Short not put off by a Pompey horror show

Short sat in the Portsmouth director’s box beside Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn to witness a 3-1 defeat that leaves a doubt over whether the Stadium of Light will continue to host games in the world’s richest league next season.

Prior to the game, Quinn announced the club would undertake a “strategic review”

this summer, which is believed to include an assessment of Sbragia’s long-term position as manager.

“I don’t know anything about it,” insisted Sbragia. “I leave that to the chairman. I just concentrate on the game.”

Relegation to the Championship, a fate that also still hangs over both Newcastle and Middlesbrough, would not see Short reduce his financial commitment to the club.

But the guarantee of topflight football at Sunderland next season would provide the perfect platform for Short and Quinn, who spoke to the players in the dressing room before the game, to launch the next phase of the club’s ongoing rebuilding programme.

All that makes last night’s result frustrating for everyone concerned with Sunderland.

“Same old story,” admitted a rueful Sbragia who saw his side create the better chances for the opening hour before imploding in spectacular fashion.

“Not taking our chances came back to haunt us,” he added. “We went one-nil ahead and really should have seen the game out from then on. But we didn’t do that I thought their first goal was a bit lucky. But the second goal is a bad error and I think that killed us off to be honest with you.”

Asked if he thought Sunderland had been hard done to after Alan Wiley whistled before John Utaka scored Pompey’s equaliser, Sbragia noted: “They said he (Wiley) might have blown but he’s given it and it’s a goal.

“They’d have probably scored from the penalty anyway knowing our luck. I don’t have any problems with it.”

Sbragia, though, was left to bemoan some dreadful defending.

“The second goal is bad, really bad,’’ he said. “Anton (Ferdinand) should just have put his foot through it but he’s tried to control it with the sole of his boot. He’s better than that to be honest with you and Utaka’s punished us. As soon as you make a mistake you get punished.

“I felt we created some decent chances in the second half but didn’t score them. It’s all about scoring goals and that has been a problem all season.

“I do believe we’ll stay up. The other teams have tough games.

We’ve got to go out on Sunday and be stronger than we were today.’’ Quizzed if he thought his prospects of remaining as Sunderland manager now hinge on the outcome of Sunday’s match against Chelsea, Sbragia replied: “I don’t know. I could win it and be sacked. I could lose and be sacked. I could be knighted! Who knows. I know I’ll give my all and the players will do the same.”

The Black Cats will be sure of safety if they defeat Chelsea and can even afford to lose the game and stay up if other results go their way.

Newcastle must avoid defeat at Aston Villa to have a chance of jumping out of the bottom three, while Hull have to beat Manchester United to overtake the Black Cats.

Sbragia added: “We know it’s going to be very difficult on Sunday but we could always beat Chelsea. There’s belief that we can do it and their minds might be on the FA Cup final. We know exactly what we have to do.”

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James will undergo a shoulder operation this week which will rule him out of England’s World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra.

England are already without the injured Ben Foster for the games in Almaty on June 6 and at Wembley on June 10 after the Manchester United keeper was sidelined with a thumb injury.

James had been an ever-present for Portsmouth in the league before last night but woke up yesterday morning with a stiff neck and the club medics could not relieve the problem.

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart said of the game: ‘‘The first half was a bit like watching paint dry, but we injected a little bit of life in the second half.

‘‘Sunderland battled right to the death, there were a few good saves from our keeper.’’