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Mark Irwin at SunSport |
Fulham 1 Sunderland 0
FURIOUS Steve Bruce launched into his Sunderland flops after yet another miserable awayday.
The Black Cats boss was livid about Bobby Zamora's seventh-minute winner for Fulham at Craven Cottage.
And he is preparing a major shake-up in the January transfer window to stop the rot.
Bruce raged: "The goal we conceded was pathetic, just awful. It was just a long punt into our box and we're beaten by an unchallenged header.
"Our first-half performance was simply not good enough and we have got to do something to get this monkey off our backs away from home.
"We had thousands of fans travelling down from Sunderland today, thousands travelled to Wigan last week and we're simply not giving them enough.
"We can't keep relying on our home form but the nitty-gritty we need to compete in the Premier League just isn't there away from home. I don't remember ever being in charge of a team as Jekyll and Hyde as this one and that is pretty alarming.
"The frustrating thing is I know we are better than this. But when we are up against it, we just don't do enough.
"A few words were said at half-time, that's for sure, because the first 45 minutes were terrible. We're kidding ourselves if we think we're going to win games in the Premier League playing like that."
To make matters worse for Bruce, centre-half Anton Ferdinand (right) suffered a twisted ankle and could be ruled out until Christmas.
Yesterday's loss means Sunderland have managed just one point from their last seven away games as Fulham leapfrogged them to eighth place in the table.
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson: "To finish up there this season would be an even greater achievement than coming seventh last time.
"To do something once is always nice but to achieve it a second time is always more difficult because there is always a danger that complacency and self- satisfaction can creep in.
"But that hasn't happened to us and though we still have 23 difficult games to play, we're extremely happy to be sitting in a comfortable position going into Christmas.
"We've had to work hard for our win today but this was our fifth game in 15 days and we showed the strength and character."
Match-winner Zamora does not believe in diplomacy.
The unpredictable striker has suffered more than his share of abuse down the years - mainly from his own frustrated fans.
Even the mild-mannered Fulham supporters have turned on the former Spurs and West Ham cast-off in recent months.
So there was absolutely no holding back when Zamora brushed off Ferdinand's half-hearted challenge to head home from John Pantsil's cross.
Shoving away his jubilant team-mates, angry Zamora pointed at the Fulham fans and screamed "Shut your f***ing mouths" at the top of his voice.
As celebrations go, it wasn't exactly on a par with Jimmy Bullard for wit and originality. But it got the message over.
Another bizarre sight was chairman Niall Quinn seated alongside Martina Navratilova.
The Wimbledon legend is apparently a close friend of Sunderland owner Ellis Short. But this was the first time she had ever seen his team playing.
And, quite probably, the last.
STAR MAN - BOBBY ZAMORA (Fulham)
FULHAM: Schwarzer 7, Pantsil 7, Hughes 7, Hangeland 8, Konchesky 5, Duff 6, Baird 7, Greening 6 (Dikgacoi 7), Dempsey 8, Zamora 9, Nevland 7 (Gera 8).
Subs not used: Zuberbuhler, Seol, Murphy, Riise, Smalling.
Booked: Nevland.
SUNDERLAND: Fulop 5, Bardsley 5, Ferdinand 4 (Nosworthy 6), Turner 5, Richardson 6, Malbranque 6 (Campbell 5), Henderson 5, Cana 6, Reid 7, Bent 7, Jones 7 (Zenden 7).
Subs not used: Carson, Murphy, Da Silva, Healy.
Booked: Richardson, Bardsley.
Source .