AS SUNDERLAND confront almost certain relegation, the managerial maelstrom that is football in the North East engulfed Mick McCarthy last night. With Newcastle United and Middlesbrough also in the throes of uncertainty, Bob Murray, the Sunderland chairman, described recent remarks by McCarthy as “blatantly untrue, insulting and ludicrous”. The anger is such that relationships are in peril.

Last week, McCarthy implied that the prospect of going down had influenced Sunderland’s activity in the transfer market last summer. “Of course, we wanted to stay up and do well,” he said, “but if we didn’t, then the group of players here will stay here and be a force to be reckoned with in the Championship. We did that rather than going out to get older players on larger salaries and still going belly up.”

Murray has reacted furiously to the inference that a negative approach was taken to winning promotion. With the club £40 million in debt, clauses have been inserted into players’ contracts to prepare for the possibility of relegation, but having finished last season 21 points ahead of West Ham United and with seven more than Wigan Athletic, the board was cautiously optimistic about this season.

Instead, having spent more than £4 million on 12 new players and with a wage bill of £20 million, the club are rooted to the foot of the Barclays Premiership with nine points and no league victories at the Stadium of Light. While directors are annoyed at the manner in which McCarthy’s words have been interpreted by sections of the media, the context is of seven months of toil.

“I was very angry to read the comments at the weekend, which are blatantly untrue and insulting,” Murray said. “We did not go into the Premiership just to make up the numbers with a plan to come back down — that’s just ludicrous.”

Sunderland’s FA Cup defeat by Brentford and subsequent 3-0 humiliation against Middlesbrough, their local rivals, have soured proceedings to the point where McCarthy’s popularity has dipped with supporters. It had been thought that his position would be reviewed this May, but Murray’s diatribe may alter that. “We all feel very let down by the season,” he said.

Steve McClaren is also under pressure, but with senior players such as George Boateng and Franck Queudrue nearing full fitness, Middlesbrough believe they play their way to safety.

Having dispensed with Graeme Souness, Newcastle are searching for a permanent manager, but according to Phil Gartside, the Bolton Wanderers chairman, it will not be Sam Allardyce. “Sam has made it clear to me that he’s not interested in managing a Premier League club at any of the current vacancies,” Gartside said, while conceding that England is a different matter. Martin O’Neill is favourite to land the Newcastle job.