Michael Beale challenged his players to show greater levels of consistency after securing a first win as Sunderland manager with a 1-0 victory at Hull.
Beale’s men moved above the Tigers into the top six of the Sky Bet Championship following Jack Clarke’s 11th goal of the season after 82 minutes.
Sunderland lost 3-0 at home to Coventry in Beale’s first game in charge on Saturday, but responded by recording a first away win since September.
The former Rangers boss said: “I knew it would be a tough game and that we hadn’t won away from home for a long time, but I thought we should have won by more.
“We missed some big chances. Some of our interplay was good and it was just whether we could execute that in the final third.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the mentality of the side.
“That’s a big, big positive, but the big thing for me is that we need consistency. We must back it up against Rotherham.
“The inconsistency tells me we can’t get too high or too low – it’s important we keep going.”
The game was meandering towards a draw until Clarke provided the one moment of quality when he cut inside from the left before calmly steering the ball into the bottom-right corner.
Beale added: “We hadn’t much time to work with the players and it was demoralising on Saturday, what with the way the game went.
“Hull are really dangerous opponents and to come away with a clean sheet was fantastic.
“I think sometimes we are a little bit fussy in the final third – trying to score a perfect goal.
“It’s got to be more effective, but that was a special goal from Jack.
“It was a great three points, but we have to recover and now prepare for Rotherham.”
Hull have now lost back-to-back games, with head coach Liam Rosenior once again rueful of a lack of precision in front of goal.
He said: “It was a very evenly matched game between two teams pushing for the top six.
“I thought we had the better chances, but they also had some degree of control.
“We’re not taking control of the big moments of games – we didn’t take our chances when they came our way.
“I’m tired of coming out with the same story. We haven’t got the points our performances deserve.
“At 0-0 with 20 minutes to go we had to make sure we kept the back door shut.
“It’s a difficult one to take, but we now have to focus on a difficult game against Blackburn.
“We have to be more clinical at one end and more ruthless at the other. If we do that we’ve got the makings of a really good team.
“The players are a frustrated group as they know how good they can be.”
Liam Rosenior departs Hull City after 18 months in charge
Hull City have parted company with head coach Liam Rosenior with immediate effect.
Rosenior departs the MKM Stadium after 18 months in charge of the Tigers, who narrowly missed out on the Championship playoffs this season.
Hull were one point above the relegation zone when the former Derby County assistant succeeded Shota Arveladze in November 2022, but he guided them to safety in 15th place.
Rosenior signed a new three-year deal in December and oversaw just one defeat in Hull’s last seven games of this season, in which they finished seventh and just three points behind sixth-place Norwich City.
"This has been the most difficult decision I have had to make as chairman of this wonderful football club," said chairman and owner Acun Ilicali.
"Since Liam’s arrival, we have enjoyed an open working relationship and progress has undoubtedly been made over the course of his tenure. He will always be a part of this family and I thank him for all his work.
"However, it has become evident that our visions for the future are not aligned, and I feel that now is the time to make a change. I know what this football club can achieve, and we will not stop in the pursuit of that.
"We have worked hard over the last two years to develop our squad. We now have many highly talented players at our disposal, and we will continue to invest and improve our playing personnel to give this club and its fans the success they deserve."
Ancelotti demands greater intensity from Madrid ahead of Bayern clash
Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid must play with greater intensity if they are to keep their hopes of a record-extending 15th European title alive, with their Champions League semi-final tie against Bayern Munich in the balance ahead of Wednesday's second leg.
Madrid were crowned champions of LaLiga with four matches to spare on Saturday, beating Cadiz 3-0 before watching their closest rivals Barcelona slip to a 4-2 defeat against Girona.
However, that success has not stopped Ancelotti from being critical of Madrid's performance in last week's first leg against Bayern, a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena.
He has warned his players that they cannot afford another subpar performance if they want to contest the final at Wembley Stadium on June 1.
"We need a match with intensity, with pace... Looking at the first leg, defensively we could have done a lot more," Ancelotti said at Tuesday's pre-match press conference.
Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern's 11-year Bundesliga reign by securing the league crown last month, but Ancelotti says that will only boost Bayern's motivation as they chase a seventh European title.
"We are similar clubs because they have a great history and a lot of success," Ancelotti said. "We have to respect our opponents because they did very well and were better than us in the first leg.
"We are very excited because it could be another magical night for us, but there is no optimism. We are aware of the difficulties that we are going to face."
Defender Dani Carvajal, who has already lifted the Champions League trophy five times with Los Blancos, believes the squad are brimming with confidence after going unbeaten through their last 42 games (excluding extra time).
He joked Ancelotti was "getting more and more fearful" each season but praised his coach's role in keeping the players focused on the task at hand.
"There is euphoria because we are having a great year," Carvajal said.
"We are all very excited about the European Cup. We know it in the dressing room. In the street the fans congratulate us and give us a lot of encouragement to dream of winning it again.
"We are two games away from winning the Champions League. Ancelotti has kept our eyes open and we have all added up. That's what counts for us to achieve our objectives."
Man Utd keen to sell Greenwood amid Barcelona interest, claims Getafe president
Manchester United are keen to sell Mason Greenwood in the upcoming transfer window and could field interest from Barcelona, according to Getafe president Angel Torres.
Greenwood joined Getafe on a season-long loan deal in September and has scored eight goals and added six assists in 29 appearances in LaLiga in 2023-24.
Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 and was later charged with attempted rape and assault, with all charges against him dropped in February 2023.
United then conducted a six-month internal investigation into his conduct and said they recognised "the difficulties with him recommencing his career" with the club.
In February, speculation that Greenwood could yet return to Old Trafford was heightened when new minority shareholder Jim Ratcliffe said a "fresh decision" would be made on his future at the end of the season.
However, Getafe chief Torres claims the Red Devils are now keen to cash in on a player he hopes to keep at the Estadio Coliseum.
"If it depended on the player, his parents and the club, I think he would continue for another year," Torres said of Greenwood in an interview with RadioMARCA on Tuesday.
"Manchester United's idea is to sell if there is a good offer, we will have to wait. I think he will stay."
Reports had suggested both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona were considering a move for Greenwood, who is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract with United.
Torres claims Barca president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco have been in touch about the 22-year-old, adding: "No one from Atleti has asked me about Greenwood.
"I spoke with [Atleti president] Miguel Angel [Gil Marin], but about other things. The only one who asked me about the player was Joan Laporta.
"I spoke with him and Deco and they asked me what he was like to get a sense of the player, but first they have to sell to buy, this is the problem with Spanish football."
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