THERE might be very little on the line in terms of league standings in the remaining weeks of the season but Mike Dodds has warned his Sunderland players to not even think about switching off and letting their minds wander to their summer holidays.

The Black Cats head for Leeds United tonight on the back of just one win in 10 games, with their hopes of a second successive top six finish having disappeared.

But Dodds says the last five games of the campaign remain crucial - and has warned it would be "incredibly naive and stupid" to think Sunderland can afford to coast through the last month of the season thinking the coming matches don't matter.

Dodds said: “If any of the players, and they’ve been told this under no uncertain terms, if any of the players feel they want to start looking at holidays or getting their flip flops out, they won’t play for me and won’t play for the football club because this is an unbelievable football club and they should be privileged to wear the Sunderland shirt.

“We want to get to the Premier League, that’s our ambition. I want to be at a football club that wants to get to the best league in the world. If we think, staff, backroom staff, people above me, players that put on the shirt, if we think we’re good enough to not turn up for five games and then next year mount a challenge, we are incredibly naive and probably stupid.

“There is loads of motivation for the next five games. The next five games can give us a foundation for the next 46.

“Internally we have a long-term ambition to be in the Premier League. If we decide these last five games are what they are, we are not going to get to where we want to get to.”

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There's absolutely no doubting what's on the line for the hosts tonight, with Leeds embroiled in a three-team battle for the two automatic promotion places at the top of the Championship.

Daniel Farke's side's long unbeaten run came to an end at Coventry on Saturday, which saw the Whites slip out of the top two.

Dodds is certain Leeds are destined to go up this season - but heads to Elland Road for tonight's 8pm kick-off confident Sunderland can spring a surprise.

"I think I'm quite a humble guy but these are the type of games where I fancy ourselves and will back ourselves," he said.

"I think they are a Premier Leaue team in waiting having watched a lot of their games. I like a lot about their team and think they have a lot of quality, whoever they pick.

"The reality is they can make three or four changes and still have Premier League quality. I think they're a Premier League team in waiting, but these sorts of games I relish.

"It's not a free hit, it's an opportunity to show where we're at and how much more we need to do to get to where we want to be."

Leeds are unbeaten at home this season, having won 16 of their 20 games at Elland Road, but the pressure will very much be on the hosts tonight.

Dodds said: "If we score first, that could be a factor. If they score first and take their foot off the gas....psychology is a big thing in football.

"We have to concentrate on ourselves and our game plan. If we do that, we give ourselves an opportunity. If we don't, it will be a long evening.

“It’s going to be a tough game. There are no easy games in this league. We are going to have to go there and be at 100 %We are looking forward to it, I’m looking forward to it.

"These are the sorts of games I relish. Going out in front of 30,000 people at Elland Road, there are not many people who can say that. My mindset is to go and try to win the game, regardless of their record there.”