Editing Mick McCarthy (section)

===Sunderland===
On 12 March 2003, McCarthy was appointed manager of struggling [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] as an immediate replacement for [[Howard Wilkinson]], who was sacked after six successive [[Premier League|Premiership]] defeats left the club facing near-certain relegation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/2838747.stm |title=McCarthy unveiled as Sunderland boss |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date= 12 March 2003 |access-date= 19 August 2009}}</ref> The following season, after relegation, he took Sunderland to the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] promotion play-offs, but lost in a penalty shoot-out to [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]] after Palace had scored a stoppage-time equaliser.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sunderland 2–1 C Palace |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3710227.stm |access-date=22 November 2021 |date=17 May 2004}}</ref>

McCarthy completed the turnaround of the club in the [[2004–05 in English football|2004–05]] season. The Black Cats returned to the Premier League as Football League Championship champions, amassing 94 points.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/mick-out-1-1106073|title=MICK OUT|date=6 March 2006|work=[[Sunderland Echo]]|access-date=29 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629074257/https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/mick-out-1-1106073|archive-date=29 June 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> After a poor season and with the club 16 points from safety with only 10 games remaining, he was dismissed on 6 March 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/4778496.stm |title=Sunderland sack manager McCarthy |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date= 6 March 2006 |access-date= 19 August 2009}}</ref>