Alex Neil insists experience is the key to success at Sunderland - both in the dugout and on the pitch. The head coach says the task of leading the Black Cats is not suited to a novice, with constant pressure to succeed meaning there is minimal opportunity to make mistakes and learn on the job.
Neil took over in February, arriving on Wearside having overseen more than 350 games at previous clubs Preston, Norwich City, and north of the Border at Hamilton Academical. His immediate mission at Sunderland is to lead the club into the play-offs, and secure promotion to the Championship.
Neil has lost just one of his nine games at the helm, and the club is currently on a seven-game unbeaten run. But the Scot admits he had to draw heavily on his past experiences when taking control of a side that had won just one of its last seven games, arrest that slump, and put the Black Cats back on course for the play-offs.
