George Honeyman offers a revealing insight into Sunderland's mentality ahead of their promotion push

The Black Cats will be looking to take another big stride in their quest for a return to the second tier when they welcome Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

And skipper Honeyman is keen to see the side continue to move on from a disappointing string of results which saw their promotion hopes take a dent.

Back-to-back home draws with Blackpool and Accrington saw pressure mount on the Sunderland squad, but such results also allowed the squad an opportunity to 'sort out' anything that may have stunted their hopes of a top two finish.

"I’m very privileged in my role as captain, but I’m lucky in that I’ve got a fantastic squad to be captain of," he said, speaking to safc.com.

"Everyone was massively disappointed after the Accrington game, but we sorted out what we needed to sort out.

"I can be part of that, other people can be part of it, we’re all part of that.

"We’re a good group and we all want to achieve success."

Such is the mentality within the Sunderland squad, Honeyman believes that frank and honest discussions can be had as everyone aims for the same goal.

But the 24-year-old is keen to ensure that he gets his dialogue with the squad correct to avoid having an adverse effect on morale.

As captain, Honeyman is always striving to strike the right balance between critical and confidence-boosting when speaking with teammates - although he feels that the success-geared mentality means criticism can be taken if levied.

And he feels that is a massive plus-point in Sunderland's favour ahead of the season run-in.

"As a captain, all I ever think is lead by example," added Honeyman.

"When I say things, I’ve got to think about what I say and try and time things right.

"It might have an effect on people, it might not, but I’m very lucky to have people around me in the squad.

"We all want the same things and we can all say constructively what we want to each other, without taking it personally.

"We all want the best for each other and that is a massive, massive thing for me as a captain and an amazing thing to have."