Sunderland legend Darren Williams has shared his thoughts on the Black Cats’ chances of achieving promotion to the Premier League.
Regis Le Bris’ side were in a strong position to challenge for the automatic promotion places a few weeks ago but that has suddenly changed.
Sunderland’s defeats to league leaders Leeds United and relegation candidates Hull City mean that the club are now eight points away from second place Sheffield United.
Most people believe that the loss to the Tigers was the final nail in the coffin but Williams remains quite optimistic about Sunderland’s Premier League pursuit.
Having said that, the former defender warned the Black Cats not to let ‘complacency’ become an issue with a play-off berth far from locked up.
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Darren Williams offers opinion on Sunderland’s promotion push
Williams made over 240 appearances for Sunderland between 1996 and 2004 and now sometimes works as a pundit for Total Sport – North East.
He gave his verdict on the Black Cats’ season with 12 games to go and it was surprisingly positive considering the downhearted mood around the club at the moment.
When asked whether finishing in the automatic promotion spots remains possible, Williams said: “It can be, definitely, without a shadow of a doubt. I wouldn’t take my eye off second spot to be quite honest. I think it’s reachable.
“Listen, it might be a glimmer of hope that we get into second spot with the two injuries (Enzo Le Fee and Dan Ballard) that we’ve just taken on board, fatigue etc. There’s no way on earth that we cannot make that.
“But you’ve got to be realistic and you can’t just rely on the fact that you’re 12 points safe in the playoffs because then that complacency kicks in.”
While some Sunderland fans will appreciate his optimism, plenty will side with Williams’ final, more pessimistic comment.
Sunderland’s gap to seventh place as Frank Lampard’s Coventry City find form
Before the last two losses, Sunderland were 17 points clear of then-seventh-place team Bristol City. Now, the gap to seventh has reduced to 12 points.
That’s because Frank Lampard’s Coventry City have won seven of their last eight games and now look highly likely to climb into the top six.
“There’s always one team that has a run that takes them into the play-offs,” Nick Barnes explained on Total Sport. “Coventry are on a remarkable run at the minute.
“They always seem, in the last few seasons, to start poorly and then get themselves together. Before you know it, there’s Coventry back in the frame again. Here they are again this season knocking on the door.”
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 34 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 71 | 21 | 50 | 75 |
| 2 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 34 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 48 | 26 | 22 | 70 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 34 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 43 | 9 | 34 | 68 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 34 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 50 | 31 | 19 | 62 |
| 5 |  West BromWest Brom | 34 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 44 | 31 | 13 | 51 |
| 6 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 39 | 34 | 5 | 51 |
| 7 |  CoventryCoventry | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 46 | 42 | 4 | 50 |
Of course, Sunderland are still in a very commanding position and should ideally still be looking upwards rather than downwards.
But what they must not do is assume their place in the Championship play-offs is certain, as that is far from the reality.
The Black Cats probably still need to win at least four more games before they can put their feet up ahead of the semi-final first leg.