Every word from Michael Beale following Sunderland's 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City.

Two very different halves Michael, how do you assess how the game was able to flip so drastically? 

You're right. We play well first-half and we were worthy of our lead. Great save from John Ruddy from Romaine just before half-time as well. We knew what was going to come. The crowd was going to get up and they were going to press. I felt we cause our own problems by playing backwards and sideways too much. We needed to maybe play down the sides. We spoke about it at half-time. We didn't execute second-half.

The guys I brought into the game didn't really have an impact either. Disappointed with both goals. The first goal, we win the ball a couple of times in midfield and then give it away. Maybe, we lose out in a big challenge in and around the box. To be fair to the back four, they're throwing their body on the line in front of the ball to save the goal but it goes in. The second goal we switch off from a set play. Which is disappointing. We have to find a way of getting results away from home. Our away form is nowhere near good enough.

Birmingham found a lot more space in the second-half, what was that down to?

Sometimes, you've got to say fair play. We won the ball back at times and turned it over on the first pass. As good as we were in the first-half, playing through them when they were pressing us, second-half we found it difficult. When they had it, I thought we were a bit disjointed. We tried to switch it up and get two playing higher up the pitch later in the game. Certainly with Jobe going further forward, then bringing Hemir on at the death.

Even when we had a couple of chances at the end, we're unlucky with the Mason goal. It's marginally offside and it's the correct decision having seen it back. We're unlucky in that moment at 1-1 because it would have been a big moment in the game. In the second-half, it was Birmingham doing all the pushing and we made a lot of individual errors in the second-half.

Back-to-back defeats, a lot of work to do?

Yeah. We came into the week extremely optimistic. We came into the week winning the game at home, then going away to Huddersfield and Birmingham, we come into it optimistic. We've come out of it and almost underlined how poor our away form has been. They were similar as well. There were things in both games that were similar. There are things for us to go and work on.

What are those things?

When teams come and press us, we have to be braver at times to play forward. We have to be better in possession certainly when we regain the ball. There was times today in the middle of the park and we gave the ball away on the first pass. Then you leave yourself vulnerable to a quick counter the other way. Some of our decision making at times in the second-half, albeit at times in the first-half I thought we looked a good team. There's a lot for me to go away and improve on. Me first and then the team will follow.

What's the situation with Jack Clarke, he seemingly hobbled through the game?

He was fine. He had a little strapping on it. He took a knock early in the game on Wednesday when we broke and the lad run across him. We didn't get anything for it but he got a knock and then caught it again when he scored the goal, just felt it a little bit at half-time. We asked him at half-time, we asked him when we were making the subs in the second-half, he said he was fine but I don't think there's much of an issue there.

Patrick Roberts' situation?

Yeah, it'll be four or five weeks for Patrick.

Recommended reading:

It feels like we've been here before. Is it down to the experience, is it a mentality thing?

I think we're going to have to pick the bones off it. No two games are the same. But these two games were similar in the home crowd was up. For moments in the game, when our tails are up, we look a really good team. We have to take our chances when they come. I thought John Ruddy makes a fantastic save in the first-half, it was quite a big moment in the game.

Second-half, I think our own backward momentum in possession didn't help us at times. Could we play down the sides? Could we play forward a little bit more? Could our forwards hold the ball to allow the team to get up the pitch. Ultimately, we've switched off again on a quick free-kick and it's an isolated moment. It's disappointing because Patto hasn't had to make many big saves today. We've conceded two away from home and been beat again.

Five points off the play-offs, how do you see that?

We're going to have to improve. We've got some big away games. I think what we can deal with right now, is pick the bones out of this one and make sure that we get a positive performance and result next week at home to Swansea. Without improving our away form, you'd have to say it's going to be difficult. What I will say, is there's a hell of a lot of football to play, at some stage we're going to have to go on a run. We've been used to that in the last couple of seasons, making a late surge for it. We're certainly not giving up on anything with the games we've got to go. Our away form all season has been a concern.