GUS POYET claims it takes a certain type of manager to successfully handle the unique pressures of working in the North-East – and the Sunderland boss is confident he has what is required to cope.

The crisis engulfing Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has reignited the debate about the difficulty of succeeding at the North-East’s two biggest clubs, with a succession of experienced names having failed at either St James’ Park or the Stadium of Light.

Former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce returned to his favoured theme of “unrealistic expectations” when discussing life in the North-East last month, while a number of national commentators have questioned whether it is possible to satisfy two groups of supporters who continue to turn up in huge numbers despite a sustained lack of success.

Having been in his position for almost a year now, Poyet has come to accept the pressures and demands that accompany a senior position in such a football-mad part of the world. But while he accepts it is impossible for him to walk down the street without someone wanting to discuss the minutiae of his managerial decisions, he insists the intensity of the spotlight only enhances his determination to succeed.

“I had been told how difficult it is to be managing in the North-East – and now I know,” said the Black Cats head coach. “It is a very special case with very passionate fans. When they are on your side, everything is fantastic, but on the other side, it is going to be an absolute nightmare.

“I think the passion of the fans is totally different up here. I have no doubt. They live football 24/7. It is all about football. It doesn’t matter how young or old a person is, if they see me in Sunderland, they know who I am and they always speak. They ask me to beat Newcastle or win a cup, and that is because that is what they are living for.

“In the South, sometimes there are other things – there is not only football. Or there are more foreigners. It is different. Up here, there is an extra pressure, but I like pressure. Without pressure, I cannot work. To come in here just to have a job, then go home and it doesn’t matter what happens – I wouldn’t like it.”

Unlike the vast majority of his most recent predecessors, Poyet actually lives in Sunderland because he wants to be as close as possible to the community and supporters his club represents.

That has given him a powerful insight into the hopes and concerns of the fans, and for all that there have been difficult periods in the last few seasons, the bond between club and supporters has never been seriously damaged.

That is clearly not the case at Newcastle at the moment, with supporters in open revolt against both Pardew and Mike Ashley, and Poyet feels it is exceptionally difficult to operate in the North-East without a clear understanding of what makes the fans tick.

“If you don’t understand what it means to them, you’ve got not chance, because then you are looking at something that is not real,” he said. “We always talk about the fans, and that’s because more than 40,000 are willing to come and watch a team that has not won a game.

“They are there because they want you to be winning, and they are going to help you to win. That pressure can make it harder, but for my character, it is great because it is who I am.”

Poyet’s image of the Stadium of Light was forged by his role in the Chelsea side that suffered a 4-1 defeat to Sunderland in December 1999. The Black Cats scored four goals in the opening 45 minutes of that game, and the Uruguayan was taken aback by the intensity of the atmosphere and the strength of support for the home team.

That was a day when everything went to plan of course, and while Wearside can be an extremely intimidating place for opponents to play when the mood is positive, even the most ardent of Sunderland fans would concede that the opposite can be true when the atmosphere is more restless.

It requires considerable character to play in front of a crowd that is keen to express its frustration, and that has to be factored in when assessing the suitability of potential signings.

“It’s an extra pressure on the players, so you have to be strong to be here,” said Poyet. “It’s not easy, especially for players who are coming from places that do not have the same characteristics as the North-East. Even the weather can be a challenge.

“It is special, but you don’t want someone in November or December thinking, ‘Why am I here? I could be in the south of Spain’. It is something you have to pay attention to. You don’t want one person thinking like that, and if you have more than one, you have a problem. If you have three or four, you’re at the bottom, that’s for sure.”