SUNDERLAND talisman Julio Arca says the club's reversal of fortunes is purely down to the management skills of Mick McCarthy.

The Black Cats were in dire straits when McCarthy, who celebrated two years in charge of the Wearsiders with a 5-1 victory over Plymouth on Tuesday night, came to the North-East.

When the Yorkshireman took over at the helm Sunderland were in a perilous state in the Premiership and in the midst of a wretched losing streak which, by the end of the season, stretched to 15 games.

Though McCarthy was unable to prevent the side slipping out of the top flight and actually oversaw a further two defeats which took them to the brink of equalling Darwen's 18-game record, a turnaround was just around the corner.

He led the Black Cats to the play-offs last year, only to lose out to Crystal Palace, but this season they are well-placed to go one better, occupying second place in the Championship behind Wigan Athletic.

Arca, who was on the scoresheet on his return to the side at the Stadium of Light against Argyle, was quick to praise McCarthy's contribution to the cause.

"He has changed everything at the club," said the Argentine midfielder. "We were in one of the worst situations in Sunderland's history and heading towards relegation.

"We were losing every single game. He arrived at a bad time because he would have had to have won ten games to save the club and, you know, it was impossible to do that."

What McCarthy needed, Arca said, was time.

"Last season we did well," he said. "We got to the semi-finals of the play-offs when no one expected us to and now he's showing one more time that he's really confident.

"He's getting even more hard work out of us to get into the Premiership and he's showing everyone what a great manager he is. He's giving opportunities to every single player and he's doing really well. For me to play for him is really good."

Though there is still some way to go before the finishing line is reached, Arca says just where the club plays its football next season is in his and his team-mates' hands.

"It's up to us to show what we can do in the last eight games, which are going to be like cup finals for us," he said.

"We know that (third-placed) Ipswich and Wigan are winning. The only thing we have to do is win games."

Arca admits the players are aware of the pressure but he believes they have the ability to deal with it.

"After every single game the players are asking 'what happened with them?' and I'm sure it's the same for Ipswich and Wigan," he said. "But we're in a strong position.We know that if we win every game we will be promoted. I know it's easy to say, but if we win every game we're in the Premiership."

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