Martin O'Neill admits Sunderland need to start winning to get themselves clear of the relegation battle.

The new Black Cats manager is eager to hit the ground running.

Asked if Sunderland are engaged in a relegation fight, he said: "Nobody likes to hear the word - we just need to win.

"We can only go from this day forward and our situation is insecure. We need to win some football games for a start.

"The sooner we can do that, the better for everyone. Nerves start to get frayed a little bit - and I might be the world's worst for that - but the sooner we start winning, the sooner confidence returns and the sooner people feel a wee bit better.

"Outside that, the rest of it, hopefully, will take care of itself."