SUNDERLAND'S players were given an early taste of life under Sergeant Wilko yesterday when they underwent a gruelling double training session.

A day after Howard Wilkinson confirmed he wanted to squeeze an entire pre-season's worth of work into just one week, he put his new charges through their paces either side of lunch at the club's training ground in Whitburn.

A handful of players, including Norway goalkeeper Thomas Myhre and Scotland forward Kevin Kyle, were absent on international duty.

But a large proportion of Sunderland's first-team squad were present as Wilkinson and assistant Steve Cotterill directed operations at the Charlie Hurley Training Centre.

The players appeared relaxed and enjoyed the extended workout with their new management team, whose first match in charge is at home to West Ham United next Saturday.

Wilkinson said: "We had a good double training session. It was a case of the players getting to know Steve and I, and us getting to know them.

"We're firmly fixed on getting a positive result against West Ham next week and I'm confident we can succeed."

As Wilkinson spoke confidently of the immediate future as he looks to steer his new club to safety, former Sunderland winger Chris Waddle warned him that he faces a "very difficult" task in winning over the supporters at the Stadium of Light.

Wearside woke yesterday morning to widespread criticism of Wilkinson's appointment from fans and critics both in the North-East and across the country.

Waddle fears Wilkinson, who returned to club football this week after a six-year hiatus, may have landed himself too big a job.

He said: "When you go to a club, you often get two or three months to make changes and reorganise.

"But the reaction of a lot of fans is they don't seem too enthusiastic, so it's going to be hard work for him from day one.

"Howard has got a lot of respect in the game but it's going to take time to adjust.

"It's a tall order going back into the Premiership.

"He's going to have to win the fans over and get them on his side, and it's going to be very difficult.

"The first game is against West Ham and Sunderland are capable of beating them. They need a result to give them time.

"But expectations are very high in the North-East and the Sunderland fans are very frustrated.

"They want to see entertaining football, and it will be interesting to see how they shape the team and how they want to play.

"That will be a major factor in whether the fans take to them quickly.

"Once you get a tag, it's very hard to change it in football, and Howard has always been renowned as playing very direct, just as Steve Cotterill has.

"I know the Sunderland fans appreciated Peter Reid but they were quite direct at times. The fans want to see more football."

Stadium of Light chairman Bob Murray, who felt the full force of the supporters' anger in the immediate aftermath of Wilkinson's appointment on Thursday, admitted last night that his decision to sack Reid was the most difficult he has ever taken.

Murray, and deputy chairman John Fickling, told Reid that his seven-and-a-half year reign was over when they met at a North-West hotel on Monday,

Murray said: "Peter is a blue chip. Letting him go was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

"When Peter took over, the club's turnover was less than £5m and we had not floated on the Stock Exchange. The club is now nine times bigger than it was then.

"Peter signed some great players, including the first Sunderland player to win the European Golden Boot - Kevin Phillips - but we accept he also made some mistakes.

"This has been one of the hardest weeks for us all and it was difficult to realise it had come to this, but it was a collective decision.

"After spending £22m in the last nine months - £16m of which was in the summer - the manner in which we lost in some games was very disappointing.

"We were at the wrong end of the table after nearly a quarter of the season, so it was an inevitable decision.

"Never at any time did Peter have any intention of quitting. He wanted to turn things round at Sunderland.

"Some of the recent defeats came from performances that were not in the Reid mould.

"Peter was the first to admit that and while he was understandably shocked on hearing the news, he was very philosophical about the decision."

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