Mike Dodds will be aiming to pick up his first win back in the interim Sunderland hot-seat this weekend, the Black Cats masses intrigued to see how the stand-in coach does with putting together a side to face off against Swansea City at home.

A number of players who found themselves on the periphery under Michael Beale might well be buoyed on to impress now under fresh leadership, with the unpopular 43-year-old boss now nowhere to be seen at the Stadium of Light after being given his marching orders.

There could well even be one individual who now regrets leaving Sunderland in the transfer window just gone off the back of Beale's exit, with the dynamic attacking midfielder in question loving life under Dodds previously when he was last in temporary charge after Tony Mowbray's dismissal.

Alex Pritchard's record under Michael Beale

Alex Pritchard never really set the world alight under the short-lived tenure of the ex-Rangers manager, resulting in the 30-year-old midfielder leaving the Stadium of the Light in the manner he did.

The ex-Huddersfield Town man would manage just one full 90 minutes under Beale, surprisingly coming in his last appearance for the Black Cats before reconnecting with old Sunderland face Mowbray at Birmingham City.

That final display from the current Blues creator in Wearside was a lively one in truth – Pritchard winning seven ground duels and notching up two key passes despite Sunderland losing 1-0 – but he would still only muster up one goal and zero assists with Beale at the helm.

Pushing for a move away resulted in Pritchard handing in a transfer request, a glaring sign that many of the Sunderland camp were unhappy with the recently sacked Beale long before his axing.

Pritchard's story with the Black Cats might well have been very different if Dodds had stuck around in the managerial dug-out instead of Sunderland swooping in for Beale, with the 5 foot 7 attacker playing out of his skin in a mini purple patch under the interim boss this campaign.

Alex Pritchard's record under Mike Dodds

Under Dodds, Pritchard would be a different beast altogether to the one who never kicked into gear under Beale.

Pritchard picked up three of his five assists for the season under the temporary Black Cats figure, astoundingly helping himself to two of those from just one impactful 28-minute substitute cameo against West Bromwich Albion late last year.

Minutes played

28

Touches

18

Accurate passes

7/7 (100%)

Assists

2

Ground duels won

3/4 (75%)

Dodds was starting to allow the frozen-out midfielder to strut his stuff again, reaching the same heights that once saw football journalist Josh Bunting describe the entertaining 30-year-old as "outstanding" in a Black Cats shirt.

With Dodds potentially willing to experiment with his starting lineup whilst he finds his bearings again in the dug-out, Pritchard could look back on his swift exit from the Stadium of Light as a premature move away now.

Regardless of who features in the lineups from now on, Sunderland fans will just want the side's dented pride to be restored somewhat with a push back up to the playoff spots not out of the question if everything goes smoothly for Dodds.