EIGHT league games, no points, 22 goals conceded and just eight goals scored.

That's the sort of form that gets managers the sack - unless of course you're in charge at Sunderland.

If Mick McCarthy was given the boot by chairman Bob Murray this morning the majority of Wearside would be shocked, yet the statistics point to a club going nowhere apart from straight back into the Championship.

On Saturday they fought hard, battled for 90 minutes and scored from both their shots on target. Unfortunately, like in 13 of their 16 league games this campaign, they conceded more goals than they scored.

The last time Sunderland were relegated from the top flight they amassed 19 points - a record low for the Premier League.

If the Black Cats continue to ship goals like they are at present then even that lowly figure seems beyond a team desperately low on confidence.

What Murray must weigh up is the likelihood that relieving McCarthy of his duties won't halt the slide, and Sunderland appear doomed to their fate with less than half a season gone.

The fans are already talking of pride in performances rather than results, and if they are to be relegated then the best man to get them back up appears to be currently occupying the chair in the office with the word manager written on the door at their Whitburn Training Ground.

Talk about a Catch 22 situation for Murray.

Money is non-existent and it seems inevitable that players bought in the summer will be leaving in January as McCarthy attempts to raise funds to wheel and deal in the transfer market.

There is no doubt he must improve a defensive record that is abysmal, and find a striker who can get somewhere near double figures in the second half of the season.

But that would probably only allow him to overhaul the record low of 19 points. To somehow pull off survival would be a miracle. Wouldn't it?

''Miracles have happened," said McCarthy. "Perhaps if we get George McCartney back, and Stephen Elliot back, and Julio Arca back, and Alan Stubbs and Stephen Wright we will get that quality back."

On Saturday what they lacked in quality they almost made up for in fight.

''I can't knock them for effort and workrate and team spirit," said McCarthy. "They are a great bunch. I'm not happy because we are getting beaten, but I can still be happy with players who are working hard and doing their best against, in the main, better players.

''If it turns out we are not good enough it will be sad but providing we play like we did at Tottenham, scrap and have a go, I can put up with that."

The only real quality came from the right boot of Dean Whitehead on the quarter hour. Michael Dawson fouled Jon Stead 25-yards out and the former Oxford man - one of the few stars of a miserable start to the season - curled his effort superbly beyond Paul Robinson from a 16th-minute free-kick.

The first priority was to hold the lead until half-time but Mido ended that hope by finishing off good work from Robbie Keane - the Egyptian sliding home from eight yards.

Keane appeared to end all chance of a point when he pounced on some indecision from Danny Collins to bundle home - with his hand - five minutes after the restart.

A few minutes later the ineffective Stead was replaced by Anthony Le Tallec and the Wearsiders decided to have a go.

For the next 20 minutes they competed, matched Spurs and were rewarded with a Le Tallec goal, set up by fellow substitute Andy Gray who was highly effective after the break.

Their joy could have been even more short-lived than it was when referee Peter Walton bizarrely ruled Gary Breen guilty of handball after Keane's effort had bounced up off the skipper's chest.

Ben Alnwick ensured that Sunderland's resistance was maintained for at least another four minutes with an excellent 71st minute save from Keane's well struck penalty.

But the Black Cats failed to take advantage. A corner was half-cleared by Christian Bassila to Teemu Tainio.

A simple ball to the right found two Spurs players unmarked. Michael Carrick strode purposefully into the box, picked his spot into the far corner which happened to be straight past both Breen and Collins.

The defensive duo failed to cut the effort out and it was all over.

It was left to the third centre-back to sum their efforts up.

"We've been in good positions twice in the game but we've lost three sloppy goals," said Stephen Caldwell.

"It's disappointing to take especially when Ben's saved a penalty. We've been slightly unlucky but we need to keep going. The last two performances we've shown an upturn and if we keep playing like this then we will pick up points.

"There are plenty of positives to take away. We're competing with a side chasing a Champions League place. Spurs are a class act and they've got a class squad and we gave them a lot of trouble - especially in the second half.

"As well as the positives we also have to look at the things we can improve on. Really we have to improve on those things because we can't keep saying there's games to go, there's games to go because we need to start to pick up points soon."

Result: Tottenham Hotspur: 3, Sunderland 2.

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