Newly appointed Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill has said he will try to revive his squad as they look to climb away from the English Premier League’s relegation zone.

O’Neill, who replaced the sacked Steve Bruce, watched from the stands on Saturday as Sunderland squandered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 at Wolves.

The defeat meant the Black Cats had gone five games without a win and left the north-east side just one point above the relegation zone.

He said: “Obviously we are in a little bit of trouble at the moment. We have been losing games and we could have had a few more points on the board.

“Sunday’s game (against Blackburn) is very important for us. The players are aware of that and we just need to start winning some matches. The sooner we can do that, the better.”

But despite Sunderland’s poor run of recent results, O’Neill has been encouraged by the attitude of the squad.

“Among the players there is very good spirit,” the 59-year-old former Northern Ireland midfielder added.