THERE have been a couple of times in the last few weeks when Jack Ross has felt the need to heap praise on his Sunderland players publicly after results that have frustrated supporters.

And when he went on the defensive, he was keen to stress how proud he was of his squad staying in touch with the automatic promotion places during a season that has coincided with much change on and off the pitch at the Stadium of Light.

As well as the massive turnover in personnel on the playing side of things, the club’s owner Stewart Donald has had to alter the way things are done in a business sense in a bid to make it more sustainable and successful.

Whether he achieves his goal will be determined in the future, but there have been cuts made in a bid to make Sunderland more financially stable – even if some of those tweaks are not witnessed and known by fans.

Among the many changes is Sunderland no longer travelling to away games as often as they used to in previous years. Ross offered a wry smile when the fact Sunderland even used to fly to northern-based clubs during the Premier League era.

Speaking ahead of Sunderland’s 580-mile round trip to Bristol Rovers, Ross said: “We are flying but that’s very much the exception rather than the rule.

“We are flying Friday, we have done it to Portsmouth and Plymouth this season. We bussed it back from there which was an epic, eight hours.

“We have done it the bulk of the season by coach and it doesn’t really bother me. Even Charlton we went down on the train. We have had a few long ones too. I certainly don’t mind it.

“The journeys home are generally alright because we have a decent coach, so if there’s games on then they pass the time. We get looked after well enough.

“Sometimes with the turnaround in games it can be challenging, decision making times, there’s an obsession with recovery days and some days they won’t get back until 2am so wont be in bed until 2.30am. There are knock on effects.”

Ross’ career hasn’t seen him take in the delights of the Premier League either as a player or a manager, so jumping on a team coach to away games has been the norm during his playing spells with Clyde, Hartlepool, Falkirk, St Mirren, Hamilton, Dunfermline and Dumbarton.

And the 42-year-old, knowing how some members of his squad are used to flying to matches, can see the benefits in travelling by coach.

He said: “To the players credit they have adjusted. People will say it doesn’t matter, but there have been a lot of adjustments at this club over the last eight months.

“There will not have been too many adjustments between the Premier League and Championship, even if I wasn’t here. There have been a lot of different things and to the players’ credits they have been good.”

When Sunderland to get to the Memorial Ground they are sure to be up against a team fighting to stay in League One, where they are only a point above the relegation zone. Sunderland, after facing Plymouth next Saturday, will head back to face Bristol Rovers in the semi-final of the Checkatrade Trophy the following Tuesday.

“It’s not perfect,” said Ross. “I’m glad that we have the game in between. Although we’re playing them in two of the next three fixtures, I think having the game in between helps.

“We saw this season that we had Walsall, Saturday-Saturday at the time and it’s not great going and playing the same team in two consecutive games. Having the game in between will help to a degree. Having that little bit of freshness and the fact that there’ll be so much at stake in the second game as well will help that.”