Jody Craddock not keen on doing a ‘Denis Law’

Mar 7 2010 by Mark Douglas, Sunday Sun

FORMER Black Cats favourite Jody Craddock admits he wouldn’t have the ‘art to send Sunderland into the Championship on the last day of the season.

The Wolves defender – a talented painter in his spare time – is shocked that his old club are suffering another brush with relegation after spending lavishly in the summer.

And he admits that the prospect of a sudden-death relegation decider when the Black Cats visit Molineux on the last day of the season fills him with dread.

When the fixtures were published it would have been unthinkable for Sunderland fans too.

With dreams of Europe and a top-10 finish firing the Wearsiders’ pre-season imaginations, the prospect of a last-day collision with former boss Mick McCarthy might have been seen as a stroll down memory lane for Sunderland fans.

But after a run of 13 games without a win it is starting to look like the reunion from hell for the Black Cats.

Given his cult hero status at the Stadium of Light, it is almost unthinkable that Craddock – who has been lion-hearted all season for Wolves – could do a Denis Law and send Sunderland down.

“I don’t know about that,” he chuckled. “I had a little laugh when I saw the fixture list and thought ‘I wonder...?’ but hopefully it won’t come to that. I’d love it all to be sorted by then but you never know what’s going to happen.

“My absolute priority is keeping Wolves in the league and I’ll do anything to make that happen, but I don’t want to see Sunderland go down either.

“I’m surprised to see them down there with us. They spent a lot of money in the summer and when we played them in October they were flying high, I could see them finishing in the top half at least.

“But when you start to lose a few games and confidence goes it can be difficult, as I found when I was there and we got relegated. You’ve got to be strong to turn around those results.”

Craddock has been a surprise star for Wolves as they fight tooth and nail to retain their Premier League status.

McCarthy saw him as a bit-part player when he handed him a contract renewal but he has been Wolves’ best defender despite his 34 years.

“It’s been hard at times. The Premier League has come on in leaps and bounds since I last played in it, the speed of some of the strikers is unbelievable,” he said. “But we’re hanging in there. We’ve got a good team spirit and a manager who’s one of the best in the business. I think we’ve got a good chance of staying up.”

That he has been so good will be no surprise to Sunderland fans, who adopted him as one of their own during a six-year spell on Wearside.