William Storey has thrown his support behind Phil Parkinson following his sacking as Sunderland manager.

The 52-year-old was relieved of his duties following the 1-1 draw with Fleetwood Town at the weekend - a result that made it five matches without a victory in all competitions.

As a result the Black Cats are now sitting in eighth position in the table and five points off the automatic promotion spots.

While the decision has generally been met with support from the Sunderland supporters, there is a degree of sympathy towards Parkinson given the ongoing struggle that's going on in the boardroom.

With Sunderland in the process of a takeover and the newly introduced salary cap the boss has had limited funds with which to strengthen the squad - something that Storey, who has been linked with buying the club, believes should be factored in.

Taking to Twitter, Storey said: "I know Phil Parkinson was unpopular with lots of fans but any manager can only work with the resources at his disposal.

"Selling academy players & a tiny budget didn't make it easy for him! He is a decent person. Best of luck Phil."

20 quiz questions about Sunderland’s current squad that Black Cats fans should be getting correct

 

The Verdict

Few can argue that Phil Parkinson's time at Sunderland was possibly up, but the size of the job has to be factored in.

The expectations around Sunderland are absolutely massive and with severe budget restrictions it was always going to be difficult to push for promotion.

That said, the Black Cats should be doing better and so the decision to sack him was probably justified - particularly with new owners on the cusp of coming in.