To say it's been a difficult campaign for Sunderland would be one of the great under-statements, as the relegated Black Cats ended the season with the unwanted record of the lowest Premiership points tally - not to mention the largest number of defeats and the least victories. However, news of a possible takeover bid at the Stadium of Light has brought a fresh optimism and one of the biggest positives the players can take from their efforts this term is they never lost their fighting spirit despite their lowly position in the league table – epitomised by the battling 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Good Friday. Another major plus for Sunderland was the performances of young midfielder Dean Whitehead and givemefootball's Mark Shail caught up with him before he jetted off for a welcome break in Dubai.
Q:A TOUGH OLD SEASON?
A:Yes it's been difficult. At the start of the season there were a lot of players in the side who had never played in the Premiership before and I guess, as a group, we found it much harder than we anticipated.
Q:CAN YOU PUT YOUR FINGER ON WHAT WENT WRONG?
A:It's difficult to narrow it down to specific reasons but basically we came up short in a lot of departments. We didn't score enough goals and we conceded way too many – and that's a recipe for a struggle. At this level you get punished for your mistakes and that has certainly happened to us this season. If you're going to survive in this league you have to make the most of your home games and we didn't do that.
Q:FROM A PERSONAL POINT A VIEW THOUGH, YOU MUST BE PLEASED WITH YOUR CONTRIBUTION?
A:It's not gone too bad for me and I think I've learned a lot over the last year or so. But in the end I'm part of a team and we just haven't been good enough. The fact that we won the Championship the previous season just shows you how big the gap is between that league and the Premiership.
Q:I SUPPOSE YOU WILL BE LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK AT THE FIRST TIME OF ASKING NEXT SEASON?
A:Most definitely, and I think it's important to get off to a good start and make sure we don't carry over any hangovers from this season. At the start of this season, Norwich, Southampton and Crystal Palace were all well fancied to make a swift return to the Premiership but two of those clubs struggled to make an impact and we have to make sure we are ready for the challenge.
Q:WHICH PLAYERS HAVE YOU ENJOYED COMPETING AGAINST THIS SEASON?
A:It's been great to come up against the top players like Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. I'd love to get another chance to play at the highest level and I think I've learned a lot this season.
Q:IN THAT SENSE, WILL IT BE HARD FOR THE PLAYERS TO PICK THEMSELVES UP NEXT SEASON?
A:No I don't think so. It's been a frustrating season and the only way to put it behind you is by bouncing back and giving the fans something to be proud of. There is a positive reaction in and around the club to the news of a possible takeover, headed by Niall Quinn, and hopefully that will bring with it some funds to strengthen the squad.
Q:WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THE ENGLAND SQUAD?
A:I was a bit surprised with a couple of the selections but let's hope it all goes well and the key players like Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen are fit. I was particularly surprised that Darren Bent wasn't on standby at least – he's scored more goals than any other Englishman this season and I think he can count himself unlucky.
