Jack Rodwell has already set his sights on helping Sunderland make a swift return to the Premier League after a disastrous campaign drew to a depressing conclusion.
Sunday's 5-1 defeat by champions Chelsea did not measurably change anything for the Black Cats - they were already relegated and guaranteed to finish bottom of the table before they arrived at Stamford Bridge.
Rather, it put the club out of its misery as a season which had lurched from one disaster to another finally came to an end, leaving manager David Moyes and his players to contemplate a first season outside the top flight for 10 years.