A majority of Sunderland fans have backed under-fire manager Mick McCarthy as he attempts to cling on to his job at the Stadium of Light.
In a telephone poll conducted by the city's evening paper, The Sunderland Echo, 56.3 per cent of fans voted in favour of McCarthy keeping his job while 43.7 per cent suggested he should be sacked.
The poll's mixed message clouds the water even further as chairman Bob Murray ponders how to take the club forward.
McCarthy's future still hangs in the balance but, with the fans siding with the manager, it is difficult to see how Murray can wield the axe without further antagonising the Wearside faithful.
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