DEAN Whitehead has admitted that Sunderland face a summer of uncertainty following Mick McCarthy's dismissal, but the highly-rated midfielder is hoping the club keep their current squad together to maximise their chances of an instant return to the top-flight.

Andy Gray became the first playing casualty of the club's calamitous campaign yesterday when he completed a loan move to Burnley that will become a £750,000 permanent switch in the summer.

Regardless of who is eventually appointed as McCarthy's permanent successor, however, the departure of the 28-year-old striker is unlikely to be the last.

Whitehead accepts that changes are inevitable given the extent of Sunderland's struggles this season and admits the squad's loyalty has been tested by McCarthy's dismissal.

But, after re-affirming his own desire to stay on Wearside beyond the end of the season, the former Oxford midfielder is warning against making wholesale changes to the squad.

"I signed a new contract not long ago and I'm here for another four-and-a-half years," said Whitehead. "It would be hard to turn down (a Premiership offer) because everyone wants to play in the top league but, if it comes along, it's up to the individual to decide.

"Mick McCarthy was a big man in my career and for him to leave was a massive disappointment to me. Does him leaving change things? Maybe.

"But all the lads are happy here. We have the nucleus of a great side, especially for the Championship. If we can keep the squad together, there's no doubt we will be able to bounce straight back."

While their impending relegation is still to be confirmed, Sunderland's squad have already turned their attention to next season.

Possible trips to the likes of Southend and Brentford are hardly the same as visits to Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, but a spell in the Championship at least offers an opportunity to atone for this term's mistakes.

"It has been hard to watch the Premiership slip away," said Whitehead. "But it's all in the past now.

"We've not done as well as we wanted to, but now we have to focus on the last few games and then we make sure we bounce back straight away.

"This club deserves to be in the Premiership. Life in the Championship's not as glamorous, is it? But we have to go and do a job there and, hopefully, we can bounce straight back."

Before that, though, Sunderland's priority in the final nine games of the season is to claim the ten points they need to avoid recording the worst points total in Premiership history.

Their chances would undoubtedly be helped by a better showing in front of the net.

"We haven't scored enough goals as a team," admitted Whitehead.

"As a midfield, we've chipped in with a few. We've created a lot of chances but not scored as many as we should.

"It's different when you're at the top - everything drops for you in the box. But, when you're down at the bottom, you get no luck. We have to start putting our chances away soon."

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