Chris Wilder has laid out his expectations ahead of Watford’s final two outings of the 2022/23 Sky Bet Championship season, with a long trip up to play-off chasing Sunderland next in store on Saturday afternoon (April 29, 3pm KO).

Two defeats on the bounce have left the Hornets’ Head Coach itching for a return to winning ways, and although he believes there was a marked improvement at Hull last time out (Saturday April 22), he is hoping for another step up in the right direction in the North-East.

“We need a bit more from the players,” Wilder said. “I think most people who watched us last weekend would have said we deserved something from the game, but to turn those losses around you’ve got to step out of that comfort zone a bit more, and take your levels a bit higher.

“I said to the players three or four weeks ago that I’m going right to the end of this season. We’re going to do that - we still have lots to play for even though we maybe should have more to play for - and the players have the ability to really affect what people think of them, and to get the results we all want.

“Sunderland are obviously in the thick of the play-offs race. It’s a huge club with huge support, so it’ll be a big test. We’ve got an obligation to put out a strong team and push them as hard as we can, and go and get a win for ourselves first and foremost.”

Having come up through the League One play-offs last term, and brought boss Tony Mowbray in to replace Alex Neil a few weeks into the season, Sunderland’s ascent to sixth place after 44 games has certainly impressed Wilder.

He said: “I’m a huge admirer of Tony. I’ve known him a long time, and he’s done a terrific job wherever he’s been.

“I’m envious of them in the fact they’ve got lots to play for tomorrow, but we’ve still got lots to offer and it should be a really good contest. There’ll be over 40,000 fans there willing their team to go on and get a big result, but we know what we’re going into and we’re ready to meet that head on.”

Young defender James Morris signed a contract extension during the week, capping off a successful campaign for the Golden Boys’ Academy talent that has also seen the likes of Ryan Andrews and Tobi Adeyemo flourish.

Wilder hinted that there could be some further involvement for a select number of players looking to increase their senior minutes before the season’s end, while also offering an update on the squad members who have been sidelined for much of his tenure.

He added: “I’ve talked a lot about the Academy, and there are some great guys involved who are working tirelessly to produce the next wave of talent. There has to be a pathway, and I’m a big believer that players should be involved if they’re good enough.

“James [Morris] has been good enough to play, Ryan [Andrews] has come in and done really well, and there have been a few others who have impressed me as well when I’ve watched the Under-21s.

“[Adrian] Blake’s been involved with the first-team since I’ve been here, really. [Jack] Grieves is highly spoken of - by people including Tom Cleverley - and one or two will stick with us and we’ll see where we are in the next couple of games.

“Elsewhere, [Samuel] Kalu’s been back involved training at a very low level, and a couple - including [Francisco] Sierralta - have had some minutes with the Under-21s. I’m not seeing wholesale changes from now until the end of the season, but we’ll keep picking the team we think is best suited to getting the right result.”