SUNDERLAND misfit Tore Andre Flo completed a move to Serie A side Siena last night and admitted: 'I flopped on Wearside'.

The club record buy scored just six goals in 33 appearances for the Black Cats following his £6.75m switch from Rangers a year ago.

And now the financially-embarrassed Stadium of Light outfit have decided to cut their losses and accept a cut-price transfer fee, believed to be around £1m, and erase the player's reported £20,000 a week pay packet from their wage bill.

Flo's unsuccessful spell in the North-East came to an end after he passed a medical yesterday.

The former Chelsea man was shown around the Italian city and he is now excited about trying to rebuild a flagging career in Serie A.

But Flo, who has agreed to a two-year deal, apologised to Sunderland's supporters who never witnessed the expensive Scandinavian turn on the style in a red and white shirt.

"I have never taken the initiative to move from Sunderland but I understand that it is now is in the best interests of me, the future of my family and Sunderland FC," said Flo, who was thought to have been offered an eleventh-hour deal by Premiership side Fulham.

"I am excited about a new opportunity but I will miss my teammates at Sunderland and I feel sorry for the fans because I have never felt I have managed to show them my best ability for the club.

"I am very happy to sign for Siena and very excited about the chance to play Italian football. I have always been fascinated by it."

Agent, Gunnar Martin Kjenner, is convinced the move will help Flo kickstart a career which has been in the doldrums since quitting Stamford Bridge three years ago.

"There is no secret that Sunderland wanted to offload Tore," said Kjenner. "Now there is this chance for him to play in the Italian league and hopefully that will be a fresh start for him and that's what he needs at the moment."

And there could be another swift exit - but Ian Harte currently stands between Michael Gray finally turning his back on hometown club Sunderland.

Northern Echo SPORT understands that both Leeds United and Premiership new-boys Portsmouth are considering moves for Gray.

However, the 29-year-old's final destination rests largely on the future of Leeds full-back Harte - himself a former Black Cats target.

Harte is wanted by Pompey boss Harry Redknapp to boost their assault on the top-flight.

But if Redknapp fails in his bid to take the Irishman away from Elland Road then Gray will suddenly become his primary target.

And should Portsmouth complete the capture of Harte, Gray is being lined up by former Sunderland boss Peter Reid at Leeds.

Reid installed the former England international as his captain at the Stadium of Light and he remains a big admirer of the player's abilities.

Meanwhile, straight-talking boss Mick McCarthy will not call in the psychologists to try to end Sunderland's embarrassing run of defeats - he's tried that once before.

The Black Cats travel to Preston North End this afternoon hoping to avoid equalling the record 18 League game losing run set by Lancashire side Darwen in the 1898-99 season.

But McCarthy, whose side will hold the record if they lose at Deepdale and at home to Watford on Monday, does not believe in employing someone to come in and try to instil positive thinking.

The Sunderland chief has had a few encounters with psychologists in the past, the most recent was towards the end of last season.

McCarthy said: "The psychologists were here last season - and that really worked didn't it.

"I would be a fool to sit here and criticise their work when top sportsmen use them and get good results.

"But we had them here last year and it didn't really pull us out of any holes.

"When I was playing I was asked to see one in France and I ended up coming out with my arm around him, consoling him!

"I was a 30-year-old pro; who had fifty-odd caps; a mortgage and two kids; and I was playing football all around the world and I was asked to go and see him. I didn't really think it was a necessity for me or essential.

"But I don't suggest that that is the case for everybody and if that's how people want to deal with things then fair enough. Different systems and different things for different people.

"I don't think bad spells can be turned around in any other place than on the pitch."

McCarthy readily admits that he does not want to go down as the manager who led Sunderland to the unwanted title of the first side in over 100 years to lose 18 games in a row.

But he also conceded that he will feel like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders when the next two matches are out of the way.

"I don't want it and I don't enjoy it but it's something I can't do a great deal about until Saturday," said McCarthy.

"That's the only time we can do anything about it.

"Talking about it doesn't make it better or worse. It's there, it'll be dealt with and then we'll get on with it.

"I've been on one or two decent winning streaks during my playing days and it's a far nicer experience.

"My thoughts are for Preston and if I start to allow other things to get in my brainbox other than the game then it will have an adverse affect. Of course we don't want to hold the record.

"But after Saturday and Monday we will all know where we are and where we stand.

"All I know is that on Tuesday morning all I'm looking for is to have some points."

Sunderland's game with Rotherham at the Stadium of Light on September 6 has been postponed due to international call-ups.

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