Sunderland boss sends a strong warning ahead of Coventry City test

Mark Robins’ side finished in an impressive 12th position last season and were in play-off contention for much of the campaign.

Having held on to their key players they are anticipating another good campaign and Neil believes they are the first of many tricky opponents in the opening weeks of the Championship campaign.

Sunderland will be backed by around 40,000 fans on Sunday lunchtime, which Neil knows could be key.

“Every game is an opportunity for us,” he said.

"If you perform well it just all grows again, and that's why I'm trying to do with the players. The more messages I give them, they go and carry out and have success off the back of it, it reaffirms the belief.

“I do think we've got a difficult start.

“Unfortunately for us I think people will underestimate Coventry and I certainly don't.

“They're a very good side and it'll be a tough match for us. The first five or six games are not easy, but we'll be confident in what we're doing.”

Neil has been at pains to point out the financial gulf between Sunderland and teams at the top end of the table, and says Coventry’s steady progression since promotion from League One is a better guide for what the Black Cats will try to achieve.

“I certainly think you're a team that we look at, and they're a team whose path we're going down more so than the ones who have chucked a lot of money at it,” Neil said.

“It's not easy to do that at the Championship level.

“Coventry are a team that have steadily built, gradually worked their way up to where they currently are. I faced them when they first came up, they were good but we beat them.

“They're better now, they've had four or five seasons to build. Someone mentioned Luton to me on the radio earlier this week, they've been building for four or five or seasons as well. There's a considerable difference to where we are now.”