Jack Ross wants his side to show a ruthless nature in tonight’s Sky Bet League One meeting with Blackpool.
Sunderland are back on home soil tonight, kick-off 7:45pm at the Stadium of Light, for the first of three home matches on the spin.
Entertaining a Blackpool side who are unbeaten in their last five matches – a run which included wins over Portsmouth and Coventry City – the Black Cats are faced with it all to do after Saturday’s frustrating draw at Oxford United.
Being forced to settle for their fifth draw in their last seven league games and only scoring once in each of their last eight games, Ross has urged his players to find their ruthless edge that will hopefully see them start to put teams away.
“We have gone ahead in a lot of games and not won – we have not scored the second goal in a lot of games,’’ he said.
“Irrespective of the level of football you are playing at, when there’s only one goal in the game there is always the opportunity for the opposition to get back into it.
“One indifferent decision – as on Saturday – can change the outcome and result. Scoring that second goal if you like would give the team a cushion and makes it more difficult for the opposition to come back into it.’’
“I think there’s a bit of frustration from the weekend and a determination to put things right," he continued.
“Frustration because we were close to winning the game on Saturday, but I always work to the premise you can never affect what has gone on – you can only affect what is ahead.
“And what we do have tomorrow and Friday is two home games here where we have an opportunity to climb the table in our own hands because, Doncaster excepted, no-one else is playing at the top of the league.’’
