MICK McCarthy has revealed that the gloves came off in the aftermath of last weekend's defeat to Aston Villa and, with fellow strugglers Birmingham visiting the Stadium of Light today, the Sunderland boss has challenged his players to prove they are as angry as he is.

McCarthy has defended his sub-standard stars to the hilt this season, but even he was forced to deliver some harsh home truths after Villa subjected Sunderland to their fifth home defeat last Saturday.

Calling his players into training on Sunday morning, the Black Cats boss made them sit through a video nasty of the previous day's events before outlining exactly where they were letting themselves down.

Togetherness and team spirit have long been the bedrock of Sunderland's success and McCarthy has been reluctant to do anything that could have unsettled the unity in his camp.

Last weekend, though, enough was enough. With the Wearsiders having gone 17 Premiership home games without a win, today's events will prove whether or not his diatribe was a success.

"I provoked the talk on Sunday and there quite a few harsh words said," said McCarthy, who is resigned to being without both Julio Arca and Stephen Elliott this afternoon. "It was about time, I think.

"I have been at pains to encourage and protect and to try to make sure that the players are protected from criticism. It's far too easy to get involved in all of that.

"But we watched the video again and, let me tell you, it would be hard to watch it again without there being harsh words said.

"I don't want to undermine the confidence of the players and there's no point me heaping pressure on people.

"But at some stage you have to point out certain things, whether people like what you are saying or not."

Tellingly, McCarthy also made his criticisms in public, admitting his side deserved nothing from last weekend's spineless second-half showing.

The policy comes with the potential for both risk and reward. If Sunderland respond by beating Birmingham this afternoon, McCarthy's words will have elicited the desired response. Lose, though, and the Black Cats boss has nowhere left to go.

The former Republic of Ireland chief has never been afraid to confront his players - his well-publicised clash with Roy Keane provided irrefutable proof of that - but, by resisting the temptation to rant and rave, he hopes to have retained their respect.

"It's about how you tell them," he explained. "I don't scream and shout in their faces, but it's something that has to be pointed out. At some stage, all of us get angry about something that's happened in a game.

"I don't have words with them because I don't like them, or because I don't respect them, or because I want to fall out with them. It has to be done for the right reasons.

"I remember my managers and coaches telling me I had done something wrong, and I never liked it, ever. Criticism is not easy to accept but the reality is that it's educational.

"I'm trying to help not be a critic. Saying 'Something is wrong - can we do it this way?' is helpful. Usually I would do it on an individual basis but, this week, everyone had to hear what I had to say."

Since delivering his dressing down, McCarthy has spent the last week rebuilding his players' egos.

September's three-game unbeaten run proved what is possible and, in the search for inspiration, the Sunderland boss has turned to the words of golfer Padraig Harrington.

McCarthy played alongside the Irishman in September's Seve Trophy Pro-am and remembers a talk in which they discussed the difficulties involved in stepping up to a higher level.

"It was interesting to get the perspective of another sportsman," he said. "He was talking about being an up-and-coming young golfer and then suddenly becoming a pro.

"He was playing against better opposition, getting beaten in every competition, failing to make the cut, and still having to go home every weekend to explain what was happening.

"He put it into perspective and it was interesting to hear someone from a different sport that had experienced the same things.

"He experienced it all, but went on to become one of the leading golfers in the world. There's a lesson there for all of us."

For both McCarthy and Sunderland's sake, it is to be hoped they learn it fast. Defeat today would leave the Black Cats some four points adrift of their closest challengers at the foot of the table, and lead to further questions over McCarthy's future.

Last season's exploits have made the Yorkshireman largely immune to criticism but, as relegation starts to look likely rather than possible, his selections and summer purchases are coming under fire.

Sunderland's finances have prevented him spending a fortune, but one win in 24 Premiership games remains an abject statistic. It will not have escaped his attention that Portsmouth sacked Alain Perrin this week for winning four from 21.

"I have to accept everything that's being said," admitted McCarthy. "We're bottom of the league and we have five points, so everything that everyone is saying is absolutely right. How can I argue with it?

"I can't complain about message boards, I can't complain about people on radio stations, I can't complain about newspapers, TV or anything else. I can't complain about anyone who gives stick out to Mick McCarthy and Sunderland Football Club.

"Whatever the mitigating circumstances are, I won't make excuses for it. That's where we are and we have to turn it around. That starts this weekend.

"This is hugely important for me, the players, the club, for everybody. It's a bloody important game - there's no point trying to dress it up as anything else."