PAOLO DI CANIO has claimed Sunderland is a club with a “weak mentality”, and criticised some of his backroom staff for their conduct this week.

While Wigan's failure to beat Swansea on Tuesday significantly enhanced the Black Cats' chances of remaining in the Premier League, Di Canio was furious to hear some of his staff members celebrating the Latics' defeat on Wednesday morning.

In his eyes, certain unnamed employees were more interested in revelling in Wigan's failings than preparing their own players for tomorrow's crucial home game with Southampton, a match Sunderland still need to win to effectively guarantee survival.

Di Canio levelled similar criticisms at his squad in the wake of last month's 6-1 thrashing at Aston Villa, and while he has been satisfied with his players' conduct this week, he cites his staff's attitude as proof of a deep-rooted malaise that is holding Sunderland back.

“This club has got a weak mentality,” said the Black Cats boss. “In the future we will work on the mentality because it is not possible to carry on like this.

“In the last five years, this club has spent big, big money, like international clubs in Europe. Like Inter Milan, but to think every time it is, 'If Wigan lose, we stay up', 'If West Brom beat this then maybe we can survive'. Mama mia.

“I go mad when I think about that. We have to change that attitude completely and then everybody will benefit.”

In the short time he has been managing Sunderland, it has become clear that Di Canio places great stock in assessing his players' mood and focus in the build-up to a game.

External influences are seen as a distraction, so while Wigan's 3-2 defeat to Swansea undeniably had a major impact on the rest of Sunderland's season, Di Canio regarded it as an irrelevance when it came to preparing for the visit of a Southampton side that still have relegation concerns of their own.

With Wigan not returning to league action until Tuesday, when they play their penultimate fixture at Arsenal, Sunderland can move six points clear of the Latics, with a significantly superior goal difference, if they win tomorrow.

Their fate has always been in their own hands, and Di Canio feels it is a sign of weakness when the onus for survival is placed on others.

“We have to stop and finish this situation,” he said. “We can't think Wigan may drop points at Arsenal. We can't keep thinking like that. I received some messages (after Tuesday) saying, 'Thank you Wigan'. Thank you Wigan, what? We have to win our game as we don't know what else is going to happen.

“The players are completely focused. I sent my truffle dogs (the coaches he brought to the club) to smell out what was happening and they told me the players are okay. But the other people around them are saying, 'Gaffer, fantastic result at Wigan'.

“No. We have to make the fantastic result on Sunday. I do not want them saying this in front of my players. 'It's okay – if we don't win anyway, Wigan have got a tough game against Arsenal'. How is it possible to prepare ourselves for a game at the top level if we think like this?'”

Aside from his concerns at the focus of his players, Di Canio also has first-hand experience to prove that things do not always go as expected in the final weeks of a season.

Back in 2003, the Italian was part of a West Ham squad that is widely acknowledged to have been the most talented group of players ever to drop out of the Premier League.

Despite the presence of the likes of Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe, the Hammers were relegated when they could only draw at Birmingham on the final day of the season.

Most observers expected either the Blues or Bolton to slip up in the latter stages of the campaign, but they repeatedly upset the form book and West Ham were unable to haul themselves to safety.

“When we were relegated at West Ham, we had seven or eight of the best footballers seen in England in the last 20 years,” said Di Canio. “Defoe, Cole, Carrick, (David) James, (Trevor) Sinclair, (Tomas) Repka, a Czech international, (Freddie) Kanoute. The only rubbish player was Di Canio.

“But we went down, and a side like Birmingham remained up and they didn't have half the talent we had. We thought Birmingham were going to lose matches, but they won.”