But I want to be as positive as I can be in this report because there's a risk that if everyone is negative and expects the worst, there's a danger that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I couldn't have been much more disappointed than I was at the final whistle at Portsmouth but football fans are a resilient bunch and the great thing about football is that disappointment in one game is followed by a shot at redemption in the next.

And what we have to do as fans and players now is forget every game that's gone before and focus only on the game against Chelsea on the last day of the season.

Sunderland fans have a tendency to fear the worst in life and that trait is entirely understandable, given the fact that they've suffered so many setbacks.

Over the years, the club has contrived ever more original and cunning ways to shoot itself in the foot, sometimes finding seemingly impossible ways to get themselves relegated.

So I'm not surprised that a lot of fans seem to have written off this game against Chelsea already.

They'd be wrong though.

I think the one thing that the players have got to do is keep a positive outlook and really build themselves mentally for the game.

I've been in this situation many times in my career – the last day game and the need to get something from it to stay up.

And I can tell you that it's a mental battle as much as it is a physical one.

Everyone knows how formidable a side Chelsea are and how difficult a game this will be.

But we have some things in our favour.

We have home advantage and that is going to be vital because we'll have more than 40,000 fans right behind the team.

We have the knowledge that off all the four teams facing relegation on the day, we are in the best position going into the game.

And we have the knowledge that Chelsea – for all they'll say they won't – WILL have one eye on the FA Cup next week.

I'm a strong believer in doing to the opposition exactly what they don't want you to do – and in this case that means go out and rattle a few cages early on and let Chelsea know it will be no stroll in the park for them.

Chelsea will want to win the game but they'll also want to win it at a canter and so we have to make sure it's not easy for them. I don't say go in gung-ho and risk sendings off.

I'm saying: be strong from the start, let Chelsea know they're going to have to battle for anything and if Sunderland can do that then the crowd will get right behind them and we'll have an amazing atmosphere – an atmosphere where anything will seem possible.

I want Sunderland to go for it on Sunday – it would be great to get that win – but sometimes these things can come down to fractions and, if nothing else, we have to make it very difficult.

Above all, we have to avoid conceding the early goal.

The other clubs will be watching Sunderland as much as we are watching them and every minute that goes by in the game against Chelsea where we don't go behind, will up the pressure on teams elsewhere.

And pressure can do terrible things to any player.

So let's just remember that this Chelsea game is not a dead rubber.

Every second, every minute, every tackle, every cheer counts.

And if the fans and the players can focus on that, to the exclusion of everything else, then we'll have given ourselves the best chance of survival.