Source: SKY_Sports
Sbragia backing for Fulop
Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia is set to keep faith with Marton Fulop despite his disappointing showing in midweek.
The Hungarian goalkeeper was at fault for Liverpool's second goal during the Black Cats' 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Tuesday.
With Scotland international Craig Gordon waiting in the wings, there had been suggestions that Fulop would be benched for Saturday's visit from Tottenham.
However, Sbragia has offered assurances that he will resist the urge to make sweeping changes to his side when Spurs arrive on Wearside.
"Despite his rick for the second goal, I thought Marton made some good saves in the match and I haven't forgotten straight away that at Arsenal he was terrific," Sbragia told the Sunderland Echo.
"In all honesty, I cannot remember him making too many mistakes this year and the mistake for Liverpool's second goal was just a basic handling error.
"It can happen but I can't imagine him repeating it again in a hurry. If it happened again, then we would have to look at it.
"We would start to wonder whether it was something like the mental pressure of being in there starting to get to him. That would be a concern to us.
"But as things stand, we're just looking at it as one of those things that can happen to a goalkeeper from time to time.
"It was a mistake and on another night he might have got away with it."
He added: "I wouldn't look to sacrifice him for that though. I could have taken Anton Ferdinand off, Kieran Richardson off, Tal Ben-Haim off if I was to be that harsh because they all might have done better with the goals too.
"I've got competition going in the team and that's a good thing. But I don't want players to have this feeling that one mistake and you're out.
"Don't get me wrong - if you make mistakes you're going to be out of the team, simple as that - but I don't want to have players thinking that one bad mistake and there's no comeback for them.
"Sometimes a player will not be at his best and they will make way for another but I will look at each case individually and take everything into consideration before making a decision."
