Sbragia struck by caretaker curse

THE curse of the caretaker strikes again.

Ricky Sbragia became the latest footballing janitor to learn the hard way that promotion is not necessarily a pleasure as his supposedly rejuvenated Sunderland slid to the meekest of defeats in his first game as a fully fledged manager.

Spragia was handed the job on a permanent basis on Saturday after Roy Keane’s resignation at the start of the month but, after three games unbeaten as a caretaker, Sunderland could not end the year on a high as two Mikel Arteta goals and a late Dan Gosling strike handed the home side three routine points.

It was a rude awakening to the demands of the top flight.

“It has not been the best start to my management career,” he said. “We knew it was going to be difficult, and it certainly proved to be that.

“In general they were far superior to us. We spoke beforehand about not giving any silly free-kicks away around the box, and that is exactly what we did and they scored twice.

“Overall in all departments, they were better. Tiredness doesn’t come into it. Everton have played three games in six days and they seemed fine, so we can’t use that excuse. They have talent, they work extremely hard and are always in your faces. We just didn’t do ourselves justice.

“But I am still looking forward to my new role. I am looking forward to the challenge ahead. We have a difficult FA Cup tie next weekend (against Bolton) and then a derby game with Middlesbrough straight afterwards, so it is not going to get any easier.

“The aim at the moment is to stay in the Premier League, we are still down at the bottom and not clear. If we were 10 points clear it would be different, but that is not the case.

“There is more responsibility, and the flak comes my way now. But we have to work on what we need now the transfer window is open.”

The Wearsiders found themselves behind after just 10 minutes, when Kieran Richardson’s foul on Osman outside the box presented Arteta with the chance to fire in a dipping free-kick past Marton Fulop.

Sunderland fell further behind in the 26th minute thanks to another Arteta special His effort came back off the wall, but his second shot deflected past Fulop off Teemu Tainio. Everton eased up in the second half, but added a third when Gosling managed to side-foot home a Joleon Lescott pass.

“Top six is our target, as it always is,” Steve Round, the Everton assistant manager, said. “If we don’t manage it will not be through a lack of trying or ambition.”

EVERTON (4-5-1): Howard 6, Hibbert 6, Jagielka 7, Lescott 7, Baines 7, Arteta 8, Osman 6 (Gosling 69, 7), Neville 6, Fellaini 6 (Anichebe 77, 5), Pienaar 7, Cahill 7 (Jutkiewicz 86, 5).

Subs Not Used: Nash, Van der Meyde, Rodwell, Kissock.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Fulop 6, Whitehead 6, Nosworthy 5, Collins 5, Bardsley 5, Malbranque 4 (Edwards 46, 5), Tainio 6 (Yorke 75, 5), Richardson 5, Murphy 6, Cisse 5 (Healy 75, 5), Jones 6.

Subs Not Used: Colgan, Colback, Henderson, Prica.

REFEREE: Rob Styles (Hampshire) 6: A quiet afternoon, thanks to Sunderland.

MATCH RATING: ** Never much of a contest, but that wasn’t Everton’s fault.