THE financial after-effects of relegation might have been apparent as Simon Grayson was limited to a total spend of £1.25m during the transfer window, but Bryan Oviedo wants Sunderland’s players to draw a line under the past as they look to succeed in the Championship this season.

It is now more than four months since the Black Cats’ demotion from the Premier League was confirmed, but the effects of the drop can still be felt across various different elements of the club.

The playing squad has been radically restructured, the backroom set-up has been altered dramatically, and attendances have dropped significantly as some supporters have turned away after a series of disappointments.

The rebuilding job will not be easy, but while back-to-back defeats have dented confidence, there have been glimpses of promise in some of Sunderland’s performances this season.

The arrival of three more players on deadline-day was generally well received, and while the pain of relegation remains raw, Oviedo insists it is important to move on and look to the future.

“Last season was difficult for everyone,” said the full-back, who moved to Wearside from Everton halfway through the relegation campaign. “It’s really difficult, especially when you saw people crying around the club.

“It was difficult for me, it was a difficult moment, but you need to continue, you can’t live in the past. Now, the most important thing for us is to make people happy by winning every game, and to be in the Premier League next season.”

Oviedo started ten top-flight games after moving to Sunderland in January, and was only on the winning side in one of them.

A losing mentality had already set in by the time he moved to Wearside, and changing the prevailing mind-set was one of Grayson’s biggest challenges when he agreed to replace David Moyes earlier this summer.

He looked to be making headway when Sunderland were unbeaten in their opening five games of the season in all competitions, and while successive defeats to Leeds and Barnsley have undone some of the good work, Oviedo claims things are still moving in the right direction.

Last season, the Black Cats were going into matches fearing what might happen. This term, their attitude has to be much more positive.

“It was not easy (last season) because normally we were playing well, but we lost,” said Oviedo. “It’s not nice.

“This season is different – we need to have a winning mentality. That is the most important thing because, for me and for everyone, we want to be in the Premier League next season. That’s the most important thing for us.

“We’re working for that. It’s the most important thing for us that we’re working in every training session to have a winning mentality because we have a strong team, a very good team, so we need to be up at the top, starting at the weekend.”

Meanwhile, Sunderland face a nervous wait to discover the extent of Aiden McGeady’s hamstring injury after the winger was sent for a series of scans.

McGeady damaged his hamstring as he was a second-half substitute in Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Georgia on Friday night.

Ireland boss Martin O’Neill is hoping the winger will be available for his side’s crucial home qualifier with Serbia tonight, but admits he is still awaiting the result of some medical tests.

There is better news when it comes to Lamine Kone though, as the centre-half has declared himself fit despite sitting out Ivory Coast’s weekend victory over Gabon.

It had been expected that Kone would take part in the game, but despite not having been named in Saturday’s squad, the Sunderland defender insists there is nothing untoward and expects to be involved in the return game in Gabon later today.

“I’m ready to play this game,” said Kone. “If the coach allows me to play, I will be ready to fight against the Gabonese and get the three points. For Cote d’Ivoire, it will already be a good start for Russia.”