Mick - I didn't want to sell Craddock

Mick McCarthy today admitted what many of us have suspected for quite a while - that he feels he's got the hardest job in British football!

Speaking to the Shields Gazette after last night's 2-2 draw against Hearts, when the lads had earlier been looking at a 2-0 loss until the introduction of Sean Thornton, Mick said "It's not an easy situation to be in, managing Sunderland at the moment. This is by far and away the most difficult situation I've found myself in as a manager.

"In an ideal world, players like Kevin Phillips and Thomas Sorensen would have gone and their moves would have eased our position financially.

"But when deals for those sort of players haven't been done, you have to accept that moves for players like Jody Craddock will be accepted, because something has to happen. It's not perfect and Jody is someone I didn't want to lose but you have to get on with it.

"The simple fact is that the club is looking to sell players to balance the books and I don't really know who I'll be dealing with day by day. The only thing I can affect is what happens on the training ground."