Sunderland boss says Jack Clarke and Dan Ballard absences can't 'excuse' dismal defeat

Mike Dodds refused to accept the absences of Jack Clarke and Dan Ballard as ‘excuses’ for the home defeat to Swansea.

Sunderland were absolutely dismal in the opening 45 minutes against Swansea, going in at half-time 2-0 down and lucky to restrict the scoring to that.

They were without the injured Jack Clarke, who is the club’s top scorer this season, and the suspended Dan Ballard, who is the best defender at the club.

However, Dodds was not even willing to entertain a suggestion that them being unavailable could explain the performance, which eventually ended in a 2-1 defeat.

"Any team in this league would miss Jack Clarke and Dan Ballard, but I won't make excuses," Dodds said.

"I won't shirk away from the responsibility of being head coach and the fact that the first 45 wasn't acceptable.

“I wasn't happy in terms of how aggressive we were, getting tighter to players. We can talk about tactics all day but when I watch it back I think I'll be most disappointed about the other side of the game, landing on second balls, tracking runners off your shoulder. They're the bits I'll be most disappointed with, I think.

"We've got to take that first 45 on the chin, me, the staff and the players.

"I wouldn't have sent the players out if I wasn't confident the message was really clear, so that's something as a collective that we all have to take on the chin.

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