DAVID MOYES is still banking on the recent New York trip giving Sunderland players a lift required to keep them in the Premier League – despite suffering defeat immediately after returning from the Big Apple.

The Black Cats’ five-day break across the Atlantic was supposed to have given the squad a boost and built a greater bond between the players ahead of the relegation run-in.

The vibes have been good too, with the players and manager admitting that the buzz on the training ground and amongst them has improved.

Now Moyes wants his players to maintain those levels and keep the mood positive after losing to Everton on Saturday.

A 2-0 reverse at Goodison Park is no disgrace, particularly with the Toffees pushing for a European spot and in such good form. Suffering a further defeat to Manchester City this Sunday at the Stadium of Light will not be either.

But Sunderland need to come up with ways to win games quickly, with three points separating them from safety and 12 matches remaining.

The Sunderland boss said: “As a manager I have to find ways of winning. I said they are giving their all. I think they are lacking a bit of quality. I’ve got to find a bit of spirit, a bit of heart and a bit of toughness.

“I need them all so, when I’m getting on at them, they are accepting it because they know it is for the best of the team. I hope it shows.

“I remember we went to New York when I was with Everton and we came back and had a great run after it. I hope that run that I keep talking about is not too far away.”

Having had his players run through Central Park during that trip, he could at least be satisfied with a performance from his players at Everton that suggested they are still ready to fight for the cause.

Moyes knows survival will only be achieved if his team start to collect a lot more points in a short space of time and suggested after the game that doubling the five wins achieved this season will be essential.

Mapping things out is something Moyes has done throughout his career, highlighting games where he would expect to collect points. He is not the only manager to adopt the approach.

He said: “I’ve got it in my head and Saturday was one I would have been saying would have been difficult to get many points. If we had gone and frustrated Everton, kept it hard then maybe.

“While it was 1-0, we were always in the game and we had to hope we could score from a corner kick or a free-kick or an opening of some sort. We didn’t get that.

“The second goal put the game away. Two weeks ago we were 2-0 down at half-time and it made it very difficult. We had to try to change things. I thought we still had a chance and we had to hang in with it.”

After second-placed City’s visit to Wearside this Sunday, Sunderland face three games which will go a long way to determining the club’s fate.

Burnley will travel to the North-East before away days at Watford and Leicester City; there is also an important Tees-Wear derby at Middlesbrough to be rearranged before the end of the season.

Sunderland expect to have defender Jason Denayer available again to face City after illness, while Jan Kirchhoff will be monitored this week to see how he comes through a further run of training sessions.