Sunderland captain John O'Shea admits the players did have an influence in Paolo di Canio's sacking.
The Irishman has ordered his team-mates to put the chaotic episode behind them.
Asked if the players had felt the need to have their say over Di Canio, he told the Sunderland Echo: "That was obviously done. But we have to move on now.
"Because of the position we are in in the league, we can't keep going back to it. We have got some difficult months ahead.
"Whoever comes in, whether it's Bally [interim head coach Kevin Ball] or a new manager, we have got tough times ahead.
"We have to stick together and if we keep going back to it, it will soon be too hard to pull back from where we are."
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