Kevin Phillips outlines challenge facing Alex Neil at Sunderland

Sunderland favourite Kevin Phillips believes that Alex Neil has a ‘huge job’ on his hands to lift the morale of the group ahead of a crucial period.

A 1-1 draw at AFC Wimbledon last time out, Neil’s first in charge of the Black Cats, means the Wearside outfit have now not won in four League One games.

Whilst they remain fourth in the table, the outlook has changed for the team, who will now be hoping to establish themselves in the top six as opposed to competing for automatic promotion.

And, speaking to Football Insider, Phillips explained how lifting the squad will be tough considering their recent run.

“It’s a difficult situation to go into because I imagine players are very low on confidence at the moment. They have dropped off completely in recent weeks. Alex has a huge job to lift those players over the next couple of games.

“He has dealt with big players and pressure situations before. He has plenty of experience so hopefully he can get them playing. Let’s hope he gets the club firing.”

The verdict

This is a fair point from Phillips as the players are going to be low on confidence after failing to win in four games.

As well as that, there is rightly a pressure that comes with playing for Sunderland that other clubs at this level don’t have purely because of the history of the club and the size of the fan base.

Of course, Neil will be aware of that and he got off to a decent start at Wimbledon but it’s now about getting some wins on the board to ensure Sunderland don’t fall out of the top six.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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