Tony Mowbray refused to blame Sunderland's defeat at Blackburn Rovers on controversial refereeing calls. The Black Cats lost 2-0 at Ewood Park, with major question marks over both Rovers' goals.
Ben Brereton Diaz fired the hosts in front with a stunning strike just after the half-hour, but that came just 22 seconds after Jack Clarke was denied what looked like a clear-cut penalty at the other end when he was tripped by Ryan Hedges. And Rovers' second goal was glanced in from a free-kick by Scott Wharton, although replays suggested that he was offside.
It would have been easy for Sunderland boss Mowbray to point the finger at referee Craig Pawson, but he chose not to do so. "I haven't seen either of the incidents, but I've been told about them," said Mowbray, who was back at his old club after leaving in the summer.
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"The bench was saying it was a stonewall penalty, but the referee was adamant that it wasn't. What do you do?
"I don't want to sit here after every game speaking about the referee, and yet I seem to. It's really difficult because I don't want to be that guy who blames the referee - I'd rather talk about Brereton's amazing finish, really.
"We could have been 1-0 up with a penalty but then it was 21 seconds later, Sky tell me, that we were 1-0 down."
Rather than refereeing decisions costing them, Mowbray says Sunderland are still struggling to convert possession and chances into goals while centre-forwards Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms remain on the sidelines through injury. He said: "It was a bit deja vu for us, dominating possession but not having the key component you need to win any football match - we've been without them [strikers] for six or seven games now.
"There was lots of good stuff, and I said to the players that if they keep going and creating chances then when we get our strikers back we will win lots of football matches, when we have a centre-forward with the capabilities of Ross Stewart. We have to keep going and keep believing, and in the meantime we have to find ways to be more ruthless.
"Jack Clarke has to pull the trigger more often. Is there a better player in this league than Patrick Roberts? I don't think so.
"Once the components of the team are in place and the centre-forwards are there to finish the good approach work, I think we'll be fine. We can score goals - we scored three at Reading, two at Watford, two against Wigan at the weekend.
"It was just frustrating we didn't score tonight, although they [Blackburn] are a good team with good players. Whether they deserved to win 2-0 ... but the result is there, it's in the history books.
"We accept it and we move on."
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