"We're going to put that game in the bin and move on. We won't be breaking it down or analysing it."
Tony Mowbray did not bother picking over the bones of Sunderland's defeat against Swansea City. There would have been little point.
Luke O'Nien's red card, which arrived after only 18 minutes, completely distorted the outcome. Up to that point, it was a contest - and a contest that Sunderland were winning, at least in terms of momentum and dominance if not yet in terms of the scoreline.
READ MORE: Luke O'Nien apologises for his Swansea red card and vows to return a 'smarter and better player'
But after O'Nien was sent off for a rash, late, challenge on Oli Cooper, the entire complexion of the game changed and Sunderland's gameplan was left in tatters. Going into the game, Mowbray had warned that Swansea enjoy more possession than any other team in the Championship: with a man advantage at the Stadium of Light, they just hogged the ball to an even greater degree.
A man light, Sunderland dropped deeper and deeper, aware that if they had continued to press higher up the pitch - as they had done to good effect in the opening 18 minutes - they would be picked off. So the game began to look like a training ground exercise in attack-vs-defence.
Surviving the final 20 minutes with ten men is one thing, but surviving 70 minutes shorthanded is another. It took Swansea until just after half-time until Joel Piroe made the breakthrough and, while Dan Neil restored parity midway through the second period, minutes later a cruel ricochet saw a clearance from sub Danny Batth go in off Liam Cullen, and then a goal from Cooper 12 minutes from the end marked the end of Sunderland's four-game unbeaten run in the league.
If Mowbray had been so minded, he could have griped about the penalty claim that Sunderland had had turned down seconds before O'Nien was sent off, when Amad was dragged down in the box. Or tried to mount a defence of O'Nien by saying he should not have been dismissed, although given modern-day footballing sensibilities the defender would have been very lucky to escape with a booking.
Or he could have tried to deflect attention by pointing to referee Keith Stroud's erratic and sub-standard performance, which riled the home crowd. But it would not have changed anything.
The only thing that might have made a difference was O'Nien resisting that rush of blood. It would be wrong to make O'Nien out to be the villain of the piece, however.
He has been one of Sunderland's most reliable performers this season and he also has the strength of character to take responsibility, apologising to his teammates in the dressing room after the game and subsequently apologising to supporters via social media. It is punishment enough that he will have to sit out the next three games through suspension.
But it does illustrate the importance of a cool head at Championship level. Because this is the second time this season that Sunderland have paid the price for an early red card.
Back in August it was Neil who was dismissed for a professional foul in a game at Sheffield United. That day, Sunderland had been the better side for the opening half-hour until the red card came, but they went on to lose 2-1.
Mowbray does not need to analyse a game to know it is hard enough to win in the Championship with 11 men, never mind ten.
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