Jack Ross refuses to blame players for Sunderland defeat at Lincoln

The defeat saw pressure mount on the Scot, with many supporters calling for chairman Stewart Donald to enact a change in leadership at the North East club. Ross, however, is focused on proving the doubters wrong.

"My thoughts are obviously dominated about why we were so poor on Saturday," he said. “It was a reflection on me and my team.”

“I’m not going to pass the blame onto my players – they can answer the questions themselves.

“For me as a manager I was behind Saturday’s result, so I have to take responsibility for it. Generally speaking, it was so far away from what I’ve produced in my management career.

“The performance on Saturday was collectively so far away from where we need to be.”

The Black Cats face League Two Grimsby Town in the Leasing.com Trophy tonight – with Sunderland's manager set to ring the changes.

Sunderland were beaten finalists in last year’s competition, losing to Portsmouth on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw after extra time. Ross, though, admits the competition isn’t a priority this season.

“The competition on Tuesday has far less significance than our league campaign. It’s a game which means we can give the players some minutes but it’s separate from Saturday and what follows after.