Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has admitted that he felt the need to explain to captain John O'Shea the reason that he dropped him from the team for the 5-1 away defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.

Poyet decided to recall Carlos Cuellar to the lineup, and felt that he played well, but although he spoke to O'Shea about the decision he said that it was not something that he will do regularly.

"Because of the type of person he is, and the type of professional he is, he deserved an explanation," Poyet is quoted as saying by the Shields Gazette. "I don't do that every week.

"Every time I make a change, I don't call the player to tell him, believe me. I've got no problem telling him if he wants to know, but I can't call a player in every time I make a change.

"But John deserved an explanation because of who he is, and how we need him. People think I woke up in the morning, had a dream and thought I'd change John, and replace him with Carlos Cuellar. But it's not like that."

Sunderland are bottom of the Premier League after last weekend, seven points from safety.