Tony Mowbray has taken pride in defying the odds to lead Sunderland into a Championship play-off campaign this season - but says he wants the club to be in a situation where they are promotion favourites. The Black Cats surpassed all expectations in their first season back in the second tier following promotion from League One, with Mowbray's men going far beyond the pre-season hopes of consolidation and ending up finishing sixth in the table to earn a play-off spot.
That they did so despite having the youngest squad in the division, which retained the core of the group that won promotion from League One via the play-offs, and while hampered by a catalogue of serious injuries to key players, only made their achievements all the more impressive. Sunderland eventually bowed out to Luton Town in the play-off semi-final over two legs, and it is the Hatters who will face Coventry City in today's final at Wembley with a place in the Premier League at stake.
Mowbray believes Sunderland will be back next season all the stronger for their experiences this term, and also augmented by new signings who will arrive over the summer. And Mowbray wants Sunderland to eventually build to a point where they are the team expected to win promotion.
