The former Sunderland manager believes the club can recover, but that this is a terrible period for them.

O'Neill is the Republic of Ireland manager currently, but his last job prior to that was as Sunderland manager from 2011 to 2013.

They finished 13th in his first season, although he only joined the club in December. However, he was sacked in his second season with the club one point above the relegation places, so he never completed a full season with the club.

This is what O'Neill had to say about Sunderland's relegation to Sky Sports: "I don't think anybody would have expected them to drop straight down the division."

"It's a great club for a start and they have absolutely fantastic support."

This bit was in reference to the relegation as well as whether they can bounce back and achieve promotion: "To go right through is just catastrophic, but I think they are capable of doing it."

The Verdict

The fact that O'Neill didn't even finish a season with the club all the way back in 2013 shows how long these issues have been around the club. Unfortunately, it's been a long time coming for Sunderland and the severe problems at the club have led to consecutive relegations.

O'Neill is right to point out how surprising it is, but the warning signs were there. Hopefully, the new owners bring in a new era at the club which is able to turn the club around and help them move on from this embarrassment.