Alex Neil says Sunderland squad he walked out on is full of 'talented match winners'
Alex Neil has admitted he left a ‘talented’ squad full of ‘match winners’ when he walked out on Sunderland.
Neil left Sunderland in August claiming he did not have the autonomy he craved at the north east club to shape the squad.
However, ahead of his return to the Stadium of Light, Neil doesn’t sound like he feels the Sunderland squad he was given was lacking in any way.
"It'll be a tough match," said Neil. "They've got good players, they've got good momentum.
“When you gain a promotion and you're on the up… I think in football you're only going one way or the other.
“Dropping down the leagues is obviously a painful experience but sometimes when you strip it back to the bricks and you can build, sometimes that foundation that you build on is solid. They're now starting to go the right way.
"When you do get promoted you can relate that into the next season, which they have, and they've got some talented players, particularly at the top end of the pitch.
“They've got match winners and technicians who can look after the ball and hurt you at any moment. That's the threat that they carry and we need to be aware of that."
While Sunderland are having a fine season, especially for a newly-promoted team, they have stuttered of late.
Their last three games have yielded just one point and they come into the clash against Stoke having suffered back-to-back defeats.
Neil, though, thinks that makes Sunderland more dangerous than usual.
Neil said: "They'll be looking to just win the next game. I don't think most teams get carried away with the table.
“Once games start winding down, you start to taking stock of where you are and what you need to do. I think everyone over the course of the season has been a bit inconsistent.
“They haven't won their last couple of games and they'll be looking to get back on track."
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