Is time running out for Poyet at Sunderland?

Gus Poyet's future is starting to be questioned

Things took another turn for the worst for Sunderland manager Gus Poyet when his side lost at League One Bradford City in the FA Cup.

Just five days on from becoming the first team to donate points to QPR in the Premier League away from Loftus Road this season, it was a setback the Uruguayan could have done without.

The Sunderland supporters vented their frustrations at full time, letting Poyet and his players know exactly how they felt about the latest blow in a disappointing season.

Is Poyet's time at the Stadium of Light in danger of coming to an end?

It is worth remember at this stage that Sunderland required arguably one of the most miraculous late escapes ever staged in the Premier League just to avoid relegation last season.

Winning away at Chelsea and Manchester Untied in the final weeks of the season, the Black Cats pulled clear of the trap door having at one point looked doomed.

The trouble for Poyet is that mini-revival that secured their status has proved to be a false dawn.

Nothing that has happened since has suggested that Poyet has turned a corner with this team.

They are currently two points clear of the bottom three and will welcome a rejuvenated West Brom side to the Stadium of Light this weekend, while they also face fellow relegation rivals Hull City and Aston Villa in the coming weeks.

Poyet must find a way of reviving Sunderland's fortunes soon but his reaction to Sunday's loss at Bradford suggested he is a man on whom the pressure is beginning to tell.

Poyet took aim at the media for their reporting of comments he made about the Sunderland fans in the wake of the defeat to QPR.

He also took exception to referee Kevin Friend's failure to award his side a penalty following Rory McArdle's tackle on Steven Fletcher in the box.

Poyet felt his side had started to find their feet in the game only to have their chances scuppered by Friend's incompetence.

"We started understanding a way to hurt Bradford, at that moment we needed to score and the referee needed to do his job and he didn't," he commented.

Unfortunately for Poyet, just as they did at home to QPR on Tuesday, Sunderland did very little to threaten a comeback once they were two goals down against Bradford.

After Jon Stead scored the second goal Phil Parkinson's side were able to close the game out with a minimum of fuss.

In truth, Sunderland had the appearance of an upset waiting to happen as they made the trip to Yorkshire.

The arrival of Jermain Defoe in January was a boost but for most of this season Sunderland have struggled to win games.

They have drawn significantly more games - 12 - in the Premier League than anyone this season.

When tasked with getting back into a contest against QPR and now Bradford, Sunderland simply lacked the ideas and invention required.

That is something that makes Poyet's post-match assertion that "we tried our best and...everybody put in their best effort and their best ability to play under the circumstances" seem a little bit out of place.

Poyet insisted he had "no regrets" following the defeat at Bradford.

The visit of West Brom is followed by a trip to Old Trafford before Sunderland go to Hull City in what looks set to be a key clash.

Poyet badly needs to prove he is the right man to get Sunderland out of trouble. On Sunday it seemed the media and the officials were being asked to carry the can for what was the latest in a series of underwhelming performances from his players.