‘ANNOYS ME THE MOST’: SUNDERLAND’S LUKE O’NIEN ADDRESSES HEAD COACH CHALLENGES AND VIEW ON MIKE DODDS
Luke O’Nien reflects on Sunderland’s disappointing end to the season and changes of head coaches during the campaign.
Luke O’Nien admits Sunderland’s head coach changes have been challenging this season but has reiterated that players need to take responsibility.
The Black Cats finished 16th in the Championship, winning just two of their last 15 matches as they slipped down the table. Sunderland also had three head coaches during the 2023/24 campaign, parting company with Tony Mowbray and Michael Beale, with Mike Dodds taking interim charge on two separate occasions.
When asked how challenging it’s been while there have been changes in the dugout, O’Nien told the Echo: “It’s challenging but it’s also, it’s a bit of a weird one when I say this so take it with a pinch of salt, I really enjoy working with different coaches because you see different perspectives, different passions, different ideas. That can only grow and develop you as a player.
“I have loved every coach who has come in, they have taught me a different view on the game, they’ve adapted, added strings to my bow. I can only be grateful. Every coach that comes in, everyone has come in and given their everything. I know as a club that’s all you can ask for.
“I wouldn’t like to be a coach one day because it’s pretty cutthroat. I look at every single coach who came in, they tried to stamp what they tried to do and I can speak nothing but good words about them and be proud I managed to connect with them.”
Dodds took charge of Sunderland’s last 13 games of the season, while he was supported by first-team coach Michael Proctor, head of goalkeeping Alessandro Barcherini and under-21s boss Graeme Murty.
“I think Mike Dodds is a phenomenal coach, along with Proc, Ali and Murts,” O’Nien added. “We didn’t get the results which justified how good they actually are. That will be shown one day in their careers, whether it’s here or elsewhere, you’ll see how good they are one day.
“When I see that I always try to hold up the mirror first and that’s a reflection on me and the group. A manager does change, not just because of management but also because of us. I think when there have been two or three managers there becomes an onus on the players as well.
“I think a lot of managers will take responsibility but I sit here and take full responsibility right now. What annoys me the most this season is how good Mike Dodds, Proc, Ali, Murts have been, and that hasn’t been reflected in the table and the results. Those guys have taken charge of the team when we’ve theoretically been at our worst because we’ve lost managers. They have had a hard job, given us information and it’s actually been the most I’ve enjoyed working under a staff.
“There comes a point where they've given us all the information and we just haven’t executed the game plan as a group. They will take responsibility but I’m saying now a lot of that is on the players and not executing the game plan, because they’ve given us everything and I’m disappointed that I and the group haven’t given them more.”
2024-05-06T05:07:15Z dg43tfdfdgfd