Tony Mowbray's 256-word Sunderland verdict that every fan will want to read after West Brom win

Tony Mowbray felt his West Brom side were unfortunate to lose to Sunderland on Saturday lunchtime but praised the 'togetherness' of his former players.

West Brom dominated possession at The Hawthorns and had over 20 shots in the game, but Sunderland's defensive endeavour and a free kick from Trai Hume proved to be the difference. The result means that West Brom have now dropped out of the top six, while Sunderland are all but certain to make the top six.

Mowbray reflected on the development of the Sunderland side he led into the top six two season ago, and had special praise for Eliezer Mayenda who had a major impact from the bench on Saturday. While Mayenda struggled to force his way into the side during first season on Wearside, Mowbray said his character and application marked him out as a future prospect. There was a not-too-subtle point made to the club's hierarchy about some of the other players in the squad during the end of Mowbray's time.

"What I would say about Eliezer is that he's a wonderful human being," Mowbray reflected.

"Some of the players we brought in gelled together and didn't really become part of the group we had. Eliezer is such a nice boy and he always understood [my decisions]. If I was explaining why he wasn't in the team, or what we needed from him when he came on the pitch, it was always just 'yes gaffer'. There were some who might sulk and moan. I sit here today and I look at Sunderland's team, week after week there is a real consistency of selection. And yet some of the players who, not forced to play but encouraged to play, are no longer at the club. I think Mayenda is a wonderful talent and a lovely, lovely lad.

"Trai Hume, what a footballer," he added.

"As good at left back as he is at right back. I could talk about them all, Luke O'Nien...Chris Rigg, Dan Neil looks so assertive these days. Bellingham is just getting stronger, strolling through midfield. It's a team that I like. It's a shame that Ballard and Cirkin are injured at the moment. If you're a Sunderland fan you just don't have to hope they don't sell the crown jewels this summer, because those lads have been together for maybe 200 games now. I think you can see the togetherness they have as a result. If they didn't have that, I'm not sure they are able to win that game 1-0. They put their bodies on the line."

Tony Mowbray’s verdict on West Brom performance in Sunderland defeat

Mowbray revealed that his goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith had apologised after the game for being unable to clear Hume's free kick, but made clear that he was just as frustrated with his team's finishing at the other end.

"We had a lot of domination, a lot more attempts on goal, but we gifted the opposition a goal and didn't score," Mowbray said. "That's football. Joe [Wildsmith] came to find me after the game to apologise but listen, that's the life of a goalkeeper. It's frustrating but really with the chances we had and the positions we got into... we have to put the ball in the net. It becomes about the goal we lost rather than the ones we should have scored.

"We were better at getting behind the opposition today [than against Norwich last week]," Mowbray added.

"We got in behind them, got to the byline, had lots of cutbacks but it always seemed to be Mepham or O'Nien getting in the way rather than us finishing a chance. We worked hard over the last week on trying to create chances but we have to think about the development of this team, from being a very well organised one to one that can play on the front foot, dominating the game territorially. We're just not scoring goals, and of course our top scorer [Josh Maja] hasn't been able to play for me. We have to stick together. It wasn't a day for me to be shouting [after the game], it's a day that we have to stick together. We have games to play and we have to find a way to win."

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