Gus Poyet’s promotion message for Sunderland concerning West Brom, Leeds United and others | OneFootball

Gus Poyet believes that Sunderland will be in the mix for promotion come May after their positive start to the season.

Former Sunderland boss Gus Poyet believes the club can win promotion to the Premier League this season after their bright start under Regis Le Bris.

A 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday means it’s five victories in six under the new boss, with only West Brom sitting above the Wearside outfit in the Championship.

Of course, it’s very early days, but the Black Cats have shown a lot of quality in the opening weeks, and they were defensively solid against Boro, who were restricted to few clear opportunities at the Stadium of Light.

Gus Poyet discusses Sunderland’s promotion chances

Naturally, some fans will be dreaming about what this campaign can bring, as Sunderland look to end their long stay outside the top-flight of English football, and Poyet believes that promotion is a possibility for Le Bris’ men.

Quizzed on whether Sunderland can compete with promotion favourites like West Brom and Leeds for the whole season, he said: “It’s such a long, long season and it’s important to make a good start which they have.

“So it’s a massive positive that Sunderland are up there at the top of the table and can now look to maintain this and improve as the season goes on. I expect Sunderland to be in and around the play-offs but anything can happen in this league.

“You have to concentrate on your business, your team and not look at others. With a strong home support, Sunderland can look to use this to their advantage and maintain the style of football they are playing as it should pay dividends.”

Sunderland will have belief after positive start

As mentioned, it’s very early days, so Sunderland won’t be getting carried away, but it’s hard not to be excited due to their performances in the opening weeks.

We have seen several different sides to this team, as they’ve blown Sheffield Wednesday away with a dominant showing, they have beaten a promotion rival in Burnley, and they bounced back from defeat at Plymouth to overcome Boro.

So, there’s a lot to like about the Black Cats right now, and all credit for that has to go to Le Bris, as he has quickly got his ideas across to the team, and they’re all pulling in the same direction. What’s more, he is doing this after losing Jack Clarke, who was the best player at the club by some distance last season.

Sunderland must use this positive momentum

Following on from that, as Poyet says, it’s about going one game at a time and trying to keep building this momentum.

The former Greece boss also made a good point in referencing the support, as if Sunderland can get on a roll, the Stadium of Light will become a very difficult place for the opposition to go, and that vocal backing can make a difference as the season progresses.

Le Bris appears to be a very calm and measured boss, so he will know there is plenty of football to play, and it’s worth noting that he is working with a very young squad, so dips in form are inevitable.

Overall, though, he will be delighted at how the opening few months have gone at Sunderland, and it will be intriguing to see how it all plays out.