Mike Dodds gives honest view on what's happened to Sunderland's style of play and what needs to happen next

Mike Dodds says availability has been a key factor in the decline of Sunderland's style of play over recent months.

Sunderland's play-off push has ebbed away dramatically since Tony Mowbray's departure and many supporters have also been left disappointed by the departure from the free-flowing football of last season. Club officials confirmed at a recent meeting with the supporter collective that it was also a factor in their decision to part company with Michael Beale.

Dodds admitted he had been 'bored' watching Sunderland against Millwall last weekend but said the regular disruption to the starting XI had been a key factor. He added that it would be something that the club would have to reflect on at the end of the campaign.

"I moved up to the first team when Alex came in so I've worked closely both with him and those that followed," Dodds said.

"I do feel that probably from January onwards, it's been quite clunky. There's been no real flow within the group because we've had suspensions, injuries and it's really hampered us trying to find that consistency. I don't want to make excuses but when Jack Clarke, your top goalscorer, is missing then it's going to be a significant miss to the team.

"There's also the reality that some of the players haven't performed to the level they did last year, and that is a reality. That's not finger pointing because we've all got to go away and reflect - that includes me. I've been involved with this team for the last two seasons so I've got some reflection points on why things were better previously than where they are now. The players also have some reflection points as well. We all need to reflect on why the season has petered out - I do think we have a really strong core but there is definitely a need for more depth and some help around some of those players. Going back to the question, I think I'd describe it as clunky and it hasn't felt like we've been able to have any real flow. I think there are number of reasons for that, injuries, suspensions, turnover of managers.

"The whole cautious thing maybe manifests itself from Saturday," he added.

"I thought the approach against Leeds and West Brom worked, and then obviously we had to make some changes late in the day before Millwall. Trai Hume and Dan Neil were going to play so we had to move one or two things around, so we didn't have the ideal preparation. I also feel Dan Neil is a huge miss for the group from a tactical perspective, so I think the shape is also impacted by not having Dan. I don't think he gets the credit he deserves from a tactical point of view, the things he spots and solves for you it's almost like having a coach on the pitch. When you take someone like that out of the team then it will have an impact. So there are reasons why we looked more cautious on Saturday than we wanted to be. I'd also say that whenever Millwall have had the most possession, they've never won. So we did feel like we'd get an advantage by letting them have a bit more of the ball, they've done really well when they don't have it. So we did sacrifice a bit of possession and territory."

While changes are inevitable at Watford on Saturday, Dodds insisted he would not 'experiment' with the team.