Sbragia slams Black Cats display

Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia admitted his side's performance in the 3-0 loss against West Brom at The Hawthorns was "unacceptable".The Black Cats slumped to their fifth defeat in the last six games to leave them still involved in a battle to stay in the Premier League.Sunderland were lacklustre throughout and powerless to stop Tony Mowbray's side, who occupy bottom spot, registering their first win in 12 games.Sbragia said: "We were so poor overall. We seemed to have 11 individuals out there. West Brom played very well and caused us problems and we got what we deserved - absolutely nothing."It is hard to explain the way we played. Last week we were committed and worked very hard against Hull and were very difficult to beat."Today we were nothing like that and the players were told in no uncertain terms after the game that it was not good enough. It was not acceptable."We didn't turn up. Our decision making was poor. We didn't raise the tempo of the game and the second and third goals were down to bad defending."We were well short all over the pitch. I feel sorry for the fans because in the last week they have seen two different sides to us."This was the worst side and we look disinterested."Albion manager Mowbray admits his side are unlikely to survive in the top flight but he is refusing to give up hope.He said: "For me it is about the next game, not the bigger picture. It is an almost impossible job that we face but strange things can happen in football."We now move on to Tottenham. We know they will allow us to play and that we will get chances."If we can win that game, then we have got Wigan at home and if we win that, maybe you will all write that the Great Escape can happen again as it did four years ago."Mowbray was pleased for the Baggies' long-suffering supporters as they registered a first victory since the triumph over Middlesbrough by the same scoreline in mid-January.He said: "The fans have stuck with us through thick and thin and they deserved to see something like that. It was not really vastly different from our performances week-in and week-out."The difference was we managed to keep the ball out of our net and scored three goals. We were better in both boxes than we have been of late."We just have to keep going. I'm not going to make any rash predictions but we will give it everything while there is still a chance."

Source: Eurosport