Gary Rowell: Pressure is mounting with lack of belief and conviction within Sunderland squad at an all time low

The pressure is mounting on the manager and players after a string of unacceptable displays that have left the fans fuming and fearful of just exactly where the club is heading.

The players had two home games last week against Coventry City and Burton Albion that could have catapulted them into the top six but failed miserably in both, collecting just one point out of six, so maybe it is better that they are playing away on Saturday.

They even did the hard bit by taking the lead against Burton, which should have lifted the pressure and paved the way for a badly needed win but committed the cardinal sin of conceding straight after scoring - talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

Even the youngest kids starting out know you are at your most vulnerable just after scoring so you get your shape and concentrate - you protect that lead at all costs but Sunderland switched off and seemed determined to self destruct.

The lack of belief and conviction of the players is at an all time low, just look at the body language, they are playing with fear and that is down to their fragile mentality.

There is also a lack of leaders out there.

Think back to Peter Reid’s team, they weren’t the most technically gifted players in the Premier League but were good enough to finish seventh because the team was full of leaders and all were mentally strong.

It is about taking responsibility, Quinn and Phillips would come up with a goal when one was needed, Bally would crash into tackles, some legal, some dubious, Micky Gray would bomb up and down the left flank for 90 minutes non-stop - all that is leadership.

You could feel the passion back then, the adrenaline went through the roof, you could touch it and the fans became part of it, fans and players fed off each other.

That is what we need now, fans and players connecting but the players have got to give the fans something to get behind because they have had nothing for far too long.

So, Gillingham away on Saturday becomes just the latest must-win game for Sunderland’s beleaguered players, points wise we are nearer relegation than the top and this is League One we are in - how on earth has that been allowed to happen?