Dick Advocaat prepared to win ugly to save Sunderland from relegation

DICK ADVOCAAT is a liqueur made from eggs, sugar and brandy. But don’t expect much sweet stuff from Dick in the next eight games.

Allardyce relieved after win, Advocaat positive despite defeat [AMBIENT]

Sunderland’s new Dutch manager watched his team succumb to an 88th-minute goal at Upton Park to put them in real peril at the nasty end of the Premier League - and promised that if he has to save them by playing ugly, he will.

Advocaat is formerly coach of the Dutch national team, Rangers, PSV Eindhoven, Russia, Serbia and Belgium among others. The 67 year old is known as the Little General and he is going to need all his tactical nous to save the Black Cats.

Advocaat’s team could have troubled West Ham but they missed their chances and, worryingly, could not resist as Sam Allardyce’s team cranked up the pressure.

“I said that the only important thing in these final eight games is winning. The way that we do it is not important. So if we win games very ugly, I like that," said the Dutchman.

“We will play very negative if the need is there.

“I saw a team out there who likes to work. So I was pleased. It showed that if you work as a team and not an individual, you get the luck you need. We didn’t get the luck we deserved.”

But he flashed a warning to former Hammers striker Jermain Defoe, who missed a glorious first-half chance that could have changed the game, saying: “We played three strikers - but they had to score and Defoe had a 100 per cent chance.

Dick AdvocaatGETTY

Dick Advocaat faces a tough task to save Sunderland

“I didn’t have so much time to do tactically. I told them to keep it simple, work hard. Now I will have time to see my best line up.”

Next up - a North East derby against Newcastle at the Stadium of Light. With the Black Cats just a point clear of the relegation zone with games to come against Southampton, Arsenal and Chelsea. It is going to be tight.

The Hammers, meanwhile, are ninth and looking good for Europa League place, according to Stewart Downing, who said: “There are a lot of winnable games to come and Europe is still there for us.”

West Ham (4-5-1): Adrian 7; Jenkinson 7, Collins 6, Kouyate 6, Cresswell 7; Downing 6, Song 6, Noble 7, Nolan 6 (Nene 79 6), Jarvis 6 (Cole 46 6); Sakho 8 (O’Brien 90 6).

Goals: Sakho 88.

Next Up: Leicester (a) Sat April 4.

Sunderland (4-3-1-2): Pantilimon 6; Reveillere 6, O’Shea 6, Brown 6 (Vergini 12 6), Van Aanholt 7; Gomez 7, Larsson 6, Rodwell 7; Wickham 7: Fletcher 7 (Johnson 73 6), Defoe 6 (Graham 87 6).

Booked: Wickham.

Next Up: Newcastle (h) Sun April 5 PL

Referee: L Mason (Lancshire).

Stat of the Day: Sunderland have failed to score in 15 games now. Only Aston Villa have drawn a blank in more (17).

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