Sunderland were beaten 4-0 by Southampton at the Stadium of Light.
Gus Poyet has told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, which was broadcast on 13th February, that Sunderland’s upcoming trip to New York could have been the reason why they lost to Southampton.
Sunderland were beaten 4-0 by the Saints at the weekend, in what was a highly disappointing defeat.
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And Poyet believes that Sunderland’s scheduled trip to America could have acted a distraction.
Much of the media attention in the build up to playing Southampton was on Sunderland’s visit to New York.
And Poyet said: “I think you need to wait and see [whether it will be a good decision]. If they come back and win three in a row, it’s the best decision he ever made.
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“What I didn’t like when I was playing, is that in the week before the game, there is too much talk about the trip. You lose the focus on the last game. Is it a coincidence that they lost at home heavily, or is it about the trip?”
After Sunderland’s 4-0 defeat to Southampton, their visit to New York has been called into further question.
Many Sunderland fans have suggested that they should be spending the two week break from competitive action on the training ground, rather than in America.
Sunderland are currently sat rock bottom of the Premier League table, and need to start building some momentum, with time running out for them move away from danger.
The Black Cats are next in action, when they take on Everton on 25th February.
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