Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell has admitted that he would have booed the players if he was a fan watching the team's dismal defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday.

A number of supporters aired their frustration with boos, while others walked out of the Stadium of Light at half time during Sunderland's 4-0 loss to Tim Sherwood's side.

"Booing is part and parcel of football and you can't let it affect you," the Chronicle quotes Rodwell as saying. "They are entitled to their opinion. If I had been watching that I would probably have been doing the same.

"They pay their hard-earned money and the least we can do is try to pay them back. We didn't do that, but all I can say is it's not through lack of effort. We just need them to stay with us."

Following the defeat, widespread rumours have claimed that manager Gus Poyet is facing the sack.