Darron Gibson’s X-rated outburst on Sunderland and his team-mates could turn out to be a blessing, says Black Cats legend Michael Gray
Ex-England defender says home truths needed to be said at the relegated club - despite it being the start of a new season
DARRON GIBSON drunkenly spilling some home truths can be used to Sunderland’s advantage.
That is the verdict of Black Cats legend Michael Gray, who reckons the Irishman’s X-rated outburst was “something everybody needed to hear”.
Footage emerged of an inebriated Gibson branding his club “f***ing s***” to fans on Saturday following a 5-0 friendly defeat to Celtic, before calling out team-mates Lamine Kone, Jeremain Lens and Wahbi Khazri for a lack of effort.
The midfielder later apologised and was fined, while boss Simon Grayson claimed the 29-year-old’s “reputation was in tatters” - but is prepared to forgive him.
It was hardly the ideal scenario for the relegated outfit a week before the season kicks off.
But Gray, who made over 350 appearances for the club, believes it could be “a blessing in disguise”.
The talkSPORT pundit, 42, said: “I’m not worried about it all.
“What came out of his mouth was pretty true, if I’m pretty honest. It was something everybody needed to hear.
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“Maybe it was the wrong circumstances for it to come out but maybe it was a blessing in disguise that it has, because it was still in pre-season.
“If these players have a reaction from what Darron said, it can be a positive for everybody because we can’t have players who don’t want to be there.
“We can’t have people at the football club who are not going to give everything they’ve got to help push back into the Premier League.
“I believe he went into the training ground on the Monday and apologised to the manager and players that got mentioned.
“But let’s hope it filters through to the rest of the team that everybody has to be rallying in the same direction. Because if they’re not, then it’s going to be a very difficult season.”
Sunderland have lost key men Jordan Pickford to Everton and Jermain Defoe to Bournemouth this summer, but the likes of Kone and Lens still remain - whether they want to or not.
And Gray insists that if they are still here come September 1, then they must knuckle down to help their club in what will be a gruelling campaign in the second tier.
Speaking on the eve of the curtain-raiser against Derby at the Stadium of Light, Gray added: “If the transfer window closes and they’re still at the club, then we can’t have bystanders.
“If we have bystanders at the club who don’t want to try, then keep them as far away from the first team as you possibly can.
“But only those players know if they want to stay there and they want to fight for the shirt and fight to get into that starting line-up.
“We need everybody. If they don’t want to be there, they have to make that known to the manager and say ‘Can we leave the club?’
“But if not they, have to work their socks off in training every day and when matchday comes around they have to give it all they’ve got.”
On a more positive note, Gray is delighted with the shrewd appointment of Grayson, and is optimistic about the signings of James Vaughan from Bury and Aiden McGeady from Everton, as well as Lewis Grabban’s loan from Bournemouth.
Even if Sunderland’s debt problems means Grayson has a far smaller transfer kitty to work with compared to big-spending rivals Newcastle last year and Middlesbrough this term.
The former England defender added: “When you look at the likes of Newcastle last year and Middlesbrough this year and how much they have spent on one individual player, Sunderland have spent just £2million and brought in seven players.
“There’s a realisation of ‘This is where we are now’. We’re not fighting at the top of the table to bring in the big-name signings. We have to be patient, this is going to change overnight.
“We’ve been clawing our way out of the bottom three for the last five seasons which is not fun to watch every single season.
“There’s a big word in Sunderland which is ‘passion’.
“If Simon can get a team together that can show a little bit of passion and they do get themselves anywhere near the play-offs, then I think the supporters will be very happy about that.”
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