New Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill took charge of his first training session at the club on Tuesday and afterwards admitted they must start winning games fast if they are to move away from the drop zone. At the weekend he watched the Black Cats squander a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 at Wolves and slide to 17th in the table.
O'Neill He said:
"Sunday's game (against Blackburn) is very important for us. The players are aware of that and we just need to start winning some matches. The sooner we can do that the better."
Despite their recent poor form, O'Neill has been impressed with what he has seen from the players in the short time he has had with them.
"Among the players there is very good spirit," the 59-year-old said.
"We had a training session today. I would have expected them to be positive and they were just that."
O'Neill has been out of management since ending his four-year spell at Aston Villa last summer.
"I don't really want to make too much of it, but I was a genuine supporter," O'Neill said.
"Where I was brought up there were two teams you could support - Celtic or Rangers, and everyone else had an English team as well.
"Other kids my age chose Leeds, Manchester United or Liverpool and I took Sunderland because Charlie Hurley was playing at centre-half, he was a big Irish centre-half.
"Like I said, I don't want to play too much on the boyhood hero thing as it will probably only give you a two-game grace. We are in the results business here. I want to make it a success if I can. I felt I was ready to come back. I am ready.
"It is a fantastic football club. The opportunity arose and I wanted to take it."
"Confidence is not at its highest at the moment, it has ebbed away and I will try to address that, he concluded.""Obviously we are in a little bit of trouble at the moment. We have been losing games and we could have had a few more points on the board.
