West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce understands Gus Poyet ranking Capital One Cup glory with Sunderland behind staying in the Premier League.
Allardyce wrote in the London Evening Standard: "Recently he said that, given the choice, he would rather keep Sunderland in the Premier League and, believe me, that sentiment would be echoed by every manager.
"It is the club owners who, quite rightly, make decisions about priorities. It is the task of the manager to then attempt to fulfil that policy.
"David Gold and David Sullivan would surely have said to Alex McLeish, when they were at Birmingham and winning the Carling Cup: "Please keep us up."
"People keep pointing the finger at the managers but it is in every Premier League club's business plan to stay up."
