Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil has wished departing head coach Michael Beale well after admitting the players must share some of the responsibility for what has transpired at the Stadium of Light this week.

Sunderland host Swansea City on Wearside this weekend led by Mike Dodds who will take interim charge of the Black Cats for the second time this season, a third in total, having taken six points from nine during his three games in charge back in December following Tony Mowbray’s exit.

Dodds was handed the reins at the Stadium of Light until the end of the season after the club and Beale parted company with one another on Monday with the former Rangers boss in post for just nine weeks and 12 games across all competitions.

Within that time, however, Sunderland have seen their play-off hopes drift away as they now find themselves seven points adrift of sixth-placed Hull City with just 13 games remaining. With games against three of the sides above them in the Championship table to come after the visit of Swansea, including leaders Leicester City and a trip to Southampton, Sunderland know there is little room for error if they are to maintain their dwindling play-off hopes after taking just four points from their last 12 available.

And that is something Neil believes he and his team-mates need to take some responsibility for, despite Beale’s exit – with the 22-year-old speaking out on Sunderland’s former head coach.

 

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: Win signed Sunderland shirt from 2021 Papa Johns final

 

“First and foremost, I want to wish the old gaffer well in whatever he chooses to do next,” said Neil. “I think a lot of the boys, if not all of them, really enjoyed working under him and we thought he had some really good ideas. It just didn’t quite work out and, as players, we have to take some responsibility for that.

“We didn’t deliver what he wanted on the pitch and you can see that in the last run of results.

“There’s still a lot of football to be played,” he added. “The last few weeks we haven’t taken advantage of some of the results which maybe went our way elsewhere and that’s the main thing for us going into the last 13 games – we have to focus on our results first.

“Last year a lot of stuff went right for us to get into the play-offs. We could have easily finished 12th but we found a way to sneak in and that’s because we focused on our own results and the other results went our way. We need to make sure we do that first and foremost and build up some momentum and finish the season off right.”

 

READ MORE: 

 

Neil was also keen to acknowledge Dodds’ return to the No.1 seat in the dugout, having enjoyed a relatively successful period as caretaker boss earlier in the season which included back-to-back home wins over West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United.

“He’s a massively respected figure within the dressing room,” said Neil. “Everyone knows how influential he’s been over the last few years; the rise up through League One and last year in the play-offs and this year as well. All the boys respect him, all the boys respect his beliefs and his tactics and we’re looking forward to going out on Saturday and doing what he wants us to do.

“We’ve got full belief that if we do that, we can come away with something good and build some momentum. There are never any easy tests. We’ve dropped points at places you maybe think we shouldn’t have dropped points and we’ve picked up points where you maybe think we shouldn’t have and that’s the beauty of the Championship – everyone can beat everyone.

“Saturday is no different, it’s going to be a tough test. They play really nice football. But we’ve had a good week preparing and we’re confident of the game plan and hopefully if we execute it, we can come away with three points.”