Confidence and belief key to side’s survival
JONNY Williams highlighted a lack of belief as Sunderland’s biggest failing after his making first appearance since Chris Coleman’s appointment.
The Black Cats travel to Bolton Wanderers tomorrow night for a game given added importance by Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford.
They are three points from safety with 14 matches to play but could be anywhere between a point and seven behind the Trotters depending on the midweek result.
The teams directly above, Barnsley and Hull City, have a game in hand against one another later this month. Tomorrow, the Tykes host bottom-placed Burton Albion, who drew level on points with Sunderland at the weekend, while Hull are at Middlesbrough. Sunderland are quite capable of beating Bolton and escaping Championship relegation but did not look like a team which felt it could survive at the Stadium of Light. “We need to play with more freedom and belief in ourselves,” said Williams (left), who came on as a half-time substitute with his side already 2-0 down. “I still can’t believe it when I look around the dressing room at the players we have here. It comes down to confidence and belief and we need to find that quickly. We know we can beat Bolton, we should have done earlier in the season.
“It is a massive game, they will be looking at it as a winnable game just as we will be.”
The Black Cats have conceded nine first-half goals in their last four matches – from which they have taken a point.
“We leave ourselves with a mountain to climb by going one, two goals down,” added Williams, who injured his shoulder against Millwall in November.
“That is when we start to play rather than putting the other team on the back foot straight away.
“Every team comes here and plays without fear and we have to stop that.”