THIS week's "horrific" weather disrupted Sunderland's preparation for today's game at Swansea City but boss Tony Mowbray is calm as the Black Cats look to build on the impressive Norwich City victory last time out.

Most of Sunderland's training pitches were under water after this week's heavy downpours, which meant Mowbray had to adapt in Thursday's training session before the squad flew to Wales yesterday.

But rough weather conditions aside, Mowbray has enjoyed a rare opportunity to make the most of a full week between fixtures.

"The weather has been horrific and it was difficult to do the preparation for the game," said the head coach.

"On Thursday we couldn't really do the preparation for the game. The pitches were under water and the bit we did find there was only enough to play a small sided game, but we did a lot of video work.

"We're flying to the game, which is the right thing to do, otherwise you get back in the early hours and it eats into the recovery and preparation for the next game. It's always better when you get a full week of preparation.

"We hope to be aggressive and impose ourselves but we're very mindful of the fact they're a good team with good players."

After a tough start to the season under new boss Michael Duff, Swansea found their feet and enjoyed a four-game winning stretch. That was followed by successive defeats to Leicester City and Watford, but they won at Blackburn last time out and are just four points behind Sunderland in a congested table in which the teams in fifth and 17th are separated by just six points.

Mowbray said: "It's a tight league. The top two have had an unbelievable start, both of them. The rest seem all very close and tight.

"I'm expecting a tight game as I'm sure they are. I genuinely believe in this league the individuals with the X Factor can make the difference to win and lose matches. Every team is well organised and there's not much between them. The individuals who can eliminate players, skip past players, finish, put in great crosses, can win football matches.

"You have to string results together in this division. If we lose this one everyone will tell me we've only won one out of four. I try to focus on the performance level win, lose or draw. I genuinely believe over 46 games if you are the best team most weeks, you're going to win most games.

"It's a challenge but one we try and enjoy and do it with a smile on our face and get on with it. We try and deal with any criticism that comes along. Of course it does in this industry, you don't win a game and everyone knows the answers, everyone would have picked a different team or made different substitutes, but you have to stay single minded and do what you believe in.

"As I've always said, if you don't win enough games you won't stay in a job, if you win matches everyone is happy."

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Eliezer Mayenda travelled with the squad yesterday after recovering from his hamstring injury and could be named on the bench for the first time. Nazariy Rusyn is again expected to be in from the off up-front after his first Sunderland start against Norwich last weekend.

Mowbray said: "He (Rusyn) worked hard, he just brings different aspects. He wants to try and run in behind, he's short and sharp.

"He's something different to what Mason (Burstow) had been bringing, different from what Hemir brings and different from Mayenda. At this moment he's filling that spot in the team, we won the game that he played in, there's every chance he'll continue and let's hope we can win again.

"I'm very conscious of not putting too much pressure on the strikers. The bottom line is all strikers know their job is to score goals and help a team win matches.

"This is not a 19-year-old kid, it's a 25-year-old man who has been around the Ukrainian national team, he understands he has to do his job and help the team get a win."