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FORGET festive celebrations, this was a Boxing Day fixture that will have left Sunderland fans with little optimism for the New Year.

Losing to the Premier League champions may not be the hardest result to take, but the manner in which United were able to cruise to victory will alarm Wearside folk.

Manager Roy Keane has made no secret of the fact that he is looking to strengthen in the January transfer window and this latest reversal has hammered home the point.

Players capable of turning on the style in the top-flight are required, otherwise Championship football could well beckon again come May.

There is plenty of hard work and endeavour within the Sunderland squad and that was evident again here. The problem, however, is proving to be scoring goals and not conceding them.

Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha's double found their way past Craig Gordon without a reply.

To stay in this division, though, requires positive results against those teams around them and that is why Sunderland's next fixture at the Stadium of Light - against Bolton - has a much bigger meaning.

10:33am Friday 28th December 2007

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