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.”

Dodds said everyone at the club, from the players right up the boardroom, needed to reflect on what had gone wrong across the course of a bitterly disappointing campaign.

"There's three parts to what's happened this season,” Dodds said.

“The club need to reflect on some of the decisions and I'm of course part of that, I need to reflect because I've taken the team for this period and it hasn't gone as well as I would have liked. And I've said to the players that they have to reflect as well, because if we're brutally honest some of the performances from this season to last - there's been a stark contrast.

“I just addressed the team there in terms of us all having to take responsibility, we can't have the highs of last year and take all the pats on the back, and then start pointing fingers [when it's gone wrong]. I just said that we deserve to be where are in the table - it hasn't been good enough. The table doesn't lie so there's some real learnings to be had from everyone and I think the group are clear that there are certain things next season that have to be negotiables. As players and staff, we won't accept another season like that."