Mel Reay gives a transfer and team news update as Sunderland return to action

The game marks the start of an immensely challenging period for Mel Reay's squad, who have not played since December 4th but now face five games in a fortnight.

They are at least buoyed by the fact that their last competitive fixture brought an emphatic 5-0 win over Coventry United, one that significantly strengthened their position after an otherwise challenging first half of the league season.

We caught up with Mel Reay as a new year begins to reflect on that win, the schedule ahead, and to get an update on the latest team news.

Reay also confirmed that the club is looking to recruit further as the January transfer window opens...

A CHALLENGING FIXTURE SCHEDULE & FA CUP FOCUS

Reay is eager to set up a tie against Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup but after a long absence from competitive football, the focus is on being ready for the River Wear derby...

"I don't think it's ideal really, having so long off and then coming into such a manic two weeks. It's a big fixture programme for a part-time side and juggling their workload is going to be a challenge. We'll take it one game at a time and the focus is for sure on the 15th of January when we return to Championship action against Durham, so we see it as two warm-up fixtures leading into the game.

"We've reiterated to the players this week that everyone is going to play their part, and it will be tough at times. Some players we might need to play all the games, it'll be tough but ultimately open they're looking forward to, they want to play football.

"We've played Blackburn loads of times and know them inside out and vice versa - the prospect of a home tie if we win against one of the top teams in the country is one which I'm sure will spur the players on."

ENDING 2022 ON A HIGH AGAINST COVENTRY UNITED

Reay on Sunderland's brilliant win in early December, which featured four goals from striker Emily Scarr...

"It was always going to be a hard game in terms of the pressure and managing expectations, because everyone assumes that you're going to win. It was a potential banana skin for us, to score so early helped and the players just grew from there.

"I was delighted for them and personally for Emily, I think she is now second top scorer in the league off the back of scoring those four! It was a crazy game but a very enjoyable one."

And a wonderful cameo from Abbey Joice, who has struggled for regular game time this season....

"She's an unbelievable player and she's so important to us. It's a difficult one to juggle with her career away from football, she'll be a player who does dip in and out. When she's not on the teamsheet you know she's at work but when she's available she is going to play because she's so important to the team."

INJURY LATEST

Keira Ramshaw and Faye Mullen are longer-term absentees for Sunderland, while Reay is managing some niggles in the group ahead of a busy fortnight...

"Louise Griffiths is still nursing a problem with her ankle but we're very positive she'll be fit come the 15th when we play Durham, and possibly the game before that. She's running but I don't want to push her, I want her fit and ready for the Championship campaign.

"Tyler Dodds has been nursing some Tonsillitis and an ear infection so again, we won't push her unless she's ready. We've a few niggles to keep an eye on, but it's all ones that will be sorted within a week to ten days."

TRANSFER PLANS

Sunderland's part-time status means that they do not necessarily have to recruit within the timeframe of the January transfer window, but they are actively looking to strengthen, Reay confirmed...

"We are actively looking to strengthen. It is really difficult to recruit into our part-time environment when a lot of the players in the north east are fixed up or happy with where they're at. It's obviously difficult for us to loan a player into a part-time environment as well because a lot of these players will be full time at their club.

"You've got to try and find quirky ways to attract players into the north east, whether they've got family here or if they're from here originally and might want to come back. It's a really small pool of players that we're looking at but I definitely want to try and add some bodies, particularly having lost Keira Ramshaw and Faye Mullen to lengthy injuries.

"Every window is a challenge for us but I'm hopeful of adding at least one player to give us a boost."

HOPES FOR 2023

Reay hopes the superb win over Coventry can be a catalyst at the turn of the year...

"We've had a tough first half of the season, I think our second in this league was always going to be challenging.

"The players want to improve the results and climb up the table to where we were last season. They want to be playing football and they're going to be fighting for positive results because that win against Coventry has really spurred them on."