Jim Rodwell reacts to League One's 'huge mistake' and Sunderland's lowest ever league finish

The Black Cats have finished the 2019/20 campaign in eighth position after an ‘overwhelming majority’ of clubs voted to curtail the League One season on Tuesday.

Final positions were settled on a points-per-game basis, which meant Sunderland dropped one place from their previous position.

Rodwell believes the decision not to resume is a ‘huge mistake’, and that he believes Sunderland would have pushed for the play-offs had the season been played to a conclusion.

He admitted, however, that the club have to do better next season as it faces up to a third consecutive campaign in the third tier for the first time in its history.

“I would say that had we played the season to a finish, we wouldn't have finished in that position, that's my view,” Rodwell said.

“I think we'd have finished in the play-offs and I think we'd have a decent chance in the play-offs.

“Of course, there's an element of 'you would say that, wouldn't you?'.

“We have to concentrate on next season now, whenever that is.

“We have to concentrate on being better as a football club, all of us have to be better,” he added.

“Finishing eighth in League One is not good enough.

“I don't think anyone would tell you anything differently.”

Rodwell believes the division has erred in opting not to resume, with both the Championship and Premier League set to return later this month.

He says the EFL’s method for finishing the table has been particularly harsh on Peterborough United, who dropped out of the play-offs after the application of PPG.

“As much as we were expecting it, you have that hope, so when it's taken away, you're left deflated,” Rodwell said.

“I'm incredibly disappointed, I think it's a mistake.

“More than anybody, the club who get my sympathies are Peterborough United.

“That is incredibly harsh.

“If we were in their position, we'd feel worse than we do currently.

“We thought the right thing was to play football, for integrity purposes, for profile, for relevance.

“I honestly think it's a huge mistake [to curtail].”