Chris Coleman reveals when out of contract Sunderland players will discover fate

Chris Coleman suffers on Saturday. Picture by Frank Reid

Sunderland boss Chris Coleman will waste no time in letting those players in the final months of their contract know their fate.

Saturday’s devastating 2-1 defeat to Burton Albion confirmed Sunderland’s humiliating relegation from the Championship.

Skipper John O’Shea, Billy Jones, Marc Wilson and Kazenga LuaLua are out of contract this summer.

And Coleman has revealed that he will speak with them immediately to let them know if they will be leaving or will be offered a new deal.

Coleman said: “I will start talking to them now, now we know our fate. I will start dealing with them individually.

“I look at Blackburn (riding high in League One). I went there as manager of Wales in the Championship to look at players, they were sliding, the atmosphere wasn’t very good, it was awful, they were relegated.

“This year, you go there and it is a different place, a positive winning team. They lost 12 or 14 players and brought in 10-12 new ones. It can be done.

“We are gutted because we have just been relegated and that’s something we never wanted to experience. It’s new to me as manager and an awful feeling.

“It is still very raw. I don’t want to vent because it is the wrong time to do it, but we haven’t been good enough.

“All of us have not been good enough. What have I got planned for Friday night (at Fulham)? At the minute, I couldn’t tell you.”

Defender Lamine Kone went off with a knee problem. Kone was subbed in the 81st minute and replaced by Jake Clarke-Salter ahead of Burton’s late comeback.

Coleman added: “He had a knee problem which he has been carrying, to be fair to him, the last three or four games. In the end, he couldn’t carry on.”