I WANT TO FIGHT TO THE END.. BUT I’M FEELING HURT

Bruising campaign has Moyes mulling over his future with Black Cats

DAVID MOYES has hinted that he could leave Sunderland in the summer.

The Wearside chief admitted for the first time he cannot guarantee he will be in charge come August.

He has three years left on his contract and will consider his future at the end of a campaign in which Sunderland look relegation certainties. That could be confirmed today.

The miserable season has eaten away at Moyes and one win in 16 games has left the club on its knees and bottom of the Premier League.

He has been a target for abuse from Black Cats fans who have made clear in their chants that they want him out and have also turned on the players.

However he is prepared to face down their anger from his technical area against Bournemouth today and will not be forced out by them.

But his surprise admission throws doubt on the club’s wish for him to build for the long term.

Moyes insists Sunderland did not spend enough on their squad when he took over in late July, and made a profit on deals in January despite being in the relegation zone since October.

He believes his players are performing to the best of their ability and that the Black Cats’ problems run deep and should not all be blamed on him.

He is unlikely to have much money to rebuild in the Championship because of the club’s financial plight.

Asked if he would still be Sunderland manager in August, Moyes said: “I would make that decision at the end of the season because at the moment it would be the wrong time to say that.

“I just have a situation where we need to see how things are at the end of the season.

“I thought it would be a difficult season because the four previous seasons had been very difficult. I hadn’t seen we had invested enough to change that.”

Moyes is “hurt” by a disastrous campaign which to date has brought just five wins and a meagre 21 points. He added: “No, I don’t want misery at all. I want to fight to the end but I’m not stupid.

“It hurts me. Totally. I’m not smiling and laughing and enjoying myself. You want to have a winning feeling. Maybe we have forgotten how to do that.

“We have forgotten how to win and we have to get it back quickly.

“Twelve months ago everyone was saying the best appointment was David Moyes. No one was saying it wasn’t.

“It has changed a bit in the last couple of weeks, maybe before that, because of the position we’re in. You don’t enjoy it.

“But there’s only one place I want to be on Saturday and that’s somewhere around my technical area. I have been subjected to other chants, don’t worry about that, but from your own supporters?

“I feel the responsibility should be shared and, if it was only directed at the manager, then I would be saying it’s probably not correct.

‘But, being a football supporter, the manager is probably an easy target – that’s it. I’m the public front. I totally understand the supporters’ frustrations though. I am agreeing with them.”

Asked if he still had the appetite for the fight and the possibility of a bruising season in the Championship, he said: “I’m here. I’m doing the job, working as hard as I can to prepare the players.

“We want to build momentum, get a win and finish the season as well as possible. That’s my aim at the moment.”