Sunderland have 'no room for error' and must make sure they end the season with 'no regrets' insists Alex Neil, as the Black Cats look to book a play-off spot in the final seven matches of the campaign. The Black Cats are one of seven clubs fighting it out for the four play-off places, and with it a chance of promotion to the Championship.
Sunderland's run-in includes games against three teams in the top six and four against sides in the bottom half, with every match crucial given how tight the table is at this stage. "The last thing you want in these remaining games are any regrets," said Neil, whose side takes on relegation strugglers Gillingham on Saturday at the Stadium of Light.
"We have to go out and throw caution to the wind in terms of how we approach the match, and make sure we have no regrets because you don't want to walk in after any game and think you've left anything in the tank. That goes for the supporters as well. Give us your backing because the next seven matches are absolutely crucial."
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Of Gillingham, he added: "I went and watched them against Accrington at the weekend when they won, and [on video] against Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday, and Charlton this week. They are hard to beat, hard to break down, well-organised, they hit you well in transition, they are direct in their play, and effective, so we know what's coming.
"I watched [the video of] our game against them earlier in the season, which we managed to win 2-1 but we were certainly put under pressure in the last 10 or 15 minutes at their place. We know what's going to come, we know we are going to have to perform well, and equally take our opportunities when and if they present themselves."
Sunderland had a fortnight without a fixture during the international break and, while a number of players have been away with their national sides, Neil has used the time to work with those players remaining on Wearside but also to give them some rest so that they are fresh for the run-in. He said: "We've done a bit of work and we've given them a bit of rest in between as well.
"It's been a good week but the difficulty you've got is that people think you have ten days to work on things, but four or five key players who have been playing recently have been away so you can't do any work with them. For the rest of them we've given them a good mixture of hard work when they have been in, and good rest to refresh their minds going into the run-in."
Neil has been in charge at Sunderland for less than two months but says he has overseen an improvement, particularly defensively where they have kept four clean sheets in their last five games, and the club is currently on a six-game unbeaten run. He said: "There have been natural signs of improvement. We are unbeaten in six at the moment, clean sheets were something I spoke about when I first came through the door and that's certainly improved.
"Probably the most frustrating thing for me has been the Charlton and Lincoln games where we performed really, really, well but we didn't score and we should have done because we had more than enough good opportunities to do so. That's been the bit that's been a little bit frustrating.
"Some of the performances at home haven't been as good as we'd hoped and that's something we need to improve on. Our forward play has been good in the two games I mentioned because there have been opportunities there.
"With the quality of player that we have, what I'm hoping for is that if we can get them in those positions often enough then hopefully their quality will come through. Unfortunately, in those two games, we either chose the wrong option or didn't execute it properly or the keeper made a good save or whatever.
"We're at the stage of the season now where there is no room for error. We know we need to make these next few games count, and we know the next game is going to be a difficult one as well so we're going to have to take those opportunities when they come."
When Neil first arrived, he immediately saw that several of the club's younger players looked jaded after being heavily relied upon in the first half of the season, while a number of January additions were short of the match practice they needed in order to step into the team. He has worked to create a better balance, and believes that will help Sunderland over the next month - and, potentially, in the play-offs.
"In terms of how we have managed the situation, I think it is as good as we could have hoped for really as far as those younger lads getting the break that I think they needed," he said. "Some of the lads that had come in on loan did lack match minutes have got the minutes they required and are starting to step up to the plate.
"And hopefully we can get Alex [Pritchard], [Nathan] Broadhead, Danny Batth and all these guys back in as well, which will leave us in a good situation for the remaining matches. I'm pleased and comfortable with where we sit at the moment as a squad."
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