CHRIS COLEMAN felt like he had gone a bit Alan Partridge after taking on the Sunderland hot-seat and now he hopes having a home to go to will contribute to keeping Championship football at the Stadium of Light.

Coleman, like the mishap-ridden radio DJ did in Norwich when he was pitching for television slots, had been sleeping in a Wearside hotel until recently when he moved into a new home where he has been joined by wife, Charlotte, and their two young children.

It was always the Welshman’s intention to move his family up to the North-East after taking over in November, so is hopeful that it will be a boost to his attempts to keep Sunderland up – and his waistline.

He said: “I was at the hotel outside the ground and the people there are fantastic. They spoiled me really. But it's not real life. Now I wake up in the morning at 6 o'clock with my little one. That's not so good but at least it's normal life for me, I go home and my wife's there and my little children.

“My eldest children are coming up to visit. I love it up here because I love the area, love being up here. We've just got this weight hanging around our neck from where we are. We've got to make it all right, it's got to be right on the pitch.

“It wasn't good for my waistline! It was more like a gin and tonic than a full English because it's there. I had to walk past the restaurant to get to my room. I never always got past the restaurant. Now I can just go home and relax and try to get away from it. It was a bit like Alan Partridge. I'm a fan of his.”

However funny episodes of Partridge are to him, Coleman knows that while he is at Sunderland what would make life far more enjoyable is performances on the pitch.

Last weekend’s dramatic draw at Bristol City has given everyone a lift, however Sunderland remain three points adrift of safety ahead of this afternoon’s visit of Brentford.

When Sunderland secured a hard-earned draw at Wolves early in his reign on Wearside, they followed that up with a home victory over Fulham. On the four occasions Coleman has overseen a win, though, an expected bounce didn’t materialise and they suffered frustration in their very next game.

Coleman is desperate for a run of positive results. He said: “If it's right on the pitch everything in my life is fine. That's how it is. If I'm getting it right on the pitch I could be living in a cave as long as I get a good night's sleep.

“At the minute it's a bit different. My wife's up and my family's up and it's a bit more normal for me to go home and put my head down in my own surroundings.”

In a bid to deliver a third home win of his watch, knowing the club had gone a year without a win at the Stadium of Light beforehand, he is banking on his team being good enough to beat the Bees today.

He is thinking about changes to the starting line-up, having been so frustrated with the first half display at Bristol City a week ago. He is also considering a change of system.

Either way goalkeeper Lee Camp is expected to keep his place despite conceding five goals in his first two matches since leaving Cardiff City on loan – and Coleman has explained his reasons from bringing him in.

But Camp is now one of seven loan signings, along with Brendan Galloway, Ty Browning, Jake Clarke-Salter, Jonny Williams, Ovie Ejaria and Ashley Fletcher, and that could cause selection problems.

He said: “Camp's been in relegation dogfights and I think he'll get better the more games he gets for us because he was out a long time injured. Neil (Warnock) signed him as a No 1 and he got injured so he'd been out a long time but him and Jason Steele will fight that position out.

“The problem we've got is seven loan (players) in the building, we can only go with five (in each squad) and that may impact which one is going to miss out. I'm glad he's here with his experience.”