Reid fluffs his lines in big audition

ANDY REID has waited 15 tortuous months for Giovanni Trapattoni to give him another chance with Ireland, but now he might just wish he had not bothered at all.

The Italian could have chosen any number of Sunderland home games to check up on the Dubliner’s form, which has been close to imperious at the Stadium of Light this season. Instead, he dropped by at Craven Cottage and was treated to the kind of listless performance which characterises Sunderland’s travel-sickness this season.

Having remained immune to Reid’s charms for almost the entire World Cup qualifying campaign – despite the emotional clamour for his recall by fans and pundits alike – Trapattoni is unlikely to hand him a second chance any time soon.

Reid, who, like the vast majority of his team-mates, endured a distinctly mediocre afternoon here must be cursing his misfortune.

For Steve Bruce, his manager, the concerns were more wide-ranging. This defeat means Sunderland have lost six of their eight away games this season – not the kind of form which will lead to the Wearsiders nabbing a place in the Europa League in May.

“It was disappointing,” said Bruce, who also saw defender Anton Ferdinand sustain a nasty-looking ankle injury. “In the second half, we had a response. But the first half was not good enough. We’ve got a right to be disappointed.

“We’ve got to do something away from home to get this monkey off our backs. But you won’t win a game in the Premier League if you play like we did in the first half.

“I don’t remember a side this Jekyll and Hyde, and it’s pretty alarming. I’ll have to do something about it.”

Fulham can well identify with Sunderland’s woes on the road. They, too, turn to jelly once removed from their south-west London comfort zone, although their record at Craven Cottage – where they have already won five times this season – should ensure they will not be involved in a relegation battle.

Their match-winner was Bobby Zamora, something of an early Christmas miracle given his low standing among Fulham supporters.

Zamora netted in the seventh minute from John Pantsil’s cross and then aimed an angry celebration at his own fans after they criticised him.

“Maybe he reads too many of these blogs that people write in to,” Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said. “Our fans in the Hammersmith end actually constantly chant his name.

“But these people who write into the club’s blogs, they’re the real experts and they want something that he’s not been able to give them – 30 goals a year. But he has been a key player for us.”

Zamora troubled Michael Turner and Nyron Nosworthy in the same way as Emile Heskey does for England at international level – and neither have good scoring records.

Trinidad and Tobago have sounded out Zamora about playing for them but he is still eligible for England if Fabio Capello calls on the 28-year-old.

“Heskey is a very powerful player, a very willing player and a hard working player,” Hodgson added. “Bobby is more technical.

“It was quite interesting being on a panel with Terry Venables the other day, discussing World Cup squads. He’s got experience of that from Euro 96 and me from the World Cup.

“You could also make a case for one or two more unusual selections, players who maybe have something a little bit extra. He was talking about Ledley King.

“If you perpetuated that argument, you might come up with an argument for someone like a Bobby Zamora, the type of player who we don’t have too many like him.”

REFEREE: Mike Dean (Wirral) 7: Handled events with quiet authority.

MATCH RATING: ** Not a classic but Fulham were worthy winners. Sunderland have to cure their away jitters quickly.