Mike Dodds remains confident Sunderland are close to ‘turning the tide’ and has not given up on their play-off hopes despite a fourth consecutive Championship defeat against Norwich City.
Dodds has now suffered back-to-back defeats since taking over as interim head coach for a second time this season after Josh Sargent’s goal nine minutes from time was enough to hand Sunderland a 16th defeat this season to leave them nine points adrift of sixth place.
After what had been a chastening return to the dugout last weekend against Swansea City, Dodds at least saw a competitive response from his side in what was close encounter at Carrow Road.
The home side hit the bar in the first half when Borja Sainz fired through a crowded penalty area after Sunderland failed to clear their lines from a Gabriel Sara corner before Jack Stacey’s cross early in the second half almost caught goalkeeper Anthony Patterson out when drifting onto the top of the bar.
Sunderland, who were led by Luis Hemir in attack for the first time since the opening day of the season against Ipswich Town, were able to weather an early storm in the second half before gaining a foothold in the game and being denied by the woodwork themselves when substitute Abdoullah Ba attempted to catch out Angus Gunn at his near post.
But just as Dodds’ side were enjoying their most productive spell in the second half, Norwich struck through Sargent.
The American capitalised on a loose ball in the penalty area between Luke O’Nien and Leo Hjelde to power beyond Patterson and leave Sunderland languishing in mid-table.
But despite what is an increasingly poor run of form, Dodds remains optimistic Sunderland’s season is not over just yet.
“I don’t know where we were this time last year but I wouldn’t think it will be a million miles apart [from where we are now] and what we did last year was we went on an unbelievable run which took it to the last game of the season,” said Dodds.
“The magnitude of this football club doesn’t allow you not to want to win every single game. The play-offs are still very much in my mind.
“I know we’re in a spot, I appreciate that. But I watch the group work every single day and if I felt there was a level of complacency, or people not being solely focused on the task at hand which is to try and achieve the top six, then I wouldn’t select them. It would be that simple for me.
“Last year we went on an amazing run and I feel we’re really close to doing really well and at the moment there are some fine margins that just aren’t going our way.
“That’s not an excuse, that’s not a luck thing because I believe you make your own luck and I’ve said to the players we’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing and keep focusing on how hard we work every day and I’m a firm believer the bi-product of that will be the other side of the current results that we’re getting.
“I see a group who is striving to improve and is striving to get better, I don’t see a group that has given up on that.
"What we have to do is keep doing what we’re doing on the training pitch, which is a really positive thing, and sooner rather than later the tide will turn if we just stay focused and concentrate on what we’re doing."
Read the rules here