`Hopeless' victories will do for McCarthy.

Byline: By Paul Gilder

Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy last night insisted that winning games is all that concerns him and admitted he doesn't care if his promotion-seeking side play "hopeless" football so long as victory is achieved.

The Black Cats today return to Coca-Cola Championship action against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Stadium of Light but, although they remain well-placed in the push for Premiership recognition, McCarthy's men have rarely looked like setting the division alight.

The style with which Peter Reid's class of '99 romped to the First Division title with 91 goals and a record-breaking haul of 105 points seems unlikely to ever be repeated in a league which has become more competitive and frenetic than ever in recent times.

But a manager whose industrious team have lost just one of their last nine Championship fixtures to recover from an indifferent start to their top-flight challenge has got no qualms about resorting to unpopular tactics as long as Sunderland get the job done.

"I have told them to win games and don't worry about how they do it," explained McCarthy, whose side have only been beaten once in the league, by Sheffield United, since the end of August.

"Within the realms of fairness and professionalism, do it right, win games and don't get mugged.

"I do care about how we play and I want us to attack teams. But at the end of the game, if we have been hopeless and we have still won, I don't give a fiddler's. I absolutely do not give a monkey's. Win games, that is what it's all about. I have told them not to get caught out by trying to be clever. Don't get caught out when you're winning 1-0 because you want to win 2-0. Win the match, get the three points. I feel that we're getting there and so do the lads.

"It's a case of going for the game but not at all costs. At Watford, we were drawing 1-1 and we had a great chance to score with 92 minutes on the clock. Then immediately afterwards, Watford had an even better chance. That shouldn't happen.

"At Rotherham on Monday, we were 1-0 up with 90 minutes gone and Dean Whitehead went running into the corner; he tried to hit the ball off one of their players to try to get a corner kick. I have told him: `just keep it in the corner'.

"So what if we get booed for wasting time? I'm not bothered, just hold the ball in the corner in that final minute. They had done the job and I didn't want us to get mugged."

Sunderland remain unbeaten on home soil but with more and more teams employing spoiling tactics in an attempt to stifle McCarthy's team, the Black Cats fans have already endured some frustrating afternoons this season.

Wigan, QPR and Derby have held the Wearsiders at the Stadium of Light and another difficult game is expected today.