Alex Pritchard has asked Sunderland supporters to stick with the players as he predicts another season of ups and downs after the Black Cats return to the Championship. The Wearsiders were good value for their lead at the break but a strong second-half showing from Coventry City saw Mark Robins side share the spoils on Sunday afternoon.
After four years away from the second-tier, it was a welcome return for the red and white army who roared on their side throughout the 90 minutes. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Pritchard said: "This club is a massive club but you've got to realise where you are at this moment in time. Sunderland is a massive club - been in the Premier League for god knows how many years - but then we've been in League One for four years and this is our first time back in the Championship and loads of new players, loads of players who haven't played Championship level.
"You've got to stick by us. It's going to be a difficult season, like I said last year, we had big ups and downs. We're going to have the same this year, we've just got to stick together, the fans have got to stick with us and we'll give it our all. That's it."
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Coventry are no pushovers having 12th last season and have established themselves as a Championship side following years of financial turmoil. "They probably had the majority of the ball.," said Pritchard when discussing the game. "They're a team that have been together for a good few years now and we've just come up from League One so it was always going to be a good test today. It shows you the level where we're at.
"We took an early chance and we definitely had more chances which we could have put the game to bed, but so did they, so we had one lapse in concentration. The boy turns and drives in but that's Championship level, you give people chances and they're going to put them away.
"We've said after it's a good taste and we'll keep our heads up and we'll go again next week."
The visitors had the impetus, particularly in the second-half, and Pritchard believes you could feel momentum changing in the tie. He said: "Yeah for sure, when you're one down they've got nothing to lose and they're going to go for it, but on the other hand if we get on second balls and turn we're going to get away because they're committing men forward.
"I just think when we scored we came off the boil a little bit, we didn't play our football as we did in the first 15 or 20 minutes. In the second-half I just think our passing wasn't as crisp and we were a bit loose.
"They probably got a bit more second balls and stuff like that. It's probably the most disappointing thing because we were really good at that last year. We'll go this week and look back at the video and see where we can do better."
The Sunderland playmaker was on of the standout performers in League One last season and there were plenty of people who were shocked when he signed at the Stadium of Light last summer. Pritchard had not hidden his desire to play Championship football but accepted he had no divine right.
He said: "It was a difficult moment for me personally on the back of having my moves - coming off the back of leaving a club and being released and not having a club - it's a difficult moment. There's a lot of players out there and it's difficult, I obviously feel for those players.
"You've got to stick in and I had a chance to get back in and I gave it my all to get back to play Championship level. I've played here but it doesn't give me the right to play here in the Championship. I had to work my hardest to get here.
"Now I'm here I want to stay here so we'll see what happens."
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