SUNDERLAND legend Jim Montgomery has branded the club "stupid'' for sanctioning a record £10m transfer plunge by Peter Reid - only weeks before sacking him.

Montgomery, who lost his job as Sunderland's director of youth just three months after Reid took charge at Roker Park eight years ago, issued a stinging rebuke to chairman Bob Murray and his board.

Sunderland, over £26m in debt, this week announced a half-yearly loss of nearly £5m and that up to 83 members of non-playing staff will have to go as they brace themselves for relegation from the Premiership.

The drop will be confirmed if Mick McCarthy's rock-bottom side are beaten this afternoon at Birmingham, the club goalkeeper 'Monty' joined when he left Sunderland in 1977 shortly before his home-town Red and Whites were relegated.

Reid, desperate to boost his striking options, splashed out on £8.2m Tore Andre Flo and Marcus Stewart on the eve of the transfer deadline last August.

It took his spending to £22m on ten players in as many months.

Montgomery, who also admitted he was "flabbergasted'' when Howard Wilkinson was chosen to succeed Reid last October, said: "The club is in a bit of a mess.

"The stupid part about it was when they gave him (Reid) £10m to spend on Flo and Stewart. Surely to god the chairman must have known. It was absolutely ridiculous. He (Reid) didn't have the best track record in the world with signings, as he proved at Manchester City.''

On the appointment of former Leeds boss and FA technical director Wilkinson, Montgomery added: "I was just flabbergasted. He'd been out of management so long, and we all knew what type of manager he was and the type of football he wanted at Sunderland.

"He brought Steve Cotterill with him. When he was at Cheltenham, I don't think there was a player there under 6ft 5in. You knew it was going to be a lot of long-ball stuff.

"I wrote to Sunderland when Wilkinson was there, but he said there was nothing doing.''

McCarthy, who took over when Wilkinson and Cotterill were axed a month ago, must attempt to build a new era at the Stadium of Light.

Montgomery said: "There's going to be a clear-out. By all accounts they've already been trying to get rid of Flo, but they might be stuck with him.

"The manager has to rebuild. Eighty-odd club staff have to go and he's going to have to operate with around 25 players. I think it's too early to say how they will do next season, but I can't see them selling many season tickets.

"If they're selling players, the question is: Who is going to buy them and for what money? You're not going to get £10m for the likes of Kevin Phillips and Thomas Sorensen now. They would have to take about £3m each.

"But the question is: Do they want to leave?

"Neither of them have had the best of seasons for various reasons. I can't see the Manchester Uniteds and Arsenals coming in for them.

"If they were to go to a lesser Premiership club, they might not get the same money they're on at Sunderland.

"They might say: 'We may as well stay here.' The club can't force them out."

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