10.45am, and that's a bit early for us to go. [LNB]"We have said this year we will go when we want to go. This year, we would hope to be in there just an hour and 15 minutes before the game. [LNB]"We would like to go slightly later, and we are waiting for them to come back to us, but we have to do it right for the club." [LNB]Last season, Sunderland never recovered from conceding an early to Michael Owen, who went on to score a brace and secure a comfortable victory. [LNB]"I could smell that it was not right at all, the players were twiddling around not knowing what to do, focussing on the game too early," Sbragia added. [LNB]"Usually we sit down and discuss the pre-match meal, what distance and the time factor to the stadium is, and say we will leave at a certain time. Last year it was just too long thinking about the game, too long from my point of view. [LNB]"You expend a lot of emotional energy because of the occasion, with people coming in and out all the time, it seemed to distract an awful lot from the game and I know I was looking at my watch thinking this is not right. [LNB]"That day I remember people just sitting around gazing at each other reading programmes and trying to look busy. That can't happen again."[LNB]

Source: Telegraph