Wearside's magical ride isn't over yet

[BBC]

[Getty Images]

Sunderland's mathematical safety in the Premier League was confirmed with the point at Wolves on Saturday, yet the potential of what this team can achieve when they put their minds to it has had me lusting for even more recently - and that's left me in a rather strange position as I sit here now.

Eighth place might be enough for a place in the Conference League, and we're only three points behind with two games coming up against teams around us in the table, so it's not completely out of reach... but we need to take something off Manchester United next weekend if we're going to stand any chance.

To do that, we really need to treat these three matches like cup finals - one game at a time, of course, but if we can pick up points, then we'll at least give ourselves a chance going into the final weekend of the season with something to play for, and that should be the goal for us all.

So the manager, the coaches, the players and the fans have to get on the same page this week. I don't think we can manufacture the 'feeling', but we all have a part to play in giving ourselves the best chance of making it happen.

What's the point in writing ourselves off? If we beat Manchester United next weekend - a tall order but not completely unrealistic - then everyone will be feeling really positive about our chances.