Sunderland reached their primary objective of 40 points last week

Former Sunderland boss Gus Poyet believes there is still plenty of motivation for the club this season after their shock FA Cup exit to Port Vale.

The Black Cats reached 40 points in the Premier League with a brilliant win over Leeds United at Elland Road last Tuesday, all but securing their top-tier status for another campaign. The FA Cup represented a potentially opportunity to cap a superb season for Sunderland, but their loss to League One opposition was a setback. Sunderland have nine games left as they look to finish on a high, and Poyet says there is still a lot to play for both as a team and individuals within it.

"Well, there's two ways," Poyet said speaking via 7betuk.

"One is the future, everybody wants to get better, you know, to be a better team or get to a better team or whatever it is, okay, Premier League is the best and also, to prepare for the World Cup if you're going to play it. Secondly is sometimes when you reach a level then you can relax and you can start enjoying football in a different way. There is no more pressure in football, I promise you, that you play for relegation. The pressure is tremendous. You can be the best psychologist or whatever in the world but when the player goes on the pitch we cannot manage it, we don't have a joystick and they need to relax with the ball but be tense without the ball and that now is going to be clear, it's going to be easier so the idea is maybe to put an aim, maybe talk to the players that they can go to the World Cup, maybe players that they got an opportunity to go somewhere else or maybe check on players that you are not 100% sure if you want them for next year or not but there is plenty of options so I'm pretty sure the coach is going to do it."

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Poyet: Sunderland can try and play with extra freedom now 40 points have been achieved

Europe remains a remote possibility for the Black Cats, even if has proved to be something of a double-edged sword for some of the clubs competing on a number of front this season. Poyet admits it is a challenge to maintain motivation levels now that the club's primary objective is essentially achieved, but added that it could also lead to extra freedom for the players to express themselves.

"Yeah and many teams are getting in now and you don't know, you know, they are struggling [in the Premier League] themselves." Poyet said.

"I remember I had, before the miracle run, we lost at home against Everton and I had a big chat after the game with Roberto Martinez and Roberto said to me a few words that were true. He said, guys listen, at the end of the season when a team is playing for a relegation, it's playing for life and there is other teams that, you know, like now and then they are there, [but] it's not the same. I don't know if you remember the Man United that we played they were playing for nothing, they just changed the coach, Ryan Giggs was a caretaker, they won the previous game to us so it was like a nice end of the season for them and we were playing for life so there is a difference so it's that, it's saying okay, can we use this moment to go a step forward and try, who knows, maybe you get in a good run of games and you never know? But I would be delighted with the season of Sunderland, whatever happens from now to the end of the season."

And as Poyet said, there is still one huge motivation remaining for the Black Cats: "With Sunderland there are two things, if you can stay up and beat Newcastle you are a hero forever."

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