Fulham boss
Jean Tigana, who saw substitute Luis Bo Morte stretchered
off in the dying minutes of the game, admitted he was a disappointed man
leaving the North-East.
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Fulham manager Jean Tigana rues lost points |
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"I'm very disappointed today because it was possible to win and we
lost two points today," he said. "We had many chances to score
and it's important that we score more goals.
"Sunderland pressed more after the break with the long ball up to
Quinn and Phillips, who are two very good players and very dangerous.
"But we are progressing because a lot of my players have never played
at the top level.
"We have found our feet at this level and we need to take the next
step now.
"The players are learning all the time, and at the end of the game,
they were very disappointed. They wanted to win, and that's a good spirit."
Malbranque, a £4million signing from Lyon, was outstanding, particularly
in the first-half, but while Tigana is delighted with his progress, he
admits that the 20-year-old is still getting to grips with the physical
nature of the English game.
"Steed is progressing, but sometimes he has to learn to take a kick,"
he said. "But he's a good player.
"He's only 20 and last year he only played a few games, but he's
progressing step by step."
Black Cats boss
Peter Reid later admitted that he is running out
of superlatives to describe the man he snapped up from Watford for just
£650,000.
"You know what I think about him," he said. "You must be
fed up with me, the accolades I throw at the kid. "I think you all
know I'm trying to get another striker in and I'll settle for another one
like him.
"He's just a terrific footballer, single-minded, and I thought it
was a great display today.
"It was a smashing ball from Stefan Schwarz. He waited for the run.
It was tight for offside from where I was, but he kept his cool very well,
Phillips.
"It was a pressure situation in the game and you've got to take
your hat off to him. He was fantastic and he deserved his finish, which
was terrific."
"I thought we kept at it," said Reid. "I thought it was a
good game of football. "They played lovely football, were good in possession
and got a good goal against us.
"But we kept on going, played well, and the players showed a lot
of character. I'm delighted with them."
"It was a big pressure game for us and the players came through it
with flying colours."