MIKE Dodds admitted his "bold" selection and tactical set-up backfired in Sunderland's home defeat to Swansea City.

Dodds switched to a back three and made four changes for his first game as interim boss but the Black Cats were shambolic in the opening 45 minutes, in which Brazilian winger Ronald scored a quick fire double to put the visitors in complete control.

Sunderland improved after the break and Luke O'Nien halved the deficit 13 minutes from time, but the damage was done in the opening 45 minutes.

"It didn't work, it doesn't take an expert to see that," admitted Dodds of his selection.

"One thing I demonstrated last time I did this and that'll I'll keep reiterating is that while I'm in this position I'll continue to make bold decisions. Sometimes that will be a positive, sometimes a negative.

"The ironic thing is we wanted to be really bold and aggressive in terms of tagging certain players, we were actually more reserved in terms of set up in the second half and yet we looked more aggressive.

"In the first half we went with a back three and almost went man-for-man on their front three, we tried to get more bodies higher up the pitch because we knew the style that they would like to play.

"I wasn't happy in terms of how aggressive we were, getting tighter to players. We can talk about tactics all day but when I watch it back I think I'll be most disappointed about the other side of the game, landing on second balls, tracking runners off your shoulder. They're the bits I'll be most disappointed with, I think."

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Dodds added: "Clearly in the first half there was a lot that I wasn't happy with but the second half was miles better.

"We've got to take that first 45 on the chin, me, the staff and the players. I wouldn't have sent the players out if I wasn't confident the message was really clear, so that's something as a collective that we all have to take on the chin.

"I know I've been really bold in terms of my decisions and how I've tried to set up, I'm not going to take all the responsibility because it's a relationship between me and the players. There was clearly a mentality switch in the second half, we were a lot more aggressive and on the front foot, and our quality on the ball was miles better. That's not a tactics thing."

Sunderland were without star man Jack Clarke, who was missing with an ankle injury suffered at Birmingham last week.

Dodds said: "Any team in this league would miss Jack Clarke and Dan Ballard, but I won't make excuses.

"I won't shirk away from the responsibility of being head coach and the fact that the first 45 wasn't acceptable."