Paolo Di Canio has warned Sunderland they will never be anything other than "average" as long as they are happy for other clubs to do their dirty work.

The Black Cats are currently engaged in a tooth and nail fight for Premier League survival as they head into tomorrow’s home clash with Saints just three points clear of the relegation zone.

They and their fellow strugglers were handed a significant boost on Tuesday evening when 18th-placed Wigan twice squandered the lead to lose 3-2 at home to Swansea, meaning three points this weekend would guarantee them their top-flight status barring a remarkable turn-around as a result of their superior goal difference.

However, Di Canio was dismayed when he arrived at the training ground on Wednesday at the general glee over the previous night's events at the DW Stadium.

He said: “I was angry because I don't like what is going on in this environment.

"I don't enjoy it and I will make sure in the future everybody has to change their mentality, not the players and the technical staff, the physios, the fitness coach, the refectory where they go for food, the directors.

"Everybody has to change mentality because if we are going always to delegate to others to do the job for us, we are going to remain an average team despite the fantastic potential the club has.

"I don't like it because I can help the players. But if they go to have a massage and they are talking about, 'Wigan, fantastic', Wigan, fantastic', 'Maybe we can stay up even with zero points if they lose at Arsenal', we are never going to be something important here.

"We have to make sure we change that mentality. It wasn't enjoyable because too many people were talking about Wigan, Wigan, Wigan.

"We have to win our game, we must win our game, that has to be the message.

"In the future, I want to make sure that we have a different approach in these kind of situations because this club has the potential to be a top 10 club every season."