Reid must regret Euro slip

For four months, the word 'Europe' was anathema to Peter Reid.

While Sunderland's players spoke about their hopes of qualifying for either the Champions League or UEFA Cup during a wonderful sequence of results, their manager refused to countenance the possibility of Continental conflict.

Finally, on the eve of the Leeds United game at the end of last month, Reid dropped his guard and conceded that there was a genuine prospect of European football coming to Wearside for just the second time in their history. Now he must be cursing his decision to let the forbidden word pass his lips.

Referee Andy D'Urso brandished 10 yellow cards, including two for Boro's Christian Karembeu, in an ultimately futile attempt to keep control of a spiteful derby, during which Sunderland were let down by wayward finishing.

Kevin Phillips again failed to impress watching England coach Sven Goran Eriksson, hitting the woodwork twice - one a particularly glaring miss after rounding Mark Schwarzer.

Reid said: 'We can't buy a goal at the moment. Kevin usually sticks them away for fun and it's not going for us in front of goal at the moment.

'It's fair to say the players are looking edgy because the goals aren't coming. I know a performance that will release the tension and anxiety is just around the corner, and I feel we'll play with a lot more freedom after that.'