Sunderland boss Ross: It’s nonsense that we should have got top two spot

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Jack Ross reckons that talk Sunderland should have secured automatic promotion is “nonsense” – as the Black Cats wait to see if it is Charlton or Doncaster standing in their way in the League One play-off final.

A 0-0 draw at Portsmouth last night put the Wearsiders through to Wembley a week on Sunday.

Charlton and Doncaster lock horns again tonight to determine who will be joining them. The Addicks lead 2-1 from the first leg.

Ross told the Chronicle: “I’ve been proud of my players all season because, I don’t care what anybody says, all the outside perception of what we should have done this season as a club is nonsense – we have had a lot of things to deal with and they have stood up to it and showed a lot of character.

“In some quarters there was even an apologetic feel about us being in the play-offs – I didn’t like it, I didn’t agree with it, but we kept it in-house and used it as another driving force for us over these two legs.”

“I’ve been clear that promotion is my ambition.

“I didn’t come to England to manage in League One for more than one season, I want to be in the Championship and I want to take this club there.

“When we missed out on automatic, we knew we had another opportunity to do it.

“People keep telling me it is the best way to do it – I’m not sure I necessarily agree with them, I’d like to be on my holidays right now with promotion already secured – but I know what they mean because of the excitement and the tension that surrounds these games.”