Tony Mowbray addressed the media on Thursday afternoon ahead of what promises to be an enthralling final day of the Sky Bet Championship season.
Sunderland head to Deepdale on Monday to face Preston North End, bidding to earn a victory which could take the Lads into the Play-Off places, depending on results elsewhere.
Here are the salient points from the Head Coach ahead of matchday 46…
Will you be looking to channel some of that SAFC magic from 50 years ago for Monday’s game?
“I actually met some of the team in the week and they’re good characters, good people, good football guys. For us on Monday, we have to try and control the game where we can, be aggressive and play the way we play.
“We haven’t overly studied Preston – we don’t want to turn it into a cup final scenario – we’re just treating it as the next game and we’re looking to go and win.”
Will you be keeping up to date on what’s going on at other games on Monday?
“Well, we have to win, so there isn’t a lot of purpose to it. I think the only focus for me will be to win the game, and then I’m sure there will be people whispering in my ear and telling me what’s going on – but I won’t be demanding any information like that.
“If we win and everybody else does too, and we miss out, then we’ve done what we could do. I like the clarity of the fact we have to win, first and foremost.”
Could circumstances have been different?
“Of course, but we are where we are. Football is not easy. We’ve only won one of our recent few home games – if we’d won at least half of those, we’d have been well into the top six and potentially threatening the top two. We’ve had injuries, players missing, but nobody gives you anything in football – you still have to have the ingredients to win football matches.
“We know our task – we’re still in with a shout and we’ll be looking, as I said, just to win the game and see where it takes us.”