Roker Roundup: “I owe everything I am to Sunderland” - departed striker gives classy statement

Ross on promotion ambitions

Sunderland have been struggling to hit top form in the last couple of months, as too many draws have meant they have started to lose touch with leaders Luton Town.

Despite that drop off of form, manager Jack Ross still has his sights set on promotion this season, preferably with a title win at the end of the season but with a worst case scenario of promotion through the play offs:

I’ve always been happy to state my ambitions, maybe because I’ve achieved them, it’s made me a bit blase but I have worked on the basis that people in this country don’t do that often enough.

It’s a cultural thing, the fear of people pointing and laughing, taking great pride in telling you that you have failed. I would rather that and be striving towards something. So I was very open that I wanted to be promoted. We have given ourselves a chance of that.

Points per game, we are the second best in the league. If we continue to bang out results, we will be there or thereabouts.

We want to win the title, worst case is having to do it through the play-offs. That’s still in our own hands. You get judged in any given moment but, fine, that’s the job. We have a relationship where the owners would speak openly with me if there were any concerns.

Ross says this season has needed a big adjustment from himself due to how much bigger the expectation and scrutiny is:

English league football is punishing, we’re on course for a high-50s game season, which is big and very different for me.

With the exception of Plymouth, we are the most detached club so the travel is big for us. That’s been different for me logistically.

The job here dominates just as much as it did up the road but the scrutiny and the expectation is greater. So that has been different. I’m probably more recognised and things like that, but I have enjoyed it.

I stood out there on Boxing Day and we had 46,000 there. We go to Blackpool on New Year’s Day and we take 8,000 away fans. I’m responsible for managing a club of that size. This is a privilege. Not many people get to do this.

You can read the full interview with Jack Ross HERE.

Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Nelson grateful

Academy product Andrew Nelson joined Scottish Premiership outfit Dundee during the January transfer window and immediately made a name for himself by scoring three goals in his first three games for The Dee.

With the striker hitting the ground running in the SPL, we at Roker Report had a Roker Roundtable to discuss whether Sunderland should have actually sold him (which you can read HERE).

Following that article, Nelson took to Twitter to post a classy message in which he said that he owed everything he is as a person and as a player to Sunderland AFC:

SNS Group

Retro Sunderland collection

YouTube user safcforever FTM has been uploading a veritable treasure trove of old Sunderland videos.

From full games - including the likes of the 1998 Play Off Final vs Millwall, 1992 FA Cup Quarter Final vs Chelsea and a 6-2 win over Millwall at Roker Park - to highlights of various old games, season reviews and more.

You can check out the channel HERE or see a playlist of all the Sunderland AFC related videos HERE.

Image: Evening Chronicle