The Sunderland sleeper

The Black Cats boss has endured a run of sleepless nights ahead of this afternoon's Championship clash with Coventry and, much to his alarm, the focus of his attention has been football-based.

Where once he would have conjured up a vision of a mystery blonde, now he can only think of Liam Lawrence and his sublime set-pieces.

Kylie's legs have been replaced by Kyler's hips, forcing McCarthy to concede that, with just eight games to go, the pressure of the promotion push has become intense.

That intensity will only increase as Sunderland tackle a run-in that includes daunting games at both Wigan and Ipswich, as well as testing ties at QPR and West Ham.

But, while McCarthy admits to feeling the odd butterfly in his stomach every now and then, he is relishing the tension and trauma that will be inevitable in the next month.

"My concern at the moment is that I'm waking up thinking about footballers," joked the Sunderland boss, normally regarded as one of the most unflappable figures in the game.

"I used to wake up thinking about women. It must be a strange time of the season and I'm getting worried!

"I was up at five on Thursday and into work at ten past seven. You can only watch so much of that Sky TV, because I know everything that's going on in the world now.

"It's strange when you wake up and you're thinking about something's that happened in the game. I normally sleep well but, all of a sudden, I'm finding myself thinking about football and players.

"Maybe that's pressure for you. Perhaps you learn how to handle it, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware that this is a tense position for everybody. That won't change between now and May, but it's a time of the season I always look forward to and I'm enjoying it."

While Sunderland's squad contains a large number of youngsters, the Black Cats can also boast plenty of players who have dealt with pressurised situations in the past.

Skipper Gary Breen, goalkeeper Thomas Myhre and midfielders Carl Robinson and Jeff Whitley all have extensive international experience, while Michael Bridges and Marcus Stewart have both proved themselves in the Premiership.

And, in McCarthy, the Wearsiders can boast a character who has already handled pretty much anything football can throw at him.

His time with the Republic of Ireland taught him how to handle explosive situations - from the grenades that were thrown onto the pitch in Iran to the equally combustible Roy Keane - while last season's play-off heartbreak drummed home just how fine a line there is between failure and success.

"I've been in more tense situations than this," explained McCarthy. "The experiences I've had have helped me accept I can't worry about what happens in the future. I cannot do anything about it.

"I think I'm doing my job as well as I possibly can, so I'm comfortable with that. I'm doing everything I possibly can, as an individual, to get Sunderland promoted.

"I think the players are doing that as well. If I thought I wasn't, or somebody else wasn't, I might be anxious about things.

"But, if we all do our job as well as we can, there will be no recriminations from me, whatever happens.

"That's not to say there's not any pressure, but it's not other people putting pressure on me, it's me putting it on myself. When you want something as badly as I do, you put pressure on yourself.

"I was exactly the same when I was seven and I was running the 100m at junior school. I wanted to win then and I want to win now."

Winning doesn't just mean promotion to the Premiership, it also means chasing the Championship crown.

Sunderland start today level on points with league leaders Wigan - third-placed Ipswich are a further three points behind - and, rather than nervously looking over their shoulders, McCarthy has urged his side to set their sights in the opposite direction.

"We really ought to be looking above us and trying to catch Wigan," he said. "We've got to aim for the title. We're level on points at the top of the table.

"If you aim for the Championship you might finish second, but if you aim to be second you might finish third.

"I think that's what the lads are doing. They've handled things well so far and I have every faith that they can handle it for the next eight games."

The first of those games comes against Coventry this afternoon and, after slipping to a 2-0 defeat at Highfield Road on the opening day of the season, McCarthy is eager to prove just how far his side has progressed since they won just one of their first six games.

"We've definitely improved," he said. "The players have got used to playing together and that has unquestionably made a difference.

"Stephen Elliott has come in and improved us. He's developed a partnership with Marcus Stewart and that's been important.

"Julio (Arca) and George (McCartney) have cemented their relationship down the left-hand side, and Stephen Caldwell and Gary Breen have got used to playing together at the back."

McCarthy will name an unchanged side provided midfielder Dean Whitehead shakes off the hamstring strain he sustained in Tuesday night's 5-1 win over Plymouth.

Coventry boss Micky Adams, who needs the points for very different reasons, is expected to name former Irish international Steve Staunton in his starting line-up.