SUNDERLAND head coach Gus Poyet admits his side will have to deal with a different kind of pressure when they start tonight’s match against managerless Queens Park Rangers as favourites.

The Black Cats welcome the Hoops to the Stadium of Light (7.45pm) looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games in all competitions.

While it isn’t unusual for a home team to be the bookmakers’ favourites, Poyet’s side have one of the worst home records in the top flight having claimed 12 points from 12 games on home soil this season.

If you go back further, the Wearsiders have managed only nine victories in 41 Premier League games over the last two seasons, a record Poyet is well aware of.

The Uruguayan even admitted his side probably weren’t favourites prior to the 2-0 defeat of Burnley on January 31. Tonight, they face another side battling for Premier League survival, but given Rangers’ record on the road the Black Cats will be expected to win the game.

The Hoops have lost all 11 of their away games this season and will be missing key duo Charlie Austin and Richard Dunne.

Asked how it feels to start the game as favourites, Poyet said: “It feels good! It will be strange in a way because we will not have been favourites at home for many weeks.

“Even last weekend I don’t know how many people would have put as favourites against Burnley.

“The situation here now is to prove that we are the favourites. There are teams that are better than you, and for you to get something out of the game you need to be very good, because in a normal situation you will lose the game.

“In this game we need to make sure everything is normal. If it is true we are favourites, we need to go and prove it, nothing else.”

Chris Ramsay and Les Ferdinand will take charge of QPR tonight following Harry Redknapp’s decision to step down last week.

Tim Sherwood is reportedly close to being appointed as Redknapp’s successor and Poyet has backed his former Tottenham midfield team-mate to steer the club away from trouble.

“Yes, no doubt, it’s a good partnership (Sherwood and Ferdinand). They know each other very well and are strong characters,” said Poyet, who revealed Connor Wickham and Billy Jones are fit to return tonight.

“They have worked together before and that combination would be very natural. It looks like that is going to be case.

“It would be a challenge, but after what we did last year anything is possible – and they are in a better situation than we were last season. So why not?

“I know Les well. He knows what he wants and is a very professional person. He will make decisions and will make things clear. He is a good character. He’s a top-class bloke who will do well in any role he is given. I’m sure he will have an impact.

“Tim is someone you always want in your side. When you’re in the tunnel and he’s behind you then you feel secure. He’s another strong character.

“He had a difficult situation at Spurs and did very well there. If QPR chose them then it will be a good choice.”

Redknapp cited knee surgery as the reason for his departure from Loftus Road, but while he decision was met by some scepticism Poyet has sympathy for the 67-year-old.

The Black Cats head coach was also scheduled to have a knee operation, but he chose to put it off.

“It made me think about my knee - I’ve got a bad knee as well! It was unexpected, but you need to understand that there are things you need to be careful about,” Poyet said.

“My knee in the summer looked very bad. I had a date and time for an operation but I decided not to take it. I’m not hobbling, I’m good right now.

“It has been very good. But we are getting old, like everybody, and sometimes it starts getting painful and you need to make decisions.”

Earlier in the season Poyet revealed he wasn’t enjoying himself as Sunderland struggled to claim points.

After a run of four games without losing the head coach is upbeat, but asked if he would still be a manager at Redknapp’s age, he said: “Who knows? It depends on how much I am enjoying it. I said a few weeks ago that I wasn’t really enjoying it.

“Now this week has been better and it isn’t all about results, it is about how you see your team. You can have a bad post-match if you lose, because I don’t like to lose, but if your team performs and gives everything, you have to accept it is football.

I want to see my team doing things a certain way, and accepting the consequences. I am better now. If you ask me now, I will probably say ‘maybe’, if you asked me three weeks ago I would have said ‘no chance’.”

Sunderland: Pantilimon; Reveillere, Vergini, O’Shea, Van Aanholt; Bridcutt; Alvarez, Larsson, Johnson; Defoe, Wickham.