Sebastian Larsson admits Sunderland deserve criticism for their season
Sunday 14 May 2017 12:02, UK
Sebastian Larsson has told his Sunderland team-mates they must accept the tide of criticism coming their way after suffering relegation.
The Black Cats' hopes of ending a disastrous season with their heads held high were wrecked on Saturday as Swansea left the Stadium of Light with a 2-0 win.
The defeat came in Sunderland's final home game of the campaign and with trips to Arsenal and Chelsea to come before the curtain falls, the chances of them adding to their meagre haul of 24 points look remote.
The locals among a crowd of 38,781, more than 10,000 short of the stadium's capacity, made their feelings abundantly clear and Larsson was not hiding afterwards.
He said: "Listen, you have got to take what comes your way. We have been on the pitch during the season, so we are where we deserve to be.
"You can't just take the praise when it comes your way, you have got to take the other part of the game as well.
"You go out and you try your best. Today wasn't good enough, like many other times this season, but it's about taking responsibility."
The home side fell behind with just nine minutes gone when Fernando Llorente capitalised on an uncharacteristic error from 'keeper Jordan Pickford to head home Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick, and the points were effectively gone when full-back Kyle Naughton smashed a second past Pickford on the stroke of half-time.
Sunderland rallied after the break and Billy Jones might have pulled one back, but ultimately it was once again a case of too little, too late.
Larsson, 31, is one of a series of players who is out of contract this summer with the club once again in a state of flux, although he insists his own future is secondary.
He said: "It might sound strange, but I have loved my time up here. I'm sure there will be discussions during the summer.
"But it's not the right time to stand here and talk about what the future holds. It's not about me, it's about the club and for the club to do the right things for Sunderland Football Club to come back strongly next year."
