SUNDERLAND manager Mick McCarthy has marvelled at the way his team of misfits have brought the club to the brink of an FA Cup final, Europe and promotion.

McCarthy has overseen an enormous turnover of playing staff since he succeeded Howard Wilkinson just over a year ago.

The former Republic of Ireland boss has been forced to wheel and deal in the transfer market and get the best out of what was left after a massive clear-out following last season's ignominious relegation, when the Black Cats' pitiful 19-point total established an all-time Premiership low.

Stars like Kevin Phillips, Thomas Sorensen and Claudio Reyna had to be sacrified to ease debts that had spiralled to over £30m.

On the back of a six-match Premiership losing streak under Wilkinson, McCarthy launched his reign last season with nine defeats, and Sunderland were only a game short of equalling Darwen's 105-year-old record of 18 successive League losses when they won at Preston in August.

Now they are preparing for Sunday's semi-final against Millwall at Old Trafford, where the prize is a trip to Cardiff and a place in next season's UEFA Cup, thanks to last-four opponents Arsenal and Manchester United being destined for the Champions League.

McCarthy's achievements were recognised yesterday when he was named Nationwide Division One manager of the month for March after steering his side to six wins from eight games.

Malcolm Crosby, the last manager to lead Sunderland to an FA Cup final in 1992, said: "Forget manager of the month, if Mick takes Sunderland to Cardiff, he deserves manager of the Year!''

The blossoming of 22-year-old left-back George McCartney, who McCarthy made skipper early this term, has symbolised the dramatic transformation at the Stadium of Light, and the manager said: "If you look at the team now, a lot of them weren't even playing regularly last season.

"Certainly George, Stephen Wright, Julio Arca, Phil Babb, Paul Thirlwell, Sean Thornton, Marcus Stewart and Jeff Whitley weren't. Jason McAteer was injured, Gary Breen didn't play regularly for West Ham, John Oster was on loan at Grimsby, and Tommy Smith and Darren Byfield weren't here.

"The 23 players who left the club, probably more now, were the ones playing regularly. For the lads here to have come together and got the club into a semi-final and into third place in the First Division, is great. They've done really well to get the club two opportunities from where we started this season.

"As regards all the changes, it was Hobson's to be fair. I didn't have a lot of choice and I knew that when I came in.

"We all had to pick up the pieces and try to generate a good atmosphere. The players who have come in have also done well. I came in thinking, 'Let's try to win a game and try to rediscover that winning mentality.' As far as I'm concerned, my career with Sunderland started this season with Nottingham Forest away and then Millwall here, where we lost.''

That defeat by the Lions was something of a watershed, but McCarthy knows all about adversity from a four-year stint in charge of Millwall, where he cut his managerial teeth.

He recalled: "When I took over, there was a chance the club could go down, but we didn't and I guess someone saw something in me that suggested I might make a half-decent manager.''

The following season, Millwall just missed out on a Division One play-off place.

Colin Cooper, now on loan with Sunderland from Middlesbrough, played alongside McCarthy in the middle of the Millwall defence.

He said: "I was there in Mick's first week as a manager. From day one, he had his own ideas, playing a diamond formation.

"He was aggressive, but he's intelligent and that's why all the teams he has managed have been footballing sides and that won't change. His philosophy is football - not kick and rush.

"I played with him as a centre-half at Millwall and you don't do what he's done in his career without having a winning mentality - he doesn't like losing.

"Management was kind of thrust on him at Millwall. I went there to play for Bruce Rioch, who was a mentor for me from my first spell at Middlesbrough when I was a kid.

"When Bruce left Millwall, Mick took to it like a duck to water. He knew his playing career was coming to an end and he was given an opportunity to take the next step.

"From that team, some players have had decent careers like myself, Alex Rae, Andy Roberts, Mark Kennedy, Ben Thatcher and Kenny Cunningham. They're not household names, but good pros.

"Dennis Wise got the job there this season in similar fashion. He's a fiery character and a winner, like Mick. Hats off to Dennis, he's done a fantastic job.

"I know Dennis is hard as nails, but I bet he wouldn't like to run into Mick in a 50-50 on a Saturday.''

* See tomorrow's Sport & Motors for an in-depth interview with Malcolm Crosby.

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