COLEMAN: WE MUST BE UP FOR GAME OF THE SEASON

Chris Coleman is refusing to be engulfed by the negativity surrounding Sunderland – and has demanded his players show their mettle ahead of the biggest game of the season at Bolton tomorrow.

Only goal difference is keeping Sunderland off the bottom of the Championship after another utterly forgettable afternoon at the Stadium of Light.

Dismal Sunderland produced a pitiful firsthalf performance against Dean Smith’s Brentford on Saturday, allowing the Bees to totally dominate proceedings, two first half goals from Kamohelo Mokotjo and Neal Maupay sealing victory.

With just 14 games now left, Sunderland are staring down the barrel of League One football next season.

Fed-up, angry and frustrated fans understandably made their feelings known at half-time and full-time with loud boos, and there were chants in the first half of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ aimed at the players.

Sunderland travel to relegation rivals Bolton tomorrow night, with Coleman admitting it is the “game of the season” for the Black Cats.

“We have Bolton next. I will be ready for the game, make no mistake. I will look forward to it,” said a defiant Coleman.

“It is the game of the season for us, the biggest game of the season. I will be 100 per cent ready for it.

“I have to make sure I take a group of people with me that are ready for it also.”

When asked whether it was difficult to lift this group of Sunderland players, after their third defeat in four games and their 16th loss of a desperate campaign, Coleman said his players have to show their character.

“Every club is about what happens on the pitch. If you are winning on the pitch it can cover up a multitude of sins, we all know that,” said Coleman.

“If you are losing on the pitch, and losing off the pitch, then those little cracks are chasms.

“We don’t have to be a team that suffers for the rest of the season, a team that doesn’t look like we are ready for what is ahead of us because everything is too much for us – ‘It doesn’t matter what we do because we will lose, the club is doomed, and it is negative.’ “I refuse to look at it that way, ever. I said at the start it was a challenge, a huge challenge. “We have shown that when we really want to, we can. We just don’t want to enough times. “Home or away, whether fans are booing us because of a misplaced pass or we go 1-0 down, that is when you show yourself, what have you got?

“When is the last time we came back from 1-0 down [to win]? I’m quite sure it was long before I arrived.

“The last time we showed a bit of mettle and got back into it, walking round with two fingers to everyone saying ‘doubt us, go on, because we’ll prove you wrong.’

“We just accept it, there is an acceptance of negativity and defeat, ‘here we go again’.

“That is something that I do find tough, but I will be ready Tuesday night, to give what I’ve got.

“We don’t have any other option.”