TIMING is everything, in football as in life, and Ricky Sbragia just might be in the right place at the right time. Having overseen a performance of determined defence that came within seconds of winning a point at Old Trafford last week, Sunderland’s caretaker manager watched his revitalised team embarrass West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

They were inspired by the outstanding strike force of Djibril Cisse and Kenwyne Jones. While it can be argued that Sunderland would have won more games had Jones been fit earlier this season, and therefore Roy Keane would still be manager, there is no doubt the squad as a whole has responded to Sbragia’s presence.

“I have changed things slightly, and it’s only slightly, regarding what we do,” said Sbragia, explaining he had spent part of Friday “going into a bit more detail” with the players as to what would be expected of them. It paid off, as each individual appeared to understand his role — something that could not often be said of Sunderland earlier this season.

With the rain making the pitch slick, rather than heavy, little time was needed for both teams’ passers to demonstrate their ability. Steed Malbranque slid a neat ball down the right wing for Cisse to run on to, and the French striker created just enough space to whip in a cross that Jones, despite being closely marked, volleyed straight into the stomach of Scott Carson in the visitors’ goal.

Albion were not to be outdone, in terms of knocking it around anyway. For 20 minutes the Baggies were characteristically pleasing on the eye, without, as their manager, Tony Mowbray, put it afterwards, “asking any questions”. Less typically, however, their defending showed early signs of disorganisation, though there was little to indicate they would concede two goals in as many minutes.

The first was a case of not so much slack marking as non-existent marking, Gianni Zuiverloon allowing Jones to get the wrong side of him and then failing to make any sort of challenge as the striker dived to head Andy Reid’s curling cross past Carson.

The second, barely a minute later, could be said to have been unlucky, but only in the way that teams with a tendency to get flustered often seem to be. Cisse, played in by Malbranque as he pulled away to the right of the penalty area, used his strength to lash in a shot that Carson got down well to save. As the ball came back to Cisse, he poked across a centre that Abdoulaye Meite should have cleared but he made a mess of his kick and there was a deflection off Carson which found its way to the feet of Jones, who had only to turn it back into the net.

Worse was quickly to follow for Albion before the interval. Just as Reid had served up the ball for Jones, so Malbranque, in a similar position but using his right foot to cross, obliged for Reid, coming in at the far post to head beyond Carson. Given Reid’s diminutive stature, Zuiverloon’s marking again had to be questioned.

Mowbray made a double switch at half-time but barely had the second period begun when one of his substitutes, the striker Roman Bednar, was adjudged to have handled a high ball in his own penalty area. Cisse duly hammered the spot-kick past Carson and any prospect of a Baggies recovery, which had already looked remote, was extinguished.

Cisse, enjoying himself hugely, should have registered his second goal shortly afterwards, flicking the ball between the Albion defenders Meite and Jonas Olsson only to poke the ball wide. Jones should have had a hat-trick when his quick feet left him with only Carson to beat.

As Sunderland’s chairman, Niall Quinn, pointed out in the programme, Sbragia has an opportunity to make it difficult for the club’s board to look elsewhere. The 52-year-old said yesterday he had not formally applied for the job; more of this, and he may not need to. “I am not even thinking about the job, and that’s the truth,” Sbragia said. “If it’s there, it’s there; if it’s not, it’s not.”

As for West Brom, having often been praised in defeat this season, there was no consolation of any sort to be had yesterday. They have now lost their past six matches on the road and have failed to keep a clean sheet in 10, home or away. “We need to put this game behind us very quickly and look forward to the next one,” said Mowbray.

Star man: Djibril Cisse (Sunderland)

Yellow cards: Sunderland: Ferdinand WBA: Carson, Robinson

Referee: L Mason

Attendance: 36,280

SUNDERLAND: Fulop 6, Bardsley 6, Ferdinand 6, Nosworthy 6, Collins 6, Malbranque 7 (Edwards 58min, 6), Tainio 7, Richardson 7, Reid 7 (Leadbitter 78min), Cisse 8, Jones 7

WBA: Carson 5, Zuiverloon 4, Meite 5, Olsson 5, Robinson 5, Morrison 5 (Bednar 46min, 5), Valero 6, Greening 6, Koren 6, Brunt 4 (Kim 46min, 6), Moore 5 (Beattie 67min)