Tuesday 31 October 2017 11:12, UK
Sunderland manager Simon Grayson has insisted he is the man to turn the club's fortunes around, despite their poor start to life in the Sky Bet Championship.
The Black Cats have won just one league game all season and have not recorded a victory at the Stadium of Light since they beat Watford 1-0 there on December 17, 2016, with Grayson describing the ongoing situation as like 'Groundhog Day'.
Sunderland, beaten 2-1 at home by Bristol City on Saturday, face bottom club Bolton on Tuesday night where they will again be aiming to end the home hoodoo, while knowing defeat to the Trotters will see them drop to the foot of the table.
Grayson believes confidence remains high in the camp, however, and is adamant their fortunes will improve.
"Do I think I am the right man for the job? Of course I do. I am experienced, I have been through good times and bad times as a manager," he said.
"I can't think of too many other people in football at this current moment in time who could do a better job than I am.
"I had a comfortable job at Preston but I had the balls to come to this football club and show what I wanted to do and trust my ability to make a good club great again.
"I know I need to do things that are better, and I am working every hour there is to improve this football club and the players are doing that.
"But ultimately, it is about what the players do on the grass, that's why it is going to be so important to win a game in the next few."
Grayson admits he is unsure exactly why they have struggled so much since dropping out of the Premier League, although he highlighted the need to cut out costly errors and make the most of the chances they create.
"It's difficult to pinpoint," he said when asked what was going wrong. "When we have looked at and analysed the games, we have played well but made daft errors at times.
I had a comfortable job at Preston but I had the balls to come to this football club.
"On Saturday, there was nothing much between the teams. We had probably the better of the chances then we made an error from a set-piece and it becomes Groundhog Day.
"It becomes very hard with our record at The Stadium of Light - when we go behind, we don't seem to be able to recover from it.
"We are working hard to eradicate mistakes, confidence is still there for the players and we are all desperate to get victories at home.
"You have no divine right to be at the top or down in the bottom three because of name. You have got to earn the right - and the points - to get you in a stronger position in the league.
"Our record away from home is quite good and we are one of the leading goalscorers in the division away from home. We just have to get this monkey off our back at home."
Sunderland face Middlesbrough at the Riverside in the Tees-Wear derby on Sky Sports on November 5. Coverage begins on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event at midday.
