Mick puts on a brave face after Sunderland sacking

MICK McCARTHY has vowed to resurrect his managerial career after his surprise sacking by Sunderland.

The former Republic of Ireland boss yesterday paid the price for failing miserably to build on last season's Championship title-winning campaign.

Sunderland are bottom of the Premiership with ten points and two victories, and relegation could be confirmed in a fortnight from Saturday.

Under-fire chairman Bob Murray and his board have appointed assistant academy manager and one-time captain Kevin Ball as caretaker boss.

McCarthy was putting on a brave face, insisting he had "enjoyed every minute" of his time on Wearside. Privately, however, he has been disappointed with a lack of investment in the squad since promotion.

The issue was thrown into focus last month when McCarthy earned a stinging public rebuke from Murray for suggesting the club had budgeted for relegation.

McCarthy received only £4m last summer and was frustrated from day one, this term, when striker Darren Bent who would have signed for Sunderland had they met his wage demands scored twice in Charlton's season-opening 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light.

Bent is now an England World Cup hopeful with 17 goals this season.

Sunderland will argue that McCarthy spent badly. Strikers Jon Stead and Andy Gray, who cost a combined £3m, have scored only one goal between them the latter netting against Charlton.

McCarthy appeared to have ridden out the storm of his row with Murray, but yesterday avoided recriminations, saying: "It's been fantastic I've enjoyed every minute.

"It's been tough for the past few months. As always I've done my best and I can't do any more. I'll move on and eventually do something else. I'm leaving with a smile on my face.'

Alex McLeish, set to leave Rangers at the end of the season, was yesterday installed as the bookies' 9-2 favourite to succeed McCarthy.

But Sunderland, who know they need to fire the imagination of long-suffering fans, could renew their audacious attempt to lure Kevin Keegan. Keegan, who quit Manchester City a year ago, resisted overtures from Murray before Christmas.

Former Sunderland boss Howard Wilkinson yesterday labelled McCarthy's sacking as "lunacy'.

Wilkinson, axed three years ago this week to make way for McCarthy, said: "For Sunderland managers, it's beware the Ides of March. It's a difficult position to find yourself in, particularly when you feel you're batting on your own, which Mick must feel he has been.

"Peter Reid was a decent manager, Mick was a decent manager and it could be argued I was a half-decent manager.

"If you do something wrong and keep doing it wrong, that's the definition of lunacy. They keep taking on good managers who fail. The root problem lies at board level.'

Sunderland's Republic winger Liam Lawrence said he was "gutted' that McCarthy had gone, and striker Kevin Kyle described the decision as "pointless'.