'And Don't Come Back': Even the manager agrees players didn't try v Swansea; Sunderland shamed again

David Moyes agrees his players didn't try for Sunderland's final home game of the season on Saturday, and that a handful of them have now presented with fresh injuries ahead of tomorrow night's game with Arsenal.

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Well blow me.

And the Sunderland boss says we shouldn't just take his word for it or the verdict of assorted pundits who have commented on the shame since, or even the evidence we saw with our own eyes.

No, David Moyes agrees that ProZone performance stats reflecting on Saturday's game conclude that the players who took to the pitch in a red-and-white shirt didn't put the effort in.

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Moyes has told assorted newspapers this morning that he agrees his players didn't bother themselves against Swansea and that they deserve all of the criticism which has been leveled at them:

I was massively disappointed with the overall performance, and I hadn't seen that in other games, I really hadn't, if I had I'd have been the first to say it.

I'm also privy, to be able to look at the physical output etc, So I know it wasn't good enough.

There's little need to wade into a critique as to how and why Sunderland fans deserve better than this, because it's obvious.

And it won't make any difference now. Most of these "footballers" won't be coming back to the Stadium of Light. But some might.

"Frauds, flakes and fakes" as one national newspaper described the Sunderland squad yesterday - an apt description in the aftermath of Swansea arriving on Wearside to mock the afflicted.

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Each Sunderland supporter reading this will have their own personal reasons for feeling despair and disgust reading the words of the manager who stood on the touchline and watched his team not bother in front of tens of thousands.

For me, Saturday afforded a rare opportunity to drag my nephew to a game. The next generation of Sunderland supporter if you like. Bored to tears by those in red-and-white, a half time doughnut was the only highlight for an eight-year-old who had been so excited to watch his team again and was let down by players who will never deserve to be the hero of any youngster - wherever they might wash up next.

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As for the abjective morals of those players who had watched a teammate carry a terminally ill Sunderland-supporting boy out on to the field of play to warm applause and support from all watching, and then float around as if football doesn't matter like those on the home side did at the weekend, then proof should it be needed that our club have recruited the weak, the soulless, the fraudulent and the lazy, was laid bare.

And that's not to mention Hull City were banking on a Sunderland effort against Swansea to aid them in their fight to stay in the Premier League. The team bus carrying the rank failures to London for tomorrow's game at the Emirates should stop off en-route in Humberside and apologise.

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As for the latest batch of injuries: a whiff of suspicion lingers in the air after David Moyes raised the topic this morning and seemingly left it hanging for interpretation:

I'm more concerned that I have now got a couple others who are saying they have got injuries as well. So I need to make sure I have got a team to put out.

Mindful of the message that sends to the Premier League with Arsenal still needing to beat Sunderland tomorrow night to challenge Manchester City for a top-four finish, Moyes went on to clarify his statement:

We will definitely have a team to put out and we will go there and be committed but there are one or two we are not sure about.

And someone might wish to alert Jose Mourinho and Ronald Koeman of this too. Everton and Manchester United retain a chance of qualifying directly for the Europa League group stage with a battle for a top-six finish still to conclude against Arsenal, Sunderland's opponents tomorrow night.

As for the Sunderland players travelling to the capital today for tomorrow night's game at the Emirates - we would hate to name those who aren't welcome back at the Stadium of Light for fear of personally identifying and targeting those poor souls - like Fabio Borini, Lamine Kone, Jason Denayer, Victor Anichebe, Javier Manquillo, Adnan Januzaj, Darron Gibson and Jack Rodwell - who have had such a trying time this season wearing what was once a shirt with a proud name badge upon it for fear of offending their weak-willed, lazy, talent-less, overpaid, greed-filled, soulless, care-free, careless sensitivities.

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Sadly I'm wasting my breath. Because not one of them will care a jot.