Ross urges Sunderland players to 'embrace pressure' as Wembley calls | OneFootball

Sunderland boss Jack Ross has urged his players to “embrace the pressure” as they hope to book a place at Wembley later this month.

Ross’ men travel to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday with the winner facing Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy final on March 31.

The Black Cats haven’t been under the arch since losing to Manchester City in 2013’s EFL Cup final, and the manager has called for his side to play as the favourites.

“We have to embrace the pressure,” said Ross ahead of the trip to Bristol.

“Whether the club is in the Premier League or League One the demands mean pressure every day, so rather than try to play it down it’s about being resilient and realistic enough to deal with it.

“We’ve spoken openly about it. We never try to shy away from it.

“We’re reminded of the size of the club by the training ground and the stadium.

“In my experience, this is an unbelievable football club but demanding, the two go hand-in-hand. You can’t have the rewards of a big club without the demands.”