City Given, Richards, Onuoha, Toure, Sylvinho, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Barry, Bellamy (Petrov 86), Tevez, Santa Cruz – subs Zabaleta(22), Kompany(53), Petrov(86), Taylor(unused), Weiss(unused), Adebayor(unused), Robinho(unused)

Sunderland Fulop, Nosworthy, Turner, Mensah, McCartney, Malbranque,Cattermole, Henderson, Reid, Campbell, Bent – subs Richardson(62), Jones(40), Healy(76), Carson(unused), Bardsley(unused), Murphy(unused), Da Silva(unused)

ROQUE SANTA CRUZ OPENS THE SCORING

 

CARLOS TEVEZ MAKES IT 2-0

 

from GOODFELLA By Craig Bellamy with Oliver Holt
I got up that morning and saw I had a couple of missed calls from Kieron on my mobile phone. I didn’t return them. No one can get hold of me the morning before a game. It won’t happen. But before I got to the ground, I turned the radio on and found out why Kieron had been ringing. The Sun had printed a back page story saying Sparky would be sacked whatever the result against Sunderland. I didn’t think much of it. How could they have decided that already and let it leak out without telling the manager? It wasn’t possible, surely. I think that if we lost against Sunderland, that would be the end for him but I didn’t think we were going to lose. I could see the strain in Sparky before we went out to play but nobody mentioned anything about The Sun story. We went 2-0 up quickly but then allowed them back into the game and they drew level. I put us 3-2 up and I was determined to get Sparky out of the mess it seemed he was in. Sunderland got it back to 3-3 but Roque Santa Cruz scored the winner for us 20 minutes from time. After the game, we were all sitting in the dressing room and Sparky came in and made a speech. He thanked everyone for what they had done. He said he didn’t know what was going to happen to him or his staff. He said he did not know anything but that he was aware there appeared to be some uncertainty about his position. “If this is it,” he said, “I would like to thank you all. We have started something here and no one will be prouder if you go on and win stuff. I would like to wish you all good luck.” I looked at Shay Given. “What the fuck’s going on here?” I asked. Shay just shook his head. A couple of minutes later, I’d climbed into one of the ice baths when someone came down from upstairs and asked Shay and Kolo Toure to go up to the boardroom. They came back down after 15 minutes and said Sparky had been sacked and that Roberto Mancini would be replacing him. We were told we shouldn’t say anything to the press and that our Christmas party had been cancelled. Like I felt like going on it now anyway. It was reported the next day that I had flown into a rage when I heard the news. Well, I hate to damage my image but I was too tired to fly into a rage. I was more sad than angry. I went to see Sparky in his office. He was there with his staff. Everyone seemed a bit stunned. I didn’t know what to say. Part of me thought that he had brought me to the club and if he was leaving, maybe I ought to leave, too. I had a quick chat with him. I said how sorry I was about what had happened and that I hadn’t been able to do more to get the results he needed. I asked him what he thought I should do now, whether I should leave, too. He told me to stay and to fight for my place and build on everything I’d already achieved. I felt angry towards Garry for the way it had all been handled. I felt Sparky had been humiliated. Everyone had known about this apart from him. Sparky’s wife came into the room next and she was trying hard not to cry. Then his old man came in as well and he was tearful. And then I looked at Sparky and saw that he was welling up. I knew it was time for me to leave. This was his big opportunity and now it was gone. It sunk in then what had really happened. I got out of there and drove back to Cardiff. There was still a Christmas do, which some of the boys went on. Life goes on. It’s football. That’s the game.from GOODFELLA By Craig Bellamy with Oliver Holt

CRAIG BELLAMY PUTS CITY BACK IN THE LEAD AT 3-2

ROQUE SANTA CRUZ CELEBRATES HIS WINNER