#INSERT type:image caption:Gus Poyet suffered a nightmare afternoon as Tim Sherwood's Villa raced to a 4-0 win. END#
Under-fire head coach Gus Poyet took full responsibility after Sunderland were trounced 4-0 at home by fellow Premier League strugglers Aston Villa.
The Uruguayan suffered a humiliating afternoon at the Stadium of Light, and although he insisted he had not heard from owner Ellis Short in the immediate aftermath of the debacle, he took the criticism on the chin.
Poyet said: "I am responsible. I am one of the few in football nowadays, I am honest. When things go right, I tell you I am responsible, and when things go wrong, I tell you I am responsible. I don't pick and choose.
"I hate people when they pick and choose and they change, they have got too many faces. I am responsible and, as the one who is responsible, you are the one who has to take it.''
Asked whether he was determined to carry on in his mission to drag the Black Cats -- who conceded all four goals before half-time -- out of trouble for a second successive season, Poyet said: "That's not even in question.
"I need to accept the responsibility. I pick the team, we train in a certain way and then Saturday 3pm, that's the thing.''
Sunderland's hopes of a much-needed victory were dashed inside 44 chaotic minutes as Villa ended a 614-minute wait for an away league goal, and then built on it in impressive style to race into a decisive 4-0 lead.
The defeat saw Villa leapfrog Sunderland, who are now in 17th place and just four points clear of the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Poyet was less than happy with a comment from former Chelsea teammate Chris Sutton who, writing on a BBC blog, likened Sebastian Larsson's delayed return for the second half to a pub team playerhaving a cigarette at half-time.
Poyet said: "Seb Larsson is one of the biggest and best professionals we have got at the football club. He had a massive cut on his leg, they were trying to stitch it, they couldn't do it quickly enough.
"He didn't want to come off because he felt responsible for the 4-0 in the first half, and we waited for him. We asked the referee to delay a little bit the second half -- there are some rules in football which mean you can do it, but not for long -- and he came out.
"It's very disrespectful about one hell of a professional. Seb Larsson doesn't deserve that."