Emotional: Advocaat to decide Sunderland future next week

Black Cats closely avoid relegation with 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

LONDON: Dick Advocaat will decide if he wants to remain as Sunderland manager by next week after the emotional Dutchman wept tears of joy following the 0-0 draw at Arsenal that secured his side’s Premier League survival.

Advocaat’s team gave an obdurate defensive display at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday to earn the point they needed to be certain of avoiding relegation.

And the usually taciturn Black Cats boss responded by showing his softer side as he began to cry while celebrating with his players and fans at full-time.

After masterminding such an impressive escape act at a club that looked doomed before his arrival on a short-term contract, the 67-year-old now has to decide if he wants to remain at the Stadium of Light next season.

Bombarded by questions about his future following the Arsenal draw, he revealed he plans to give an answer to owner Ellis Short once Sunday’s season finale at champions Chelsea is out of the way.

“I will give an answer on that next week. I’m sorry, I have to think about everything,” said Advocaat. “If I stop then it is my last job [before I retire].”

Advocaat will rightly take the plaudits for resurrecting a team who were thrashed 8-0 at Southampton under his predecessor Gus Poyet earlier this season and had just lost 4-0 at home to struggling Aston Villa in the match before his appointment.

Revitalised by Advocaat’s level headed leadership, Sunderland are unbeaten in their last five matches and have lost only two of their eight fixtures since the former Glasgow Rangers boss replaced the sacked Poyet.

Tired legs cost Arsenal, says Wenger

Fatigue had cost Arsenal in draw against Sunderland that ended their pursuit of second place in the Premier League, manager Arsene Wenger has said.

While the draw was almost certainly good enough to secure third place and a spot in next season’s Champions League group stages, it was a disappointing result for Wenger who said his side were tired from Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

“We couldn’t score and Sunderland defended well which is understandable because they knew they could be safe tonight. We tried and tried,” said Wenger. “We gave a lot on Sunday to come back and you could see that the legs were not completely there tonight.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2015.

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