London - Sunderland manager Gus Poyet published an open letter to the club's fans on Thursday, urging them to stay united after recent defeats to Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League and lowly Bradford City in the FA Cup.
Sunderland fans started fighting each other as their team were humbled 2-0 at League One (third tier) Bradford on Sunday, that setback coming after a poor run highlighted by ultra-cautious defensive football.
Poyet had earlier accused the fans of "living in the past" and wanting "kick-and-rush" football and some responded to the poor display at Bradford by sarcastically chanting "Gustavo Poyet -- it's always our fault."