Gus Poyet searching for the solution at troubled Sunderland

Sunderland look almost certain to go down next month after seven seasons in the top flight and Poyet is convinced another change of manager will not be the answer.

The Sunderland boss, owner Ellis Short’s fifth manager in a little over five years, said: “If I was wrong, I would say I was wrong.

“It's clear that something is not right. If things are to go well, I have to get right most of these things.

“After an unbelievable two years under Peter Reid when everything was brilliant, maybe people got carried away and didn't think about the previous ten years. This was difficult place to come when Peter was here, but after that it wasn't a difficult place. I don't think those two years put any expectation into the minds of people who had been here for 50 years.

“When things don't work, sometimes it's natural that you change the manager. If they don't work again, you've got to change the manager again. Then the third time, I like to think it's not the manager any more. But I won't try to get away from responsibility. I'm in charge and I'm responsible.”

Poyet admits he has pondered his future on Wearside, but says the club needs to take a long, hard look at itself to try and work out why they cannot sustain their Premier League status.

Poyet said: “This club is going to be in the same situation next year with me or anybody else. I've been thinking of plenty of things about the players. Who's still here, who wants to come and play here. Every person who has been here has tried to do things in a certain way and it's not been working.

“When I leave this club I would like to leave it better. I'm trying to make sure that nobody else in the next 20 years is talking about gremlins. That's my priority - apart from winning at Manchester City.

“There are things I need to change and when I talk about change, people panic. It's not just people, though. It could be a way of seeing things, an attitude and talking together in a different way.

“It's important that nobody thinks he is bigger than the club because the club is always here. We won't be here for the rest of our lives, so the important thing is to make sure the club is better.

“I need to define why it needs to be changed and why I think it needs to be changed. It doesn't need to be my way or nothing, but we are talking about solutions for the club.  If I'm the problem it would be nice if somebody told me.”

Poyet then revealed he had “no regrets” about taking the vacant job last October following Paolo Di Canio’s axing.

“It's been tough, pushing all the time to do better. I knew it would be a challenge, but I have no regrets and would have made the same decision.

“Plenty of things happened in January that were great, but this now the other side, the tough side. It's not always nice, but it's part of the job.

“We need to be good. We need to be difficult to beat and then we have a chance. One day it will go well for us - I don't know when, but one day it will.”