David Moyes has urged his players to believe that anything is possible heading into the 2016-17 season.
The Black Cats have enjoyed a solid pre-season despite a managerial change, with Moyes picking up where Sam Allardyce left off to ensure the Lads remain unbeaten since returning to action.
On Friday they will face their biggest test so far with a friendly against Borussia Dortmund in Austria, but speaking to safc.com Moyes explained why it is the perfect test ahead of the Premier League’s opening day.
“Playing a team of the level of Borussia Dortmund is what I hoped for because I want to test ourselves and play against the best teams,” said Moyes. “We have to try and get ourselves to a level of performance because we’re going into big games.
“I’m hoping to see more from the players whose performances and fitness has improved, and they sound as if they’ve had a really good pre-season.”
He continued: “In my first season in Everton, after the club had continually avoided relegation, I think we might have finished seventh – do I think that will happen – that will be very difficult, but I have to believe there is a possibility that it will happen and I want the players to believe that too.
“The job is to win the games and maybe at the start we might have to win a few of them a bit ugly, but as we go along I hope it will become much more exciting and I want the fans to be excited by what they see.”
TICKETS: Tickets can ONLY be purchased online via this link and are not available from Sunderland AFC.
WATCH: Sunderland’s pre-season clash with Borussia Dortmund will be streamed live on the club’s official website.
Click the link to view – safc.com/live.