Elliott Dickman has thrown the gauntlet down and urged his players to step up to mark and take responsibility.
On Tuesday, the young Black Cats tasted defeat in pre-season for the second time in three games after coming up against a physically resolute Blyth Spartans side.
Three goals in six second-half minutes left Dickman with a sour taste in his mouth, and with the arrival of Barnsley, in a behind closed doors friendly this afternoon, the under-23s coach has insisted a reaction is essential.
“Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes (against Blyth Spartans),” he said.
“We can’t afford to let it happen again but it has got to come from the players.
“They have got to want to defend, they have got to want to show they want to put their head on the ball.
“They have got to want to show they want to stop a cross and that has to be a basic they show week in week out.
“It is a basic the lads need to have to play at any level,” he continued.
“The players need to understand that. We will work hard on the training ground and we can educate them about what to do in certain situations, but ultimately it has to come from them.”
*Please note all of Sunderland under-23s’ friendlies at the Academy of Light are behind closed doors and will not be open to the public.
