Sunderland 'keeper hopes to reimburse fans following embarrassing 8-0 defeat

After admitting Sunderland players gave up on Saturday, Vito Mannone is hoping his teammates will help reimburse supporters who made the long journey to watch one of the most lopsided games in Premier League history.

The Sunderland 'keeper says he will discuss a plan to repay the loyal fans who endured an 8-0 thrashing against Southampton during the team's training session Monday.

"I will talk to the team to see if it is possible to pay their tickets and their trip," Mannone said, courtesy of the Daily Mail. "It is difficult for us but it’s very difficult for them as well."

The first goal of the game was an epic blunder after Liam Bridcutt and Santiago Vergini combined to score an own goal that set the tone for the rest of the match.

"After we conceded we threw in the towel and I include myself," he said. "We lost 8-0 but we didn’t lose eight games 1-0. Let’s take it on the chin and go again."

The journey from Sunderland to Southampton is one of the longest round-trips in the Premier League, as supporters must travel more than 650 total miles to and from St Mary's Stadium in the south of England.

The victory marked just the fifth time in Premier League history that a team won by an eight-goal margin. Manchester United set the record when they recorded a 9-0 win over Ipswich Town in 1995.