Mike Dodds delivers brutally honest verdict as Sunderland’s season ends with another disappointing performance
Mike Dodds says Sunderland will not accept another campaign like this one after a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday condemned them to a 16th-placed finish.
In the end the Black Cats finished just three points ahead of Wednesday, who looked certainties for relegation when Danny Rohl took charge. Dodds criticised his players’ defensive application as Liam Palmer and Josh Windass’ first-half goals proved crucial, and said that they had been plagued again by the issues in the opposition box that have been there all season.
“My second period in charge hasn’t gone as I would have liked,” Dodds said.
“On a personal note, there are going to be some huge reflections. In terms of the reflections on the game, we created more than enough chances for the scoreline to be different. But I’ve just said to the players, the two goals are almost identical in terms of allowing people to run off shoulders and particularly in that area of the pitch, you have to manage the basics of the game and track your runners. And in the other box, you have to take your chances.
“I’ve said to the group there that we are where we are in the table and we deserve it, to be brutally honest I don’t think the table lies. We haven’t given the fans enough to cheer about, not just in my
tenure across the entire season. There have been too many games this season where we haven’t lost the game, I feel like we’ve handed it to the opposition. I felt that today in terms of two goals that were so avoidable and then in front of goal, it’s been a real consistent theme across the season that we’ve been really snatchy in front of goal and not looked comfortable.”
