AN APOLOGETIC Vito Mannone thinks Sunderland’s players should group together and reimburse the cost of match tickets and travel expenses to the fans subjected to witnessing one of the worst results in the club’s 135-year history.

Mannone feels such a gesture is required after Southampton smashed EIGHT goals without reply against the Black Cats, equalling the Wearsiders’ worst ever defeat which left manager Gus Poyet wondering what on earth went wrong.

The Uruguayan boss’ post-match calls for his players to explain the result led to Mannone, and a number of his team-mates, carrying out interviews at St Mary’s to try to get their apologies across to supporters.

More than 2,600 fans made the long trek to the south coast where a calamitous first half own goal from Santiago Vergini was followed by two more Saints strikes before the break from Graziano Pelle and Jack Cork.

If three-nil was not bad enough, Sunderland then suffered the collapse of collapses after the restart when a further own goal from Liam Bridcutt was followed by four more from goals Pelle, Dusan Tadic, Vincent Wanyama and, finally, Saido Mane.

Mannone, at fault for at least two but let down by those in front of him too, was left in no doubt about what should be done to make up for the disgraceful and embarrassing scoreline – knowing how many of the strong contingent of away fans actually applauded them off the pitch rather than over-reacted by hurling abuse.

“I will personally talk to the team to see if it is possible to pay for their (fans) tickets and their trip,” said Mannone. “It is difficult for us on a day like this but it’s very difficult for them as well. It is a difficult moment.

“They are special fans. We are really lucky to be at this club and have these fans. If it was me, I would probably not react in the same way as they did. I can only be proud to wear this shirt. I need to do my best and each one of us in the team should do our best to make them feel proud of this club and not have 8-0 defeats!

“I really mean that we should pay their tickets and travel. I will do everything possible. We should do it because we didn’t put our foot in, we didn’t work hard. We started the game well but after we conceded we threw in the towel and I include myself. Let’s take it on the chin and go because we have another 30 games.”

As Mannone stood under the main stand at St Mary’s trying to explain what went wrong, there was sincerity about his words. One by one the players walked through, clearly shell-shocked and affected by the performance they had just turned in.

The defeat quickly erased the confidence built up from the victory over Stoke City in their last outing and leaves them just a point above third from bottom Newcastle ahead of Saturday’s visit of Arsenal to the Stadium of Light.

Mannone said: “We have to remember how embarrassed we felt, feel embarrassed for ourselves and take some anger from this game in to the next one and produce a performance.

“It was a low point for anyone and possibly the biggest embarrassment for the team since I’ve been here. It was a difficult afternoon but we need to react. We have to do it for ourselves, for the club and for our great fans as well that went all that way to Southampton.

“I will keep my head up. I will go on the pitch and try to react and to try to do my best. These things happen in football but it is how you react to them. We have many opportunities in front of us and we can’t let ourselves down, or feel sorry for ourselves in the next game.

“I can only really remember conceding that many goals in training, it happens. I take all the responsibility I can take for each goal. I will try to work on it and try to improve. Each one of us should do the same. Every one of us knows there were mistakes on the field.”

BIGGEST DEFEATS

Sunderland’s heaviest defeats

Southampton 8 Sunderland 0, October 2014

Watford 8 Sunderland 0, September 1982

West Ham 8 Sunderland 0, October 1968

Sheffield Wednesday 8 Sunderland 0, December 1911

Premier League’s biggest wins

Manchester United 9 Ipswich Town 0, March 1995

Newcastle United 8 Sheffield Wednesday 0, September 1999

Tottenham 9 Wigan 1, November 2009

Southampton 8 Sunderland 0, October 2014

Chelsea 8 Wigan 0, May 2010

Chelsea 8 Aston Villa 0, December 2012