TONY Mowbray is closely monitoring Alex Pritchard's Sunderland situation amid growing interest in the playmaker and with the Black Cats under increasing pressure to make a contract decision.

The versatile midfielder, who is in the last six months of his deal at the Stadium of Light, would have been allowed to leave in the summer but no bids landed. He's since underlined his importance to the cause, with new head coach Michael Beale recently stressing that Pritchard was a "super-important" player.

But his long term future remains unclear and interested clubs are starting to circle. Mowbray is keen on taking Pritchard to St Andrew's, though it's not clear at this stage whether Birmingham will make a move this month or hold on in the hope they'll get him on a free in the summer.

Pritchard is also said to be attracting interest from USA and Turkey, with Colorado Rapids and Sivasspor keen.

Pritchard missed Beale's first game in charge due to illness and was a late substitute in the Boxing Day win at Hull, but since making a big impact from the bench at Rotherham the experienced playmaker has started the last four games in all competitions and been one of Sunderland's brightest players during a difficult spell.

“Alex has been excellent since I’ve come in," said Beale.

"He missed the first couple of games but then he’s played very well. His contract situation was ongoing before I came in, that’s between him and the club. At the moment he’s here, he’s in our team and playing well so that’s my focus.”

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Beale's primary focus is on strengthening his squad, though that is proving difficult and after Friday night's Hull City defeat, the head coach admitted patience would be required, adding: “There’s one or two areas we’d like to strengthen, but it’s a difficult window and we’re not the ones with the biggest pockets in that window in this division."

Sunderland want a left-sided defender, with Aji Alese ruled out for a month, and a midfielder is also on Beale's wishlist.

But up-front is the priority and the need to sign a striker was again clear in the Hull defeat, in which sections of the home supporters turned on Beale after just seven games in charge.

The Black Cats now turn their attention to next weekend's visit of Stoke City in desperate need of a victory to lift the mood around the club.

"It is going to be a long week but it's the Championship," says Beale.

"You have to have the mental resilience and stamina over it. At this moment in time we think the game has kicked us a little bit.

"We didn't do a lot wrong at Ipswich last week. We didn't do a lot wrong against Hull, I think sometimes maybe less is more in the final third. Can we deliver it earlier? Can we get more numbers in there? Can we pass and run a bit more? They're all the things we need to continue working on.

"As I say, right now there are no words that are going to give the fans any comfort or the players in the dressing room. We are bitterly disappointed and we should be because we lost a game, firstly I don't think we deserve to lose. Secondly, we lost it down to a set play where we can do better."

Captain Luke O'Nien understands the frustration of supporters and says the players need to use it as fuel to get Sunderland's campaign back on track.

He said: "Listen there is frustration in the dressing room as well after you lose, everyone is out there to win. It's a passionate club and they want to win every single game, as do the players.

"We understand the frustrations after the game, it's just as evident in the changing rooms because we have a group there that wants to win every single game. We just have to use that to drive us.

"When we are scoring, winning games and we have the fans behind us, it's some place. Every player has felt that this season and it's important to use that as motivation to work harder to them goals."