Tony Mowbray is happy to play down Sunderland's play-off chances despite the Black Cats staying in touch with the Championship's top six. Sunderland's win against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light yesterday lifted the Wearsiders to ninth in the table, and they are now just a single point outside the play-off spots where Norwich City and Boro are level on points and sit fifth and sixth respectively.
Sunderland won promotion from League One via the play-offs last term but have spent the majority of the current campaign in the top half of the Championship table. And while that has raised hopes amongst supporters that the club can challenge for a play-off spot, Mowbray insists there is no pressure on him and his players from the 'men in suits' in the boardroom - at least, not this season.
"There's no huge expectation from the people in suits to get to the play-offs or get promotion, we just have to keep trying to produce a football team that can compete in this division and then as we build it over the next year or two the aspirations for the team will get higher," he said. "I like this group of players, they work really hard.
