Balancing European demands with Premier League football is proving tricky for Sunderland

Former Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley reckons Sunderland can win the Europa League this season - but must find a better balance in their focus.

The 41-year-old, who enjoyed a six-year spell at the Stadium of Light from 2008, knows the club have to balance what is most important and that is undoubtedly to stay in the Premier League.

On that front things are slipping and the club fine themselves bottom of the Premier League table with just one win from seven matches so far.

Speaking to Compare.bet, Bardsley said: “Sunderland can win the Europa League. Having said that it depends on how the manager prioritises it. You want to do as well as you can in Europe, but he’ll have one eye on the Premier League, that’s the bread and butter and the most important thing

.“Retaining Premier League status is where everyone wants to be. But they should enjoy this European journey for whatever it brings.

“They deserve it. The players have worked extremely hard to get to a point that probably seemed a distant memory a year ago. Finishing in Europe was an incredible achievement. But for them, the focus should be to enjoy the European journey while keeping the Premier League as the main priority.”

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A mid-table finish with a good European run would be a good season for Sunderland according to the former defender. With the Black Cats juggling the demands of European football and domestic priorities for the first time in 53 years it will take some getting used to.

Bardsley thinks that could make for a tough season but believes the Sunderland supporters will understand the issues and show manager Regis Le Bris and the players some patience.

“The fixture load and demands will be where Sunderland struggle," Bardsley continued. "The start of the season is okay because you’re eager to get going, and the buzz of European football carries you.

“But it gets tough when you’re playing Thursday-Sunday-Thursday-Sunday alongside the FA Cup and League Cup. They’ve started okay and their European campaign got off to a positive start, but these winter months will really test them.

“The fans have been outstanding over the last 18 months, and they need to stick with the team through tough weeks where they might lose a couple of games back-to-back. The manager has done a great job.

“I believe the squad is good enough to compete. Do I think they’ll finish in the top half of the Premier League? Probably not. But if they have a good run in Europe and stay comfortably mid-table in the Premier League, it will be another really good season.

Bardsley also said it’s time for the club to shine over Newcastle in the north east. Only one team in the region has European football this season and it is the Black Cats who are top dogs.

“Looking at it from Newcastle’s point of view, there’s been a lot of change up there also,” he declared. “They’ve lost personnel and key players, but the team looks settled under the new manager despite a tough result against Coventry.

“The players brought in are finding their feet, and the gap between the teams is closing, Sunderland coming up from the Championship and getting into Europe is amazing.

“Newcastle have had Champions League football recently, but now Sunderland have the chance to shine on both the European and domestic fronts.”