Intro:

As his team prepare to host West Ham United in the English Premier League on Saturday (13 December), Sunderland manager Gus Poyet spoke on Thursday (11 December) about the difficult Christmas period and the possibility of facing his son Diego.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: Gus Poyet, Sunderland head coach (on the possibility of his team lining up against his son Diego Poyet, who recently returned to West Ham after a short-term loan to Huddersfield Town).
"It would be nice, at the same time strange, because, like I said, I cannot...professionally, I cannot look into his game to much. I just need to concentrate on what we do. Let's put it like that. Normally, after a result, sometimes you look at a result where you know someone, if it's a family (member) it's probably the first result that (I) look after. So, after the games I always check the West Ham result and if Diego was involved or not. It's not going to be needed this week (laughs), it's going to be there, so apart from this game I would like West Ham to do very, very well, of course, for Diego's benefit."

SOUNDBITE: Gus Poyet, Sunderland head coach
"Last year we started getting better during this time, we had a very good run of results, and then we took into January, not only in the cup but also in the league. So, yeah, we look after this period in a very special manner. I think you need to realise that it's difficult, especially for new foreign players, they're going to have a totally different Christmas time for the first time. So, the family and all the food, and everything that's coming with the food, you need to pay attention, it's not a normal one. That doesn't mean it's worse, it's just different, so we need to make it better, so, yeah, we already have the plan on the table."