Conor McLaughlin lifts the lid on how the post-takeover optimism is benefiting the Sunderland dressing room ahead of key fixtures

The Northern Irish international has been a key part of the side who have registered three straight League One wins and put in another assured display in the back three during the midweek triumph over Fleetwood.

It was a win which topped off a promising seven-day period for the Black Cats, who clinched some important wins on their quest for promotion while also securing a return to Wembley.

And off the field, the approval of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ takeover bid has yielded a fresh sense of optimism on Wearside, with supporters upbeat about the future of their club.

So is the feel-good factor also having an impact in the dressing room?

"Definitely,” said McLaughlin.

"That comes with wins, and we know how quickly it can come back down.

"We can't get ahead of ourselves because there's a long way to go and a lot of games to be played. We just need to focus.

"I think it's just more positivity, really,” he added, of the change in ownership.

"We don't take too much notice of it ourselves, but you can see the things going on a the club now and it's all gearing towards the future and long-term. Short-term, we'd like to have some success - and it's all looking good at the minute.”

The midweek win was the first time this term Sunderland have claimed maximum points in three successive league fixtures, but there is an understanding that runs of that nature don't just need to become the norm if the Wearsiders are to mount a late push towards the top two – they need to be built upon.

And McLaughlin believes the key to a successful run of form is a change in mindset, which is now seeing the Black Cats focus solely on the task ahead rather than the bigger, long-term picture.

“The more games you win, the more confidence you get going into each game,” added the defender.

"When I was at Fleetwood we went on a 19-game unbeaten run and almost went up automatically. It just breeds confidence and you go into every game with confidence.

"We just need to keep going, take every game as it comes and not look too far ahead as every team is dropping points. There's going to be blips between now and the end of the season, so we need to keep going.”

"We just have to focus on each game now,” he continued.

"Maybe in the past the club has been looking at it thinking with the size of the club we should be beating most teams in this league, but now the process is that we need to take each game as it comes.

"There's a lot of difficult games for different reasons in this league, we've found that out in the past. Crewe on Saturday is going to be difficult and we just need to concentrate on ourselves really.

“You've seen the togetherness from the Lincoln celebrations and I think that's given us a big boost as well.

" In the past we've beaten the bigger teams in the league and slipped up against the smaller ones. That's a mentality thing, but now we know if we go on a run we've got a chance of going up.”

McLaughlin has been one of the beneficiaries of a recent spate of injuries in the Sunderland backline, which has seen the squad stretched in numbers and players needing to be deployed out of position.

The 29-year-old has found himself playing as a right-sided central defender in recent weeks and has arguably been one of Sunderland’s star men since returning to the fold after a brief period out following a hernia operation.

And while the troublesome injury hasn’t quite fully disappeared, McLaughlin is keen to continue his run in the side in the coming weeks.

“I missed a lot of games, even though I was only out for three weeks with a hernia it felt like I missed about ten games,” he said.

"Watching the games, it's hard to watch because you're supporting the lads but you want to be out there. I'm just enjoying being back in the team now.

“I started running a week and a half, two weeks after the operation and it accelerates quickly from there and you can get back quickly.

"I still feel it a bit at the start of games, getting warmed-up, but it fades and I'm happy to be back playing. We just need to keep this run going now.”

And while he has been a regular recently, McLaughlin knows his place in the squad is far from guaranteed with a number of players knocking on the door.

It’s that strength in depth, coupled with a strong belief among the players, that the defender believes can be key in the final weeks of the campaign.

“We all know the quality of the squad,” he added.

"Even the players coming off the bench, we've got a really good squad and we've all got a confidence in each other now.

"With the results, that comes as well and the performances - Doncaster was a big one for us, the first half and the confidence we took from that. You take that mentality and go into every game thinking you're going to win, and that's a big thing.”

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