We battled well and we played well and I don't think there was a lot wrong with the performance. We were the better team and all you can say to the players is hard luck and we will live to fight another day. The desire and work rate were terrific but we just couldn't score and I am both pleased and frustrated. We were just unlucky.
We came here in the cup, played twice as well as we did then and this time have got nothing. Sometimes football is strange like that. How can a team have so many chances and still lose the match?
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We could have won it really and all we needed was that little bit of luck, and their goalkeeper made some outstanding saves and that is why he cost £9million.
There were some immense performances, none more so than Paul Scharner who gave an unbelievable display at centre back, I thought he was fantastic.
Roy Keane
We'll see how important this win is at the end of the season. It was a tough game. Wigan made it hard for us and we rode our luck a little bit but I think we earned that bit of luck. We got two good goals and a clean sheet, so we're fairly happy.
We've been tested by injuries but people are sick of hearing that. The players showed good character today. If you want to play for this football club, character is top of the list. There are big pressures playing for Sunderland, it's a big football club - nearly forty-four thousand today, that's brilliant.
I can't praise the players enough. We've had our set-backs this season but they have kept going and it was a tough game today. Wigan are a big, strong team and their set-pieces are good, I'm sure Steve Bruce might feel they are unlucky today.
Our second goal was worthy of winning any game, it was an outstanding strike. Over the last four or five weeks, Murphy has been one of our better players, he's a talented boy. The league is our priority but I'd love to be playing in the FA Cup next weekend. I spoke after Wigan beat us in the Cup and I felt quite embarrassed - but the players have moved on.
Four wins in a row at home has given us a chance. We're still working on our away form! Andy Reid has got quality. We need to work on his fitness, he's not played for a while. He showed his quality in one glimpse. We've now got two weeks to try to get him a bit fitter and sharper.
We knew it would be tough for Kenwyne after his long journey but he put in a good shift. We've just got to keep getting positive results and the table will take care of itself. Hopefully in a couple of weeks' time the squad will be stronger.
Results
| Aston Villa | (0) | 4 | Newcastle United | (1) | 1 | 42,640 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | (0) | 0 | Portsmouth | (0) | 1 | 18,544 | ||
| Derby County | (0) | 0 | Tottenham Hotspur | (0) | 3 | 33,058 | ||
| Everton | (0) | 1 | Reading | (0) | 0 | 36,582 | ||
| Middlesbrough | (1) | 1 | Fulham | (0) | 0 | 26,885 | ||
| Sunderland | (1) | 2 | Wigan Athletic | (0) | 0 | 43,600 | ||
| West Ham United | (1) | 1 | Birmingham City | (1) | 1 | 34,884 |
Table
| Latest match Saturday, 9th February 2008 | Pld | Home | Away | Overall | Pts | GD | |||||||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | |||||||||
| 1 | Arsenal | 25 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 52 | 18 | 60 | +34 | ||||
| 2 | Manchester United | 25 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 49 | 12 | 58 | +37 | ||||
| 3 | Chelsea | 25 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 38 | 17 | 54 | +21 | ||||
| 4 | Everton | 26 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 41 | 23 | 47 | +18 | ||||
| 5 | Aston Villa | 26 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 48 | 34 | 44 | +14 | ||||
| 6 | Liverpool | 24 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 26 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 40 | 17 | 43 | +23 | ||||
| 7 | Portsmouth | 26 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 36 | 26 | 41 | +10 | ||||
| 8 | Manchester City | 25 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 32 | 28 | 41 | +4 | ||||
| 9 | Blackburn Rovers | 25 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 32 | 31 | 39 | +1 | ||||
| 10 | West Ham United | 25 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 30 | 23 | 37 | +7 | ||||
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 26 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 19 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 48 | 41 | 32 | +7 | ||||
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 26 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 38 | 29 | -15 | ||||
| 13 | Newcastle United | 26 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 29 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 29 | 47 | 28 | -18 | ||||
| 14 | Sunderland | 26 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 32 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 26 | 45 | 26 | -19 | ||||
| 15 | Bolton Wanderers | 26 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 26 | 35 | 25 | -9 | ||||
| 16 | Wigan Athletic | 26 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 28 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 24 | 42 | 23 | -18 | ||||
| 17 | Birmingham City | 26 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 25 | 38 | 22 | -13 | ||||
| 18 | Reading | 26 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 34 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 30 | 53 | 22 | -23 | ||||
| 19 | Fulham | 26 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 25 | 44 | 19 | -19 | ||||
| 20 | Derby County | 26 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 31 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 13 | 55 | 9 | -42 | ||||
Next Game
Next up for the Latics is the return of former manager Paul Jewell to the JJB Stadium. Doomed at the foot of the table, the fixture is an important game for the Latics who are in need of three points to distance themselves from the drop zone.
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