LEE JOHNSON is confident Sunderland will arrest their alarming dip in form – and has tackled some of the chants aimed at his players during this evening’s 3-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday head on.

Having been thrashed 5-1 at Rotherham on Saturday, the Black Cats turned in another sub-standard display as goals from Theo Corbeanu, Florian Kamberi and Lee Gregory condemned them to a second heavy defeat in the space of four days.

The 4,000-strong travelling support stuck with their side for the majority of the game, but there was a brief chorus of ‘We’re f****** s***’ in the closing stages as Sheffield Wednesday played out time.

Johnson understands the discontent, but remains convinced his side will turn things around as long as everyone sticks together.

“I’ve got to be careful because I don’t want to come across like I’m delusional,” said the Sunderland head coach. “But I’m pretty confident. I’m pretty confident that we can turn this form around pretty quickly.

“On Saturday, we really poor, there’s no denying that, but I didn’t feel today that we were ever out of the game. I felt like we were the better side in between the boxes, and I felt they were the better side in both boxes.

“I don’t think it was a reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater today as much. It’s my job now to rebuild. Let me take the heat and any pressure that comes with it. You’re always going to get that, but at the same time, I have got a huge belief in what we’re going to do.

“The fans stayed to the end. I know there was a bit of sarcastic chanting every now and then, but we’re not ‘f****** s**t’, I promise you that. I heard that for a couple of lines by probably three or four hundred of the 4,000. We’ll be alright. We’ll go on a run. I have to ask the fans to keep the faith and I know they will, because they've brilliant with us.”

Johnson did, however, concede that opposition teams appear to have worked out how to play against Sunderland.

Portsmouth, Charlton and Rotherham all inflicted defeats on the Black Cats by adopting a physical approach, and it was noticeable that Sheffield Wednesday’s players mirrored those tactics as they triumphed last night.

“We’ve said it since Portsmouth, and that's the players saying it as well,” said Johnson. “There's a little textbook as to how you beat Sunderland. So, what do you do? Change the players? We can't do that until January. Change the tactics? Maybe put another centre-half in there. Or change the manager!

“But we shouldn't have to do any of that. I really believe in the path we're on, even though I know it's hard for me to sell that dream right now.”