'I don't think anyone is pleased' - FA Cup legend and fanzine writer's reactions to Tony Mowbray departure

Sunderland FA Cup legend Micky Horswill says he is baffled by the club's decision to part company with Tony Mowbray.

The manager's departure was announced last night - and Micky said he had not been the only one taken aback by the move, given the progress that the team had made under Mowbray despite a lack of firepower.

"I was very much surprised," he said.

"I think he has done really well with the ammunition he has had - really well.

"I put a thing on Facebook about Mowbray leaving the club and I have had 100s of replies. We have got a club with supporters who know a lot about football - I have not had one person saying' I am pleased he has gone, we needed to get rid of him'.

"There is not one person who has come on and said anything like that, which I find really unusual. That is from people who know the game. They know what they want from their club and they are really not happy about it."

He is at a loss to who the club can turn to - but said the need to bring in a new boss was critical, especially with an FA Cup clash with Newcastle coming up in the New Year.

"I can't think of anybody at all - I don't know if they have got anybody lined up," said Micky.

"You would hope they would have, because it is a vitally important part of the season, not just in the league but in the cup."

Micky feels the board is at risk of throwing away the progress made on restoring the bond between the club and fans over recent seasons.

He said: "We have had fantastic support in the last three or four season, both in the Championship and League One - but if we get tanked off them because we don't have a manager, the supporters will not be very happy."

A Love Supreme's Paul 'Sobs' Dawson said the parting of the ways had looked increasingly inevitable in recent weeks, but was still a disappointment.

"We could see it coming but we did not want to accept it - the comments from the last few games were basically Mowbray saying you are not going to score if you play these bairns up front," he said.

Paul felt Mowbray had earned the right to challenge for promotion this season.

"Last season we had a really stinking run, then he got it sorted and got us to the play-offs," he said.

"He obviously deserved to stay and get the opportunity to carry on."

Paul also emphasised the need to bring in a new manager sooner rather than later, adding "You would hope - and I say this every time - that they have got somebody lined up, because we have had people come in before to fill in and it just does not work - sometimes you have got people who can do the job and sometimes you have got people who can't."

While there had been several times he was grateful to see managers leave, this was not one of them: "I don't think anyone is pleased to see the back of Tony Mowbray," said Paul.

Explaining last night's decision, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: “All at SAFC have thoroughly enjoyed working with Tony and he is quite rightly held in high regard by our players and staff, and our supporters.

“After arriving at an uncertain time, he helped guide us to the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs and played an important role in developing our team. This was a difficult decision to make, but we remain loyal to our ambition and our strategy, and felt that now was the right moment to take this step.

“We are now focused on identifying the right candidate and we will continue to support our coaching team and players throughout the interim period.”