Sunderland boss Gus Poyet says he axed Steven Fletcher to motivate him.
The Scot struck twice in victory over Stoke City on Saturday.
Asked if he dropped the player to make him angry, Poyet said: "Yes, but I didn't do it for that reason alone. I needed to change something. He was not very happy for a few days but there were no problems.
"I am not a manager who will sit and accept things. You always try and help the team and I made a strong decision. It is not personal. It is always for the benefit of the team.
"The good thing is I am always looking for a way to win. It is not personal. It is always for the benefit of the team. We needed some presence in the box from players who really want to score. I needed hunger from players who wanted to score."
