Phil Parkinson insists that he remains the right man to take Sunderland back to the Championship despite their poor form continuing today.

The Black Cats were held to a 0-0 against bottom-of-the-table Bolton Wanderers in what was a hugely frustrating afternoon.

That extended their winless run to five in League One and nine in all competitions, with the fans chanting against Parkinson during the second-half of the dull draw today.

However, the ex-Bradford chief dismissed the idea that he should be replaced, telling the Sunderland Echo that stability is needed and that has record speaks for itself.

"It is difficult, the club has had a lot of managers over a short period of time, whatever way you look at it, I have had promotions out of this division. At the moment we are struggling to find that winning formula but have I become a poor manager overnight?

"My record would suggest to everybody it is as strong as anybodies. You have difficult periods, you have to be resilient and come through them. You can keep chopping and changing managers but quite often that doesn’t prove successful as everyone knows."

The Wearside outfit are back in action on Sunday when they take on Doncaster Rovers.

The verdict

You have some sympathy for Parkinson when he gets a question like this because he's not going to come out and say he is out his depth.

But, Sunderland are in a real mess right now and that is ultimately down to the boss. He hasn't done a good job since taking over and considering the importance of promotion, his job has to be under threat.

He's sure to get the rest of the festive period but unless they start winning games then he is obviously going to be under even more pressure.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.