McCarthy defiant in face of likely drop

A defiant Mick McCarthy is refusing to throw in the towel as Sunderland attempt to bridge the 16-point safety gap against Manchester City at Eastlands tomorrow.

With just 10 points from 27 matches, the Black Cats face a daunting task just to claw their way past their own miserable record of 19 points when they were relegated from the Premiership three years ago.

But the Sunderland boss will battle on and continue to rally his troops until it is mathematically impossible to stave off an immediate return to the Championship.

“I am not going to concede to relegation,” he vowed. “We are all fighting and scrapping for something, whether it be personal pride or pride in the job.

“Players fight for careers and when I say that I mean fighting to improve all the time, to be in the team or to make me sit up and say he is playing well and should be in the team.

“Players tend to do that normally so they are all fighting for something and I just hope the players who have been away this week on international duty come back boosted by seeing their international team mates.”

The Black Cats boss is delighted to have Stephen Elliott available to make a sentimental return to his former club, insisting the Republic of Ireland international has nothing to prove.

Elliott has missed most of the season with a back problem but a return to action in last week’s defeat at Birmingham and a further 48 minutes for the Republic of Ireland’s 3-0 win over Sweden should stand him in good stead tomorrow.

“Stephen will be thrilled to be going back and involved, but we’ve all got a point to prove, not just him. I think he will want to go back and show what they are missing rather than what he has got to prove.

“Manchester City did not want to lose him, they fought tooth and nail to keep him, and we were fortunate to sign him. But they are doing well and have not looked back so sometimes you make good signings and you lose some good players, it’s just the way it is with football.”

On a personal note McCarthy will turn the clock back nearly 20 years with a return to the club he served as a central defender, although the return journey holds less affection due mainly to the switch from Maine Road to the new stadium.

“It’s nearly 20 years since I played there but it’s not as though I am going back to my old stomping ground of Maine Road,” he said. “The new stadium is a fabulous place but does not hold any fond memories for me.

“Manchester City does. I had three and a half fantastic years there, I loved it, a great place and a great club. It’s different now, a new ground and we are playing a very good side even if they do have a few players missing.

“They started the season very well and when they came here in August they caused all sorts of problems. The big lad up front, Georgios Samaras, looks a real handful.”