Source: Daily_Mail
Sunderland 1 Portsmouth 1: Kaboul saves Pompey... and then gets sent off
[LNB]Younes Kaboul says he refused to join Sunderland because he is not a cow or a dog.[LNB] The French midfielder was invited to be a part of Roy Keane's four-man Spurs package two years ago,which also included SteedMalbranque, Teemu Tainio and Pascal Chimbonda, and was intended to put Sunderland on the Premier League map. [LNB]He turned it down too emphaticallyfor Sunderland's liking and his injury-time equaliser, complete with shirt-swirling celebration and a second yellow card which earned him a sending off, hardly endeared him to frustrated Wearside fans.[LNB] Raw emotion: Jubilant Kaboul, minus shirt, is mobbed by fans after firing in his late equaliser[LNB]Kaboul was unrepentant over his decision to join troubled Portsmouth. [LNB]'I didn't come here because of Daniel Levy,' he said. [LNB]'He wanted to treat me like a cow. I said to him, 'Look I have a personality and a mind of my own, I'm not a dog'. [LNB]'He told me, 'I have a flight for you all and you're going to Sunderland'. [LNB]'I said, 'No, I go where I want, not where you want me to go'. [LNB]'Sunderland are a decent club but I don't like people imposing anythingon me. Life is not like this.' [LNB]Kaboul did apologise to histeam-mates for his celebration and daft dismissal which rules him out of manager Avram Grant's return to Chelsea on Wednesday. [LNB]He said: 'It was a silly. I knew I was on a booking but it was the emotion of the moment. Anyone who understands football will appreciate why I did it. [LNB]'This could be a vital goal. I must have looked like the happiest player ever to be sent off. The emotion of all of us when the goal went in was about all the problems people have heard about. [LNB] Battle: Michael Brown and Jordan Henderson tussle[LNB]'It's been so difficult. We're the ones playing and all we can do is give our all. When you come back in a game like this, you lose your mind.' [LNB]There is no danger of Grant doing that as he contemplates his first game back at Stamford Bridge since John Terry's penalty miss denied him Champions League triumph.He was fortunate Pompey escaped with a point. [LNB]They were dreadful in the first-half but while David James was beaten by Darren Bent's well-worked 10th of theseason, the only threat to the keeper'sgoal after that was an Andy Reid free-kick which hit the bar. [LNB]'I'd call myself a lucky manager if Terry had scored that penalty,' said Grant.[LNB] 'I'm lucky to be in the game and to have this job. I like it and I'm enjoying myself. At Chelsea, I took a team on the way down to bring them back to winning ways. [LNB]Heads up: Dindane jumps with Black Cats defender Nosworthy[LNB]'Here the first challenge is to take the team away from the bottom and then to make them an exciting team. It's a bigger challenge because there are so many problems.' [LNB]One point from nine means Sunderlandare in danger of being dragged into a fresh relegation fight.That is not lost on manager Steve Bruce as he prepares for AstonVilla's visit tomorrow. [LNB]'We're a nearly team but we'll get there. We have to remember we are only six months on from nearly being relegated,' he said. [LNB]'We have a big expectant crowd, and players have to be able to handle it and handle dealing with the ball, too. You can't fear it.' [LNB]At least Nyron Nosworthy's return entertained fans. The Jamaica defender was full of tricks and offered an interesting insight to one wild shot after a dazzling run and a bizarre forward roll. [LNB]'The Sunderland black cat ghost said, 'Don't get ahead of yourself and pushed me over',' he said. [LNB]'Actually, I lost my footing and thought I'm going down anyway, so I might as well do it gracefully, roll about, get up and have a laugh. [LNB]'It was pleasing for the crowd and it wasn't too bad for me. I always try to play with a smile and, if I ever scored, that would be it. I would finish my career, there and then. [LNB]'But the sat-nav needs to be working properly. My shot was a Nyron finish.' [LNB]Sunderland: (4-4-2): Fulop 6; Nosworthy 8, Turner 7, Da Silva 6, McCartney 6; Campbell 6, Cana 7, Henderson 6, Reid 7; Bent 6 (Malbranque 90min), Jones 5 (Murphy 85). Booked: Cana, McCartney, Henderson, Bent. [LNB]Portsmouth: (4-5-1): James 6; Ben Haim 6, Kaboul 7, Wilson 6, Hreidarsson 6; Yebda 5 (Webber 77), Brown 5 (Diop 83), Hughes 6, O'Hara 7, Dindane 5; Kanu 5 (Piquionne 62, 6). Booked: Hreidarsson, Kaboul, Ben Haim. [LNB]Sent off: Kaboul.Man of the match: Nyron Nosworthy. [LNB]Referee: Steve Bennett.[LNB] Sunderland 1 Portsmouth 1: Kaboul is the hero and villain for PompeySunderland and Hull on alert: Kazim-Richards up for sale after sex marathon Revisiting the horrors of my father's past helped me embrace the future, says Portsmouth boss Avram Grant Pampered players are just trouble, says Sunderland manager Steve Bruce [LNB]
