DANISH goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen - recently voted the North-East's Player of the year - has called for more consistency from his Sunderland teammates after a fourth defeat in six games.

The Wearsiders thought they had finally ended a dismal run when they scored a 2-0 home win over Championship contenders Leeds United.

But Peter Reid's men slipped back to their old ways when they went down 1-0 to Premiership leaders Liverpool, who played the second half at Anfield with ten men after having German star Dietmar Hamann controversially sent off a minute before the break.

Sorensen admitted: "When you are given a gift like that you should be able to capitalise.

"But we didn't play well, certainly nowhere near as good as we did against Leeds United and again it's something we've got to look at. "Consistency is a problem for us at the moment."

Sorensen has been Sunderland's most consistent performer this season and he helped keep the Liverpool score down to one goal with some good saves. He was clearly disappointed that he had so much to do after the break when he thought his side would take advantage of their superior numbers.

He said: "We knew at half-time that Liverpool would go with one up front and it should have made it easier - but if anything we were worse in the second half and they had the better chances.

"I think the problem was our passing - if you keep the ball against ten men you eventually wear them out but we didn't do that.

"We should have got something out of the game and we only have ourselves to blame that we didn't."

Sunderland have only taken four points from a possible 18 and Sorensen believes that the team has got to get its act together in the next two games - both at the Stadium of Light - against West Ham United and Chelsea.

He said: "What happened at Liverpool is history now and we've now got two home games coming up and they are made more important by the fact that we lost at Anfield.

"If we can win both games everything will be good again."

Sorensen added: "We've played against two of the top teams in the last two weeks and the disappointing thing is we've lost against one of them.

"It's no consolation that Liverpool are top because I always go into a game thinking we can win and so do the rest of the lads.

"Liverpool are a good side, but on our day against ten men we would have got something - it's just disappointing that we didn't perform."

l Second Division club Queens Park Rangers have joined the queue to take up-and-coming Sunderland striker Kevin Kyle on loan. But the Scotland Under-21 international is expected to opt for a temporary transfer to third-placed Scottish Premier League Club Livingston.

The 20-year-old former ferry baggage handler was watched in Sunderland's Premier Reserve League game against Everton last week and capped an excellent performance with a goal in a 4-2 victory.

l The FA Video Panel is not to investigate the alleged stamping incident involving Brazilian central defender Emerson Thome and England striker Alan Smith during Sunderland's 2-0 victory over Leeds United at the Stadium of Light earlier this month

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