Mike Dodds reveals key mistake he made during previous Sunderland caretaker spell | OneFootball

Sunderland caretaker boss Mike Dodds believed his decision to approach his previous caretaker spell on a day-to-day basis was detrimental to him, speaking to ITV.

Dodds previously took charge when Lee Johnson left the club - and the Black Cats were in a delicate position at that point.

They were still firmly in the League One promotion mix at the time Dodds took over, but he could have played a key part in making or breaking their season.

Johnson's departure came as a surprise to many - and the caretaker manager couldn't lift spirits.

Johnson's last game may have been a 6-0 away defeat at Bolton Wanderers - but they would have been expecting to get something from their games against Doncaster Rovers (A) and Cheltenham Town (A).

But they ended up losing both matches 2-1, which was a bit of a blow before Alex Neil managed to come in and get themselves back on track.

Thankfully for the Black Cats, that two-game spell didn't prevent them from securing a place in the play-offs and winning them, but Dodds is now back in the spotlight and will be hoping to do better than he did last time.

He has been made interim boss once again following the sacking of Tony Mowbray earlier this week, with the Wearside outfit needing to secure a decent amount of points during the Festive period after struggling in recent weeks.

This will give them the best chance of securing another top-six finish at the end of the season, something that's now in doubt after some of their recent results.

Mike Dodds reveals where he went wrong at Sunderland last time

Dodds has potentially found where he went wrong during his previous caretaker spell - and has already moved to rectify it.

He told ITV: "The last time I did this I worked day to day, and that was to my detriment. This time I've planned for a longer period.

"If someone comes in on Sunday then that's fine, but Leeds is all but prepared for. The plan for Sunday and Monday leading into Tuesday is all done. My responsibility now is to execute that.

"I'm looking forward to both games, I feel in a much better spot than when I previously took the team. I feel a lot more assured and confident with where we're taking the team."

Sunderland's upcoming fixtures

It's a baptism of fire for Dodds on his return to being caretaker, with his team taking on West Bromwich Albion at home in the early kick-off today.

It's a winnable game - but Carlos Corberan's side are very strong - so it wouldn't be a surprise if the hosts didn't take three points from this clash.

They also face Leeds United and Bristol City in the next week or so. Having the Robins at home would have been ideal - but they need to travel to Ashton Gate.

And it wouldn't be a shock to see Dodds take charge of all three of these games.

Six points from nine would be a great total from these matches - but there's every chance they could get less. Dodds has to show that he can be a capable pair of hands.