Sbragia: It'll go right to the wire

06 April 2009 09:15
Ricky Sbragia does not expect Sunderland's fate to be decided until the last day of the season - but is determined to achieve survival. The Black Cats had been looking to boost their chances of avoiding relegation when they travelled to West Ham on Saturday - but slipped to a disappointing 2-0 defeat. Other sides such as Blackburn and Stoke managed to pick up three points over the weekend and Sbragia accepts Sunderland are in a lot of trouble. But having replaced Roy Keane as manager in December, Sbragia does not want to be remembered for the wrong reasons. "The one thing I don't want to do is be the manager who took Sunderland down," he said. "But I always thought, even at the time I took over, that it would go down to the last game of the season - and I still think that. "Do I have any regrets? No, I am fine. The players are still good and they are giving me everything in each game." Sunderland are currently just above the drop zone and North-East rivals Newcastle and Middlesbrough, but they have some tough fixtures still to come including a home game against Manchester United on Saturday. The Black Cats are without a win in their last six matches and Sbragia insists it is vital to get back on track immediately. "We just need a win - of course we know that," he said. "A couple of teams have had good wins and it's just knocked them above us. We need to get back to getting three points."

Source: Eurosport