Sunderland have had a successful season especially since Alex Neil came to the club but their status for next season is still undecided as they prepare for the play-off final. 

The Black Cats face Wycombe Wanderers next Saturday with the winner going up to the Championship and the loser spending another season in League One.

However, regardless of the league they find themselves competing in next season, Alex Neil is adamant that he wants to make additions to the side that will strengthen them as he told The Chronicle: "That's your job as manager. You see a lot of coaches going in to foreign teams where they don't sign players and all that sort of stuff.

"Providing you have an influence on what you want to do with the club and to take the club forward, that's the biggest thing for me. I'm not power hungry by any means, but I have standards that need to be adhered to and if they are not, that's not going to be acceptable.

"Thankfully here, it's been 'here's your team, win games', and that's what I enjoy."

The Verdict: 

The fact that Alex Neil feels he is being backed by the board at Sunderland will cause fans to feel positive about what the future holds, as he has shown since coming into the club that he knows how to help the club find success.

Furthermore, it means Neil himself can approach the summer without too much worry on a budget but rather feeling as though he can look for the players his side actually need.

Regardless of the league Sunderland find themselves in next year, they will be eager to make sure their team has as much strength as possible as they will be seeking either to go up again or to retain their spot in the Championship.

Neil has laid out his expectations and high standards so now it will be about making sure the players he brings in are a reflection of those standards.