Sunderland

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There should be a lot of reflection on Wearside according to Sunderland's interim head coach Mike Dodds.

In an interview with BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes after the Black Cats' 2-0 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday, Dodds said, "I feel like if we were all being brutally honest, myself included, I think there's three parts to what's happened this season.

"I feel, as I say, the Club needs to reflect on some of the decisions and I'm not trying to separate myself from that because I'm a part of that.

"I need some reflection points because I've taken the team for this period and it hasn't gone as well as I'd like.

"Again, I said to the players in there, there has to be some reflection points for some of them because if we're being really brutally honest some of the performances from last year to this season, there's been a stark contrast."

You can listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds here.

Sunderland's season ended in disappointment with a 2-0 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

First half goals from Liam Palmer and Josh Windass gave the visitors the win to secure their safety from relegation.

The Black Cats finish the 2023-24 campaign 16th in the Championship.

What did you think of the result and the performance? Have your say here.

In the latest Sunderland AFC Podcast, Nick Barnes and Colin White are joined by James Hunter from We Are Sunderland where the trio discuss the best moments of the Black Cats' season so far.

What have been your highlights? Have your say here.

Listen to the full Sunderland AFC Podcast on BBC Sounds here.

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Marco Gabbiadini has reflected on Patrick Roberts' season so far as "disappointing" with "shocking" outcomes.

Discussing the Sunderland winger's missed effort v Watford, as a pundit on BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport, the former Black Cats striker said, "It was absolutely poor.

"He'll be disappointed. He didn't mean to do it. It's just one of those things. He didn't sort his feet out in that situation.

"Last year, he was a joy to watch. Him and Amad, they were like some kind of party trick in the final third. You couldn't get the ball off the pair of them. They were all over the place.

"This year, maybe he's just not happy, maybe he's missing having a play on the same wavelength as him but the bottom line is his season has been a disappointment because his outcomes have been shocking."

How do you feel about Roberts' performances this season? Have your say here.

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Sunderland have announced a new partnership with retail company Fanatics until 2034.

In a statement on the Club website, the Black Cats say: "The partnership will enhance the shopping experience for Sunderland fans, with Fanatics becoming the exclusive operator for the Club’s online and stadium store.

"This will include significant investment in a new retail store at the Stadium of Light, which will be located at Black Cat House, forming part of the Club’s exciting plans to redefine fan experience across its retail, servicing and ticketing operations.

"Additional information relating to these developments will be communicated shortly.

"Fanatics has extensive experience of operating retail sites, with a network of more than 2,000 retail locations globally, including in-venue locations in the UK such as The FA Store at Wembley Stadium, the England Rugby Store at Twickenham, and Premier League and Championship stores, meaning Sunderland fans can expect to enjoy a first-class shopping experience, whether they shop in-person or online.

"The new SAFC online store, which will launch this June, will also be re-designed on Fanatics’ industry-leading Cloud Commerce Platform (CCP), which is used and trusted by many of the biggest sports organisations in the world.

"In addition, Fanatics will ensure SAFC fans have access to the widest assortment of high-quality merchandise ever made available on the store, including extensive product ranges for young supporters and women.

"Supporters will also have access to a dedicated customer service team, including a phoneline from 9:30am to 5pm, seven days a week, as part of a significant retail offering that signals the start of a new era for fan culture on Wearside."

How do you feel about this new partnership? Have your say here.

We asked for your reaction to Sunderland's 1-0 loss away to Watford. Here are some of your comments:

Colin: Not unexpected. Another huge lump of disappointment in a season that needs to end quickly.

Paul: Sums up Sunderland.

Jim: Let's just get over the finishing line. We over achieved last season so this year in comparison has been a major disappointment. There are some major decisions to be made over the summer right through the club. Let's make sure the managerial decision is the most positive decision to move us onwards and upwards.

Ann: New Manager and some more experienced players. We have the best home crowd - deserve better next season!!

Jacko: It seems the money men of this club had no intention of buying a decent striker this year, so can they please spend the money on a time machine and whisk us to the start of next season. This one has been just dire.

Richard: With a centre forward we would have been comfortable winners. Incredibly Dodds was quoted as saying this week that signing a number 9 in the summer is not a priority! Hopefully he will soon be gone.

Jed: What a mess Speakman has made of this season! If KLD has any sense he should sack him before he does any further damage. We could be in Birmingham's position next season!

Ryan Andrews' goal gave Watford victory over Sunderland in the Hornets' first match since Tom Cleverley was installed as manager on a permanent basis.

A dull end-of-season affair between two mid-table sides was settled by a moment of quality midway through the second half.

Ismaël Koné played a perfect pass in behind the Sunderland defence and youngster Andrews coolly slotted past keeper Anthony Patterson.

The breakthrough came after Jack Clarke missed a great chance for Sunderland when he fired wide.

What did you think of the result and the performance? Have your say here.

• Watford have won just two of their last 13 league games against Sunderland (D5 L6), with both of those victories in that time coming via 1-0 scorelines.

• Sunderland have failed to win any of their last five away league games against Watford (D4 L1), with three of those draws ending 2-2. Across their 20 visits to Vicarage Road in the EFL, the Black Cats have kept just two clean sheets in total.

• Three of Watford’s last four league games have ended goalless and the Hornets have more goalless draws than any other team in the Championship this season (6). If they draw this game goalless, April 2024 will be the first month the Hornets have had four 0-0 draws since March 1973.

• Watford defender Ryan Porteous has received 14 yellow cards in the Championship this season. In Championship history, only three players have been booked 15+ times in one season: Paul Robinson in 2013-14 (15), Jack Colback in 2018-19 (15) and Matt Crooks in 2021-22 (16).

• 16-year-old Chris Rigg has made 19 Championship appearances this season for Sunderland. He could become the fifth player to play 20 Championship matches aged 16 or younger, after Jude Bellingham (34), Ryan Sessegnon (26), Connor Wickham (22) and Theo Walcott (21).

Sunderland travel to Vicarage Road for a mid-table clash with little at stake against Watford.

Both clubs have had underwhelming seasons and are ending with no jeopardy of relegation or hope of promotion but Black Cats' interim boss Mike Dodds has repeatedly emphasised in press conferences that he wants to win every game.

Watford are winless in six games while Sunderland have been inconsistent too.

What are your general pre-match thoughts and score prediction? Have your say here.

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Sunderland have announced that Club legend Charlie Hurley has died aged 87.

Hurley captained the Black Cats to their first ever promotion and made over 402 appearances in red and white and was named The Player of the Century in 1979.

The iconic centre-back also had spells at Millwall and Bolton Wanderers alongside a managerial stint at Reading.

Do you have any memories of The King? Tell us your stories here.

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Sunderland legend Marco Gabbiadini described the Black Cats as a 'Benidorm Man City' after their loss against Millwall at the weekend.

As a pundit on BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport, the former striker responded to a text criticising the Club's coaching staff: "Sometimes formations, I don't particularly care too much. This is a modern thing where coaches blow their own trumpet about.

"It's more about your attitude, your application to the game and Sunderland's problem on Saturday was that, one of the basic things you were taught when I was a young player was, if there was space in front of you, you ran into it.

"You ran into that space and you took that space from the opposition. So, if you picked the ball up on the halfway line and there was nobody in front of you, you travelled that 15 yards, as much as you could, as quick as you could, so then it caused the problems.

"Then they had to, someone either had to shuffle across the midfield or somebody had to come out from the back four to challenge you or they dropped off and marked all of the other players and let you have the ball. Then, when you get to the goal then that's a different problem because then they have to come in and gauge and stop you from having a shot.

"But every time we got the ball, all we did was look for the next pass. Every time.

"Now, that's admirable if...

"I had this analogy in my head at the weekend. You know when you go to Benidorm and you see the Elvis singer? You know what he's trying to do but he looks a bit like Elvis and he sounds a bit like Elvis.

"I think we're like Man City. We're the Benidorm Man City.

"We're trying to play this type of football, which we saw fail for Man City the other night by the way against one of the top teams in the world, because all they did was shut up shop.

"So, it doesn't matter how many passes you've had. If you don't get behind or cause danger or shoot at the goal and make the goalkeeper make saves or people block things, you don't get anywhere.

"And that's what our issue at the moment is that, we're trying to be something that we can't be because we haven't got the tempo, the passing speed, the leg speed to do those things but what can you do instead?

"Well that's the problem that the coach has got because for me, we might as well just try and play as much football as we can in the final third and get there as quick as we can but that goes against everything that this Club's been about for the last two or three seasons.

"That is for me what the issue is, is that Millwall were totally happy with us having the ball. We could have had the ball for 95% of that possession on Saturday if they could have let us do that because they just didn't care about it.

"They were just waiting for those opportunities and sadly it came from a little incident where I thought it was a freekick actually. The referee tried to play an advantage and we lost it straight away and then they were on us. But, it's bad."

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Martin O'Neill has been appointed as the Chair of the League Manager Association to succeed Howard Wilkinson, who will be retiring at the end of the 2023/24 season.

The Irishman grew up as a Sunderland supporter and managed the Black Cats from 2011-2013. During O'Neill's tenure at the Stadium of Light, he enjoyed notable wins over Man City and Liverpool in the Premier League alongside knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup.

He was sacked after a run of eight games without a win left Sunderland just one point above the relegation zone with seven games remaining in the season. Paolo Di Canio took over and the Black Cats survived the drop.

O'Neill also took charge of Northern Ireland, Aston Villa and Celtic among plenty others during his managerial career.

How do you remember O'Neill's time at Sunderland? Have your say here.

BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentary duo Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett have been immortalised as Lego figurines after a season of milestones for the pair.

Saturday's loss to Millwall marked Benno's 1,000th game commentating on the Black Cats, a feat Barnesy achieved earlier in the season away to Stoke. This is also the duo's 20th year together.

Sharon Cutter and family have created replicas of the commentary team in Lego form with former Sunderland captain Benno in his iconic Vaux-era red and white stripes and Barnesy showing off his signature tweed.