Every word from Mike Dodds' ahead of Sunderland vs West Brom

How is everybody, is everybody fit?

Yeah, everyone is good. We've had a good few days. Everyone is where we want them to be.

West Brom is timely to talk about Dennis Cirkin, will we see him again this season?

We hope to. He's back training with the group albeit not fully training. We hope that's going to be the case. I think, like the other lads that have come back, in particular Dennis and Aji because they've had such a long period out. At the same time, you want them on the grass and round the group as much as possible. I'm not trying to sit on the fence with the question. The plan is to try and see him. Whether that materialises, we'll see in the next couple of weeks or so.

READ MORE: Timothee Pembele's key role for Sunderland at Leeds United

What about Corry Evans?

Corry is back training with the group, so he’s in contention. He had a little bit of a muscular flare-up, and I think it just wasn’t worth the risk (pushing him further). So, he missed about five days of training with the group, but he’s back now, so hopefully we will see him in one of the squads.

Is it worth the risk because you're so close to the end of the season?

There has been that conversation, but also for Dennis and Aji, knowing that they can play 60-90 minutes and go into the summer knowing their body is in the right place, psychologically will be important for them individually. There is two trains of thought. Is it worth the risk? If there's a huge risk factor then obviously we wouldn't take that risk. You can see that a little bit with Patrick and Aji. We've obviously gone a little bit slower than what you would earlier in the season. But at the same time, I do think it's important for Dennis and Aji to be back playing going into the summer knowing that their body is in the right place. Psychologically, if you don't, then you've got the off season, plus the pre-season, which is 12 weeks until your first competitive game. I think psychologically getting them on the pitch and getting them playing will be important going into the summer.

You mention Patrick is it more so important for him after struggling this season?

I think in an ideal world I would have a fully fit Patrick Roberts, who would have a huge influence on the games like he has done previously. I think at the moment, it's probably taken him, and there's no one more frustrated than myself in terms of getting him back up to speed. Thankfully Chris Rigg has come in and performer really well. It's not masked over the Patrick situation but it's definitely helped someone in my position. Pat is in a good place, he's refocused. We've had a really honest conversation after the Blackburn game in terms of where he's at. He's refocused and I think it's similar in terms of him getting on the pitch. At the same time, if we feel there's a risk factor, based on the fact he's been out for two substantial periods of time, it's balancing that risk factor. Pat has got to have a big summer, we've had that conversation, he's got to come back really fit, really strong. Patrick Roberts should be the first name on the teamsheet and the pillar to get this football club back to the Premier League because his ability is undoubted but unfortunately for Pat, he'll have been at a lot of football clubs where they've had that conversation. At some point, the penny has got to drop for him.

He's said in the past, what he's lacked is being at a club where he's wanted to be loved. He seems like a player that needs an arm round the shoulder?

Yeah it's a bit of both with Pat. I don't mind having this conversation because I've had it with him and he knows my thoughts on him. I think he does need an arm round him and does need to feel loved, but Pat also needs boundaries and discipline. Those types of players - I wouldn't say free spirits - those creative players they need direction, clarity and need to know what you want from them. I thought he had a really good season last season. I think that showed in terms of where we finished in the table. It hasn't happened this season and I think he's got to have some reflection on why that is. He's reflected on that and we've had a conversation on that. If he has a really strong pre-season and focuses I think he's got the ability to take this club where we want to go. If he doesn't, he might struggle. The ball is firmly in Patrick's court. The club have offered him a three-year deal so there is from a club's perspective, belief in him. Hopefully next year Pat will have a better season.

You mentioned last season, a bit part of that was playing alongside an Amad?

Yeah regardless of Pat, if you take an Amad out of any team in the Championship, I don't think you can replace an Amad. The club did really well to recruit him because his loan prior to that at Rangers didn't go particularly well. He came here and showed Sunderland, the EFL and the Premier League just how much ability he has got. I feel sorry for him because I feel like he should have played more football than he has this year based on what he achieved last season. That's none of my business as to why or why it hasn't happened.

I don't think Patrick's performances this year have been because Amad isn't here. I think Pat has to own some responsibility for himself as well. I think players sometimes will go I haven't had this or that. I've had a conversation and you've got to look internally first, if you can say I've done everything properly, then you can start to look externally at those factors. I wouldn't say Patrick's performances this season haven't been detrimental because of Amad. It'll be a factor, of course it will. I think Pat has to take some responsibility for himself first before that's a conversation point. 

Everyone was impressed with Pembele the other night, to accommodate him was to play a five, would you be tempted again tomorrow?

Yeah, you're always tempted. I think the whole starting XI would have an argument to start again. Out of possession they did exactly what I asked of them. I felt in possession, there were key moments in the game where we didn't execute a pass or a decision. Which I think was a deciding factor in why we got a draw and not a win. I think all of them, not just Timmy would have an argument to play again. I think the difficulty the group will have with me, is I will do my research on the opposition and as I've always done, I've tried to pick a team that I feel is the most capable team to win the game. We'll see for tomorrow. I feel West Brom are a completely different type of opposition. I think the coach, as I've said previously, is one of the best in the league, I'm a big fan of his. I think he's absolutely maximised what he has at West Brom. I think they've got a good squad don't get me wrong. It'll be a really tough game. It'll be completely different to Leeds.

Yann M'Vila and Josh Maja, two players with a Sunderland past, do you think they'll play tomorrow?

I think they’ll both be involved, although if I’m honest, I’ll be surprised if they both start. Josh has been out since he played us last time and unfortunately got an injury, and Yann M’Vila was making his first start the other night, so I’d be very surprised if he went back to back in the space of a week. My gut feeling is that they won’t feature from the start, but they might feature at some point. The Championship is one of the toughest leagues in the world, and teams have to utilise their squads. I’m sure Carlos will be doing that. If you look at the subs he made and the timing of the players that came on, then I would have thought there’ll be a suggestion that he’s going to make some changes, but I would be surprised if both of them start.

A betting man would suggest this has a draw written all over it given the record of both teams?

We're not going there for a draw I can guarantee everyone of that. I think one of the things that I had privately in my head was to make us harder to play against. It took me a little bit of time to get to that point. I think we're starting to see the fruits of that. What we have to show on Saturday is a little more quality in the final third. I say quality in terms of decision making rather than technical execution. I think when to release a pass or when to play with a teammate. That's something I expect the group to show a significant improvement in. West Brom are a really well coached team. I think Carlos has got the maximum out of what he's got. He's got a good squad, a talented squad so it's going to be a tough game, a tactical game. Hopefully it'll be the right side of the performance. We're not going there to draw. We're going there to get maximum points.

Four clean sheets in five games, how do you use that defensive solidity to help you going forward?

It's difficult because in one of those games we conceded five and we were terrible. It's really difficult to jump on the positivity of that because of that one performance. I do think we've looked really solid in a lot of those games. As I said, in the Bristol game I more than felt we were deserving winners. The other night where I'm frustrated, is we should be sat here with two wins if I'm completely honest. If we were better with the ball in key moments against Leeds, I think we would have won the game. Respectfully, I didn't feel like they were going to score. I couldn't feel like them every breaking us down. There were a couple of moments where if we'd made better decisions, then we would've scored. If we'd scored we would have won the game. Against Bristol, I felt we were more than deserving. Their goalkeeper got man-of-the-match.

Recommended reading:

• Sunderland must explain their intentions this summer

• Making sense of Sunderland's draw with Leeds United

• Mike Dodds reiterates management desire despite tough Sunderland spell

We should be sat here with two wins. I've said all along, I know the results haven't been great, the group are in a really good place. They're trying to execute what I'm asking of them. There's been pockets of positivity. There hasn't been enough consistency but the group is in a really good place. I said after the draw against QPR, we went to Cardiff and then won, that I felt it would go in a different direction. We're margins away from that being the case in the last two games in particular. The Blackburn game is a one that everyone wants to forget. I think sometimes when those happen, it sparks everyone to make sure our standards stay high. To answer your question, I've never been one to try and spin positives, I've always tried to be genuine. The reality is four clean sheets out of five and we want to turn those draws into wins.