Denis Smith makes a blunt claim over Sunderland's promotion chances after underwhelming form

Smith famously led the Black Cats out of the old third division at the first attempt during the 1987/88 campaign, in what was the club’s only experience of the third tier prior to 2018.

And the 71-year-old believes that Sunderland will be expected to return to the Championship this term - claiming there can be ‘no ifs, no buts’ if promotion isn’t achieved.

Speaking to Oxford United’s match day programme, he said: “Sunderland would expect to get out of League One: the club, the fans, the media; up there everyone would expect them to get out of League One.

“That is the priority. No ifs, no buts. If you’re a club of that size, you should be able to get out of that league.”

Smith is one of only three men to have managed Sunderland in the third tier, and has revealed the bizarre circumstances in which his move to the Black Cats transpired.

“I had to gamble because I was at York and Sunderland’s wouldn’t pay my transfer fee, so I said ‘if I get them promoted, Sunderland will pay it, and if I don’t then I’ll pay it.’

“I was that confident that if I couldn’t get Sunderland out of that division then I wasn’t worth being called a football manager anyway.

“They were in that division when I took over and I took them back up two leagues.”