FORMER Sunderland boss Malcolm Crosby says he hopes it’s a ‘lucky sign’ that Jack Ross’s Black Cats face Port Vale this weekend.

Crosby’s team of 1992 FA Cup finalists disposed of the Valiants to spark an amazing cup run to Wembley and he’s keeping his fingers crossed it’s same again this Sunday.

And unlike his own time at the club, Crosby feels a cup run this season would be a benefit for Sunderland rather than distraction.

“I’d love it if Port Vale was the start of something special for Sunderland again because I think this is a very interesting time for the club,” he said.

“Ask any manager and they will probably say that they would want a cup run - it generates money and that helps the budget and obviously it means you keep winning matches as well.

““Looking at Sunderland, I think they will do well this season.

“I have seen Luton and I liked them, and Blackpool looked decent, but Sunderland are the strongest side I’ve seen in this division.

“I watched Portsmouth against Luton on the first day of the season and I didn’t think they were very good that day, but they won 1-0, and Kenny Jackett has done very well with them.

“I saw Sunderland at Coventry City in September when the first half was spoilt by Sunderland losing two players through injury and Coventry also losing a player through injury.

“It was stop-start but Catts got a goal early in the second-half and made it into a good game.

“I was quite impressed with Sunderland, particularly how they coped after losing two players early in the match.

“Obviously, being a Sunderland fan I want them to do well, and it was great to see them backed by such a fantastic following as it always is - there were about 5,000 of them there that day - they took the place over!

“I can see why Sunderland are doing well though - Chris Maguire and Josh Maja make things happen, and they are good going forward, they also have a solid back line, and I like the goalkeeper.

“There is a good attitude as well and that is very important. Sometimes teams with good attitudes can maybe not play too well, but they can still grind out results.

“Of course, when you are winning games it helps build a good team spirit and the opposite is also true; when you are not winning games, everything becomes harder.

“But when the team spirit is good, you can sometimes go on runs even when you are not playing well, and think to yourself ‘How the hell did we win that?’ Crosby reckons that team spirit and winning mentality means involvement in the FA Cup should not be an issue when it comes to their future league form.

““When you are near to the top of the table, winning can become a good habit, so I don’t think it would affect them in the same way as it did when I was at Sunderland in 1992.

“We had to play 10 games in a month at the end of a season though, remember?

“That wouldn’t happen today and besides clubs have bigger squads nowadays.”

Crosby remembers that 1992 game against Port Vale as providing the perfect start to the run that followed - Sunderland winning 3-0 and talisman striker Johnny Byrne getting on the scoresheet.

“My first match in charge of Sunderland was Barnsley at home on New Year’s Day which we won 2-0 and then, just a few days later. we played Port Vale in the Cup.

“John Rudge was the Port Vale manager at the time and he had a decent side.

“They had a few Cup runs themselves, and they had knocked Tottenham out a few years before. “About a month later we played in the league and drew 1-1, so it wasn’t an easy draw for us by any means. “But we had just beaten Barnsley 2-0 at home on New Year’s Day and when you win a game of football it is amazing how quickly people can start to feel much better in themselves.

“We won comfortably in the end but, obviously, none of us thought we would go all the way to the final at that time!”

Crosby is looking forward hugely to visiting Sunderland next Friday where he’ll join Peter Reid as special guests at the launch of new book, Tales From the Red and Whites 3: ‘The Managers’. 

Tickets for the event are bookable online here 

Crosby said “I am looking forward to being with Sunderland supporters and also seeing Peter again.

“Last time I saw him was in Doha where my daughter Nicky is a sports presenter.

“I also know the owner Stewart Donald and maybe I’ll see him when I’m up there. He has fantastic enthusiasm.”