Alex Neil insists there are still places up for grabs in his opening day line-up, as Sunderland prepare for their final pre-season outing at Hartlepool tomorrow. The Black Cats round off their pre-season preparations at Victoria Park, as they gear up for next Sunday's Championship kick-off against Coventry City at the Stadium of Light.
Neil named a strong side for yesterday's friendly defeat at Accrington Stanley, and many of the players who began at the Crown Ground are likely to start against Coventry. But Neil says there is still time for players to make their mark and force their way into his plans ahead of the opening weekend.
"I think there's always places up for grabs," he said. "When you go into any game, you pick a team to win that game and you hope everyone performs well but if people show they are not performing or they look like they are not mentally in a good space, it comes into question whether or not they are going to start the next game.
READ MORE: Alex Neil admits Sunderland showed themselves at their best and at their worst at Accrington
"Every game is an opportunity for every player to show what they can do and put themselves at the forefront of my mind for the first game."
Asked directly whether the team he picked at Accrington should be taken as an indication of the line-up for the first league game, Neil said: "That game has got absolutely no relevance to Coventry. If anything, you could argue it is the complete opposite because firstly they don't even play the same shape, and secondly the manner in which they play is completely different.
"Yesterday, if you look at it, I took Jack Clarke off and I took Lynden Gooch off because they both played 90 minutes at Bradford. That was the plan before the game, that remains the plan irrespective of what happens in the game, and on Monday I'll give other lads 90 minutes so that when they get to the start of the season they are all equally prepared so they can't say they haven't had enough minutes or they haven't had a chance.
"Yesterday was just a game to get ourselves ready, to make sure we are competitive, to make sure we are creating enough chances, to make sure we are defensively solid, and my disappointment is that we conceded one goal of our own making and the second goal where we didn't do the basics right."
READ NEXT:
- Sunderland board must heed Alex Neil transfer warning with club unable to give rivals a head start
- Sunderland sign four talented youngsters for revamped development squad
- Sunderland exploring multiple options in search for attacking recruits as new season approaches
- Sunderland appoint ex-Newcastle man as new head of performance and medicine
- Sunderland new boy Aji Alese ready to seize his chance on Wearside and show what he can do
