Vito Mannone, Gus Poyet: Former Arsenal Goalkeeper Offers To Pay For Fans Tickets & Travel After His Sunderland Suffer Devastating 8-0 Southampton Defeat

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone was enemy No. 1 this weekend for Sunderland fans, after conceding 8 goals as his team fell to a humiliating 8 - 0 defeat against Southampton. However, he has gone some way to redeeming himself to manager Gus Poyet and the fans, showing he cares enough to try and offer the fans that travelled the cost of their tickets and journey costs. The 8 - 0 defeat was one of the biggest shocks ever, and nearly set a record, and it's something they will try and put right as soon as possible, evidently with this kind gesture.

Mannone explained: "I will personally talk to the team to see if it is possible to pay for their tickets and their trip. I really mean that we should pay their tickets and travel. We should do it because we didn't put a foot in, we didn't work hard. We started the game well but after we conceded we threw in the towel and I include myself. It is difficult for us but it's very difficult for them as well. It is a difficult moment."

The one-time top keeping prospect insisted, "We will go through it during the week. We will have time. The Premier League is really difficult. We have a tough game again at home, so there is no time to feel sorry for ourselves. We need to react. As I said, they are special fans. We are really lucky to be at this club and have these fans. If it was me, I would probably not react in the same way."

Do accidents like this happen, or were the team simply far beneath the standard an EPL side should be? Is Mannone's gesture a good one, or the least he should do?