Sunderland will, when the curtain falls on the Championship season at the start of May, just write this campaign off as a misstep on the way to greater success down the line.
Mike Dodds has failed to reinvigorate a group who were down on their luck already managed by Michael Beale, with the interim boss almost a certainty to step down at the end of the season having overseen a poor mid-table finish.
The team, looking at the future, could well be moulded around the exploits of 18-year-old Jobe Bellingham going forward, who has still managed to excel with seven goals in the Championship despite his team's dire standing in the division.
Staggeringly, when Sunderland were competing with the top dogs in the Premier League, one horrendous flop was earning nearly four times Bellingham's wage even whilst firing blanks for the Black Cats.
Ignacio Scocco's record at Sunderland
Signed under the tenure of Gustavo Poyet – who would only pick up 23 wins from his 75 games in charge – Ignacio Scocco undoubtedly goes down as a major dud from this period that did initially raise eyebrows.
The Argentine attacker would join for a bumper £3m mid-way through the 2013/14 campaign, joining the Wearside outfit alongside fellow flop Jozy Altidore who struggled to settle in his new surroundings much like Scocco.
Sunderland made a mistake signing flop who would've cost £16.4m in 2024
Sunderland dropped an almighty clanger signing this disastrous flop back in 2013.
ByKelan Sarson
Altidore would at least manage to find the back of the net three times as one of the new strikers on the block after joining, with Scocco failing to ever score for Sunderland during his troubled couple of months at the Stadium of Light.
The South American centre-forward would only make eight appearances for the Black Cats, before returning to his native Argentina with Newell's Old Boys as a bad mistake on Sunderland's end.
On top of costing Sunderland an extortionate £3m, Scocco's wage would have burnt a hole in the Wearside club's pocket even from such a short time in England with his wage far greater than Bellingham's own pay packet currently.
Ignacio Scocco's wage at Sunderland
Scocco would end up costing his then Premier League side £25k-per-week during his turbulent spell at the Stadium of Light, exposing how much money the Black Cats wasted on failures when still playing in the top flight.
Bellingham earns just £6.5k-per-week in contrast, clamouring for an eventual pay increase next season as his importance to the Sunderland cause only grows heading into a more promising campaign on the horizon.
1. Jack Clarke
£16.9k per week
2. Daniel Ballard
£15k per week
3. Bradley Dack
£15k per week
4. Patrick Roberts
£12.5k per week
5. Anthony Patterson
£10k per week
Scocco would rise to the top of Sunderland's high earner list with his bumper £25k-per-week pay packet looking at the table above, pipping Jack Clarke to top spot even whilst the former Tottenham Hotspur winger has bagged 15 goals from 40 appearances this season.
Anthony Patterson also earns £15k-per-week less than Scocco, despite being an everpresent member of the Sunderland team this campaign through all the ups and downs.
Sunderland will have learnt their lesson about splashing obscene amounts of cash looking back at the likes of Scocco, moving towards an approach where the promising youngsters at the club are front and centre.
Bellingham could well become even more of a star for the Black Cats if he can steer them to a promotion push next season, whilst Scocco continues to enjoy his retirement without ever really thinking about his woes at Sunderland.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
