Ian Holloway is backing Chris Coleman to guide Sunderland up the Sky Bet Championship table.
Saturday’s trip to Queens Park Rangers signals the start of the final run-in, with just ten games remaining until the end of the campaign.
Coleman’s men currently sit four adrift of safety with Barnsley occupying the final spot out of the bottom three, but victory at Loftus Road would move the Lads to within touching distance of their rivals.
And speaking to qpr.co.uk, the R’s boss backed the Black Cats to rise to the challenge.
“When you get closer to the finish line, you muster something up,” said Holloway.
“Their players will know they have to do better and they have a very, very good manager in Chris, so they are going to have some sort of reaction in the coming weeks.”
He continued: “It’s all about character and Chris and his staff have more than enough to turn that group around.
“That makes them dangerous and it is going to be a very tough game, but it’s about us – can we impose ourselves on the – that’s what I want to see.
“I was delighted with the last performance and I am looking forward to us trying to do that again.
“I am also looking forward to hearing the atmosphere that our fans are creating which enables our young lads to go out and flourish.
“We will need the fans to support us again in the way they did on Tuesday night, and if we keep playing like we did against Derby, I am sure the supporters will stick right with us.
“I want these young lads to express themselves and I’m quite excited about what they can do for us.”