Unexpectedly, Michael Beale exhorts Sunderland supporters to have faith in their team’s play-off push, saying, “This is no time for doubt.” As he greets two new players who will be joining Birmingham City, but…

Michael Beale has urged both Sunderland players and supporters to silence their doubts and draw on their experience of last season’s promotion push.

Sunderland suffered a disheartening defeat to Huddersfield in midweek and they dropped down to tenth position in the league table as a result. However, they are still just one point away from sixth-place, such is the level of competition in the Championship this season.

Last year Sunderland were able to peak at exactly the right time and put together a late run of results that got them into the play-offs.

As demoralised as people are after the Huddersfield defeat – and the nature of it – Beale believes that experience should feed belief, not doubt.

“This isn’t a time for doubt,” Beale said. “It’s a time for resetting, making sure our mentality is strong and going to Birmingham and giving it everything. That’s the clear message to the group also.

We have to get to the March international break withing shooting difference where we are now, or slightly better off if we can.

Then after that break down, that’s when these positions are going to be decided. We know we went on a late run last year. If anything, we need to draw on that experience we had last year.

“We went into the last game to win and get in, or defeat and finish in mid-table. We know it’s going to go to the wire.