Lee Johnson urges his Sunderland side to start building momentum after wretched week

Grant McCann's side will seal their return to the Championship if they beat the Black Cats, after another three-point swing between the two sides on Saturday.

Sunderland s 1-0 defeat at Blackpool has left them 11 points adrift of the top spot, with Johnson conceding that their next target has to be to secure a place in the play-offs.

He insists his side are capable of producing a result at the KCOM Stadium.

"We've got to pick up points," Johnson said.

"We think we're a good side and we believe we can go to Hull and cause them problems.

"We respect them, they're top of the league and they're a very good side, and they've had rest with COVID not having as big an impact on their season in terms of how their games have panned out.

"After the number of games we've had they deserve to be top of the league so we know that it's going to be a very difficult game, but we won't fear it.

"We'll go to try and get the result and try to build some momentum."

Johnson spoke to majority shareholder Kyril Louis-Dreyfus pitchside after the game and said they are on the same wavelength after a bitterly disappointing defeat.

He said: "Kryil had very much the same view on the game, very much the same.

"Anybody that was here, their guys said exactly the same, so we're not deluding ourselves.

"He's been as good as gold and I'm enjoying building a really good relationship with him."

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