Fighter O’Shea not short of challenges with club or country

The morning after the night before and John O’Shea is contemplating the implications of a 2-1 home defeat to West Ham which has plunged Sunderland right into the heart of the Premier League relegation scrap.

They might have a game or two in hand on all their fellow strugglers but that seems scant consolation considering their next four fixtures will see the Black Cats visit Spurs, at home to Everton and then away to Manchester City and Chelsea.

“Pure and simple, we need to start winning games as quickly as possible,” says the team’s skipper. “The games are running down now.