Football: ANDY GRAY'S COLUMN: Players to blame for Reid woes

THE next few days are going to be dominated by talk about whether Peter Reid is going to get the tin-tack from Sunderland.

Does he deserve the sack? Absolutely not! And I don't say that because he's a mate of mine. He is having a tough time at the moment. He has just spent a lot of money on players who, to be blunt, have so far let him down.

I have never seen them play so badly as they did yesterday, on an occasion when they should have been gagging for a win.

Getting rid of your manager is not the answer. Manchester City found to their cost many years ago that sacking Peter Reid at the beginning of a season can be a mistake.

I know there are some Sunderland fans calling for his head, but I still believe the vast majority of them back him. Perhaps most importantly I have never heard the chairman Bob Murray suggest that he has lost his faith in the manager.

There is alot of work to be done and the players had better take a long, hard look in the mirror this morning and ask themselves about the meaning of commitment and passion. They lacked both yesterday and they should be ashamed of themselves.

Managers can get criticised for a lot of things in football - getting tactics wrong, making mistakes when they change the system, or make the wrong substitutions. One thing they can't be slaughtered for is having no inner desire or understanding of the nature of the game you are playing in.

You have every right when you are losing by one or two goals to expect your players to act accordingly and show some fighting spirit.

I have never seen a Peter Reid side play with such a lack of passion as I witnessed yesterday. Apart from getting changed and joining the players on the pitch, Reidy can't do anything about their desire and motivation once they are involved in the game.

Bobby Robson said he didn't need to have a team-talk to fire his lads up for the Tyne and Wear derby, because they knew what this game was all about.

Reidy should have been able to expect the same from his players, but they didn't respond. I came away from St James' Park thinking it had nothing to do with local pride, because Sunderland were inept and I find that absolutely staggering.

The Sunderland fans were magnificent. They stayed right to the end in full voice, but their so-called heroes let them down.

As I said earlier, Reidy has brought in some new faces and they need time to gel, but boys like McAteer, Babb, Flo and Reyna are experienced professionals. They shouldn't need time to settle down and it is those players who need to raise their game straight away.

Apart from a lack of backbone, it's hard to put your finger on what is wrong with Sunderland, but I accept Reidy has got to get it right quickly.

But all those people who are sharpening the knife to plunge into his back should remember that this equals the longest run Sunderland have ever had in the elite league.

If they stay up this season it will be five years in a row and Reidy has done that on a shoestring. The truth is that this is a Catch 22 situation where Peter is now being judged on his past success. He raised the benchmark and is now expected to meet that standard every season.

I know fans pay good money to watch their team and they are entitled to expect some success. It doesn't help people like Reidy and Glenn Roeder at West Ham that there are two high-profile managers in David O'Leary and George Graham twiddling their thumbs, waiting for a chance to get back in the game.

The growing involvement of plcs in running clubs puts added pressure on managers. I believe chairmen should think very carefully before they open the trap-door on their manager. This time last year people were calling for Roeder's head. He survived that and West Ham finished in the top eight.

It's easy to react quickly, but not so easy to guarantee that decision is the right one. My advice is hold fire, and give them a bit more time.

Interview: STEVE McKENLAY

Newcastle v Sunderland, full match report in the Prem pullout

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