That is fucking mad. This could well turn out to be the football appointment in history. We have got to make a song to sing in the San Siro tomorrow now.
Apparently they were sacked. The club released a statment saying they regretted ever appointing the two of them! Seems a bit late to be doing this. There's only 9 games left. Hope they stay up tho.
Bollocks!!!!!!!!! There's no chance now, not even if Sir Bobby took over!!!!!!! They are doooooommmeeeeeddddd!!!!!!! T.Fish> I've been predicting ever since I heard the news that Ball would take over. At least he would put a bit fight back in the team. Nevertheless though.......NO FUCKING CHANCE!!!! HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
fuckin hell like sgt wilko and his right hand man where a quality signing from the sunderland board. after monkeys heed they relised they were doomed. so they appointed a total fuckwit to take the smb's staight back 2 div. 1. quality me thinks............some of his comments were totally fucked up like. " where not in a relagation battle " fuck off like.
Wilkinson said he wouldn't get Sunderland relegated and he was right some other bloke will have that honour. I think Burley will get the job but I hope I hope the Yorkshire paddy McCarthy gets the job
this news has tickled me!! they criticised the monkey's heed 4 doing a shit job but then when sargent wilko came in to try to help perform the great escape they asked 4 reid to come back......... now sargent wilko has left whichever poor bugga takes over to try to perform miracles........
Was a joke when yous got him in the first place, quite a funny one at that! McCarthy will be alot better, but still can't see you staying in Premiership. On this seasons performance, you should have been relegated last season would have saved yourself the humiliation!
Howard Wilkinson today admitted that he was "shocked" to learn of his departure from Sunderland last night. Wilkinson, who was in charge at the Stadium of Light for just 20 league games, said: "I'm not surprised by anything that happens in football but still felt profound shock when it actually happened last night. "I came to Sunderland with my eyes wide open and knew we would face difficulties but still thought that they could be dealt with in time. "Undoubtedly the situation we inherited was difficult. The team was already involved in a relegation fight when we arrived and our job was not made easier by our inability to bring new players in. "I still believe that Sunderland is a club with enormous potential but there's lots of hard work to be done. It will take time and there will difficult and unpleasant decisions to be taken along the way. Steve and I were aware of that from the start. "I am bitterly disappointed that we did not give the Sunderland fans what they wanted as the majority were very good to us. We worked as hard as we could and gave it our all. "Ironically, I think our last game was one of our best performances and remain confident that the team will get a result at the weekend. I still feel optimistic about the future and wish the club and its supporters all the best." Wilkinson was quick to pay tribute to Steve Cotterill, his assistant who has also left the club after just five months. The former Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday boss also stated his desire to stay in the game as a manager. "Football is also losing a great young manager in Steve but I'm sure he'll bounce back and make a big impact," said Wilkinson. "The experience has not diluted my taste for management, if anything it has whet my appetite for more. "I was still enjoying the challenge until last night and hate leaving like this. We were committed to Sunderland in the long and short term but sadly we will no longer be involved. It's something I'm not used to." Michael Gray today insisted that Sunderland will remain fully focused on their battle to avoid the drop despite being without a manager. Skipper Gray admitted that he was "shocked" to learn of Howard Wilkinson's sacking last night, a feeling which he said echoed the rest of the Black Cats' squad. It is the second time a manager has been shown the Stadium of Light door this season after Peter Reid's departure in October. Sunderland will make a last-ditch bid for Premiership survival when Bolton arrive on Wearside on Saturday and they will do it with a new manager at the helm. The club has confirmed that Wilkinson's successor will be in place before the weekend, and his first job will be to try to complete a great escape act. But until then Gray is determined not to let the week's shock events unsettle the Sunderland players. He said: "I must admit the news came as a bit of a surprise. Managers' reputations are based on results and obviously we haven't been getting them, which has been disappointing. "When I heard the news last night I was surprised and know the other lads were. We came in this morning, had a chat with him (Howard Wilkinson) and wished him and Steve (Cotterill) all the best. "But we've got to remain focused now. We've got nine games left and we all want to stay in the Premiership. "As players we've got to try to impress the new manager when he comes in and to do that we've got to give one hundred per cent and be at our best. We want to do that anyway and to do well for ourselves. "We all know that this is a huge club with a tremendous fan base and all just want to do well for the supporters. We want to be in the Premiership and the fans definitely deserve to be there. "All we can do is get on with the job. We were out there this morning, training hard with Kevin Ball and Jocky Scott and just got on with it. "Hopefully the new manager will come in and give us a lift and we can get out of trouble. He has nine games to do it and you never know." Gray, who has seen six managers come and go during his time at Sunderland, added: "When we came in this morning everyone was speaking about the gaffer and Steve going. We were disappointed but we had a chat about it and said that we've got to forget about it and give our all regardless. There's a task ahead, nine really important games - FA Cup finals if you like. "We have to be 100 per cent focused on the Bolton game. We've got tough games coming up but they are games we know that we can win and we want to fight all the way. "It's important for me and other experienced players to show an example in a situation like this. If we can remain positive than I'm sure the younger players will follow. We've got to be professional. These things happen in football. "As players, we have also got to look at ourselves because we're the ones who go out there and try to get a result. We haven't been doing that. We don't want this to happen again."
do people think Mick McCarthy will want to manage a 1st diversion club? i'll be suprised if he does? bring back the monkey!!!
