Simon Grayson: Give me time at Sunderland

Sunderland manager Simon Grayson insists he needs time at Sunderland to turn the club's fortunes around.

The Black Cats are currently languishing third bottom in the Sky Bet Championship and suffered another defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town on Tuesday night.

Latest Sky Bet odds

Check out all the latest odds from the Sky Bet Championship, EFL and more here

Grayson takes his side back to former club Preston North End this weekend and in an exclusive interview with EFL sponsor Sky Bet insisted that the side was a "work in progress" and that he needs time to allow the new team to gel.

He said: "Since I've been at the club, I've tried to stress that we want to get promotion but we've not spent the money that other clubs have, but also we've not got a God-given right to it.

"We've got to have a sense that it's a work in progress, I don't really like using that word too much, but it is because of the turnaround of players that have gone out the club and everybody knows there isn't the finances available because of what happens.

"There is a hangover from the Premiership days, no doubt, but what we wanted to do is try and create some positivity, get the players playing for the shirt and get an affiliation back with the supporters and that won't happen overnight.

"You need to get the team to gel and working like you want it to work, because it took me two or three years to do that at Preston, you have to build slowly, you have to build window to window and be given time to allow that to happen."

He also said he wasn't surprised at the success his former club Preston are experiencing this season because of the strength of the squad he left behind.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

He added: "When I left that football club I left some very talented players. When you look at them you probably have a squad with a current value of about £20m and we probably spent about £2m to put it all together.

"I think it's reflected that Alex [Neil] has not really had to bring too many players in because he felt he had a good squad there, which I definitely knew, but ultimately he's made his mark and got off to a good start.

"I'm pleased for them; I'm pleased for the supporters because it's obviously a club that I've got a lot of affiliation to.

"You spend four and a half years at a club and you get to know supporters, you get a working relationship with people above you, the owner, and you have a lot of respect for them.

"It was certainly a tough decision to make when I left that club and I look back with fond memories, but it's about what I do in the future and obviously, I'll be desperate to go back and try and get three points."