But the former Manchester United trainee baulks at those suggestions, claiming that the team must be united and accept collective responsibility for the failure to so far consolidate their Premier League status. It is an attitude that has not always prevailed at the Stadium of Light this season.

Sbragia has already carried out one cull of players that he felt were undermining his authority, removing El-Hadji Diouf and Pascal Chimbonda from the squad during the January transfer window.

And the feeling persists that he may have to restructure the squad again in the summer if, indeed, he is the man given the task of leading the Black Cats next season.

Whoever is in charge after the summer, they will want more like Bardsley in the team.

“I don’t really know why the results have gone off the boil,” he added. “It’s easy to point fingers at people and identify individual mistakes but it’s just like when you win games: we’re all in it together.

“You’ve got to be able to lose together as well. It’s a disappointment that it has gone until the end of the season. Of course it is. But we’ve got three important games coming up, starting at Bolton on Saturday. We need to go positive and try and get some sort of result.”

Bardsley also sympathises with the fans who have had to put up with some dreadful performances and results in a season meant to herald success and progress.

He said: “It’s difficult for the supporters, it’s been a long season for them. They travel home and away and pay good money to see us. The lads are trying to do the best they can but confidence of late hasn’t been as high as we would want. We’re not playing how they want us to play – but that’s part of football and it’s about how we react.”