Sunderland handed 'Premier League' warning but Dodds positive for Leeds United challenge

Sunderland's players will have to be “right at it” if they are going to get a result at Leeds United tonight. That is the view of interim head coach Mike Dodds who has revealed there are one or two walking wounded in his squad and that those who play will have to play at 100 per cent if the Black Cats are to have a chance of winning.

Trai Hume is one of those in doubt for the Elland Road clash and his absence would be keenly felt as he has started every game in the Championship this season.

“Trai picked up a knock and he got through the game so there’s one or two we are having to manage a little bit,” said Dodds. “There were one or two who left the game [against Bristol City] slightly worse for wear shall we say.”

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Leeds lost to Coventry City on Saturday and asked whether it was a result he expected, or even wanted given there could be a backlash because they lost, Dodds added: “The Championship is a brutal and relentless league. You can look at the results every single week and there will always be a couple in there that are eyebrow raisers. That being said, Coventry are a really good team so the result doesn’t surprise me completely.

“I do think Leeds are one of the best, if not the best team in the league. And I said that when we played them previously [won 1-0].

“You can read into it that they lost the last game, or won the last game. The reality is they are a really good team. So regardless of previous results, whether they had won five on the bounce or lost five on the bounce, the reality is the players they put on the pitch are Premier League quality.

“So all of us, whoever starts the game, we know we will have to be right at it. The players are going to have to perform at 100 per cent to give us the opportunity of having a successful result.”

Leeds have had 16 wins and four draws in the Championship at Elland Road this season and Dodds is relishing the atmosphere and the challenge.

“I’m sure the atmosphere helps that record,” he said. “I go back to my previous point, they’ve got Premier League quality, so they are the type of figures you would expect when you look at their squad and you look at their bench and you look at the players they don’t have available.

“I’ve said it before and people are probably bored of me saying it. There are no easy games in this league. We are going to have to go there and be 100 per cent in terms of every single player has got to perform to the best of their ability. If we do that we have got some quality in the team that can hurt them. They will be aware of that from the previous fixture.

“We are looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know whether that’s arrogance or an ego thing but these are the types of games I relish, to step out at 30,000-plus fans at Elland Road, and not many people can say that.”

Asked whether it’s a free hit he retorted: “I can understand that being the narrative but from my perspective as a young coach I have everything to lose in terms of my reputation. And we have young players who want to propel this football club to where we feel it needs to be so from my perspective it’s not a free hit.

“It’s an opportunity to see where we are at. These are the games we want to play every week and this is the level we want to get to. I kind of fancy ourselves a little bit and we back ourselves. I think they are a Premier League team in waiting. But the players will relish it.”

On treating the last five games lightly, Dodds insisted: “Internally we have a long-term ambition to play in the Premier League ourselves.

“If we decide the last five games are what they are and free hits, we won’t get to where we want to get to. From my perspective that’s definitely not the case.

I think me and the staff have to almost double down on the standards and the beliefs and the way we work because I think when you start having a mindset that the last five games are a free hit we don’t deserve what we want to achieve.”