Lynden Gooch has said that Sunderland must get 'back to basics' if they're to reignite their promotion hopes.

The Black Cats are currently in the middle of a torrid run of form that has seen them go seven matches without recording a victory in the League.

As a result the club have fallen away from the automatic promotion spots and now face the challenge of securing a spot in the play-offs in the final two weeks of the season.

While Sunderland are sitting in a strong position from that point of view, the club's lack of form is certainly a concern with a potential spot in the play-offs just around the corner.

But discussing the club's hopes of going up, Gooch says that he's hopeful that the team can get themselves back on track in the coming weeks,

Speaking to the Northern Echo, Gooch said: “No matter what way you get promoted, it would be an unbelievable achievement for us.

"If it’s the play-offs, that’s the way it’s got to be done.

“We’ve broken the duck at Wembley so hopefully that will stand us in good stead with the experience from earlier in the season. We just need to take each game as it comes now and we can't get too far ahead - because we still need to solidify ourselves in the play-offs.”

Gooch added: "I think we just need to keep believing.

"We need to keep trusting that what we're doing is right and keep working hard.

“I know it's a cliche and everyone probably says it, but the only way to get yourself out of tough positions is by working hard and trying to revert to basics. Obviously, we had chances against Blackpool to at least draw the game, but it’s not falling for us at the minute.

“Teams go through this sort of form. Obviously, it's a poor time to go through this run of form, but I've been here long enough to know what it's like.

“We’ve been in similar situations a couple of years ago, so we just need to get that next win on the board, regroup and get ready for the play-offs - obviously if we get that win.”

The verdict

Sunderland have some real work to do if they're going to challenge for promotion.

The last few weeks have been disastrous for the club after seeing their hopes of going up automatically crumble away in front of their eyes.

There's still time to put things right though, but that must happen this weekend against Plymouth Argyle.