Against all the odds, Sunderland are still in the title race with just 17 games to go, and Phil Bardsley knows how the Black Cats can get across the line and go up.
In Regis Le Bris’ first season in charge at Sunderland, the young Mackems have surpassed all expectations and are still sitting in fourth place in the Championship table.
After results over the weekend, Sunderland are just five points away from top of the table Leeds United, and only three off second-placed Sheffield United.
The remaining fixtures are now crucial for Sunderland if they are to maintain their pursuit of the title, or at the very least, promotion.
Phil Bardsley tells Sunderland to be brave in promotion battle
It will be fascinating to see how the season plays out from here. Sunderland are at a major disadvantage compared to their rivals, both financially and in terms of squad depth, but Phil Bardsley doesn’t think that matters.
In fact, the former Sunderland man believes the Black Cats have exactly what it takes to go all the way this season, as long as they show a little bravery.
“It’s about putting your shoulders back and expressing yourself and taking the challenge on,” Bardsley told SportsBoom. “They’ve got a good blend in the team, a little bit of experience and a little bit of steel, which is going to be needed, because people are going to question you if a few results go against you.”
Bardsley admits the challenge ahead is a huge one, but said he would love to see Sunderland return to the top flight.
He added: “It would be great if the club could get back to the Premier League, but it’s such a big ask… Obviously it’s taken a period of time, but hopefully now they’ve got the right people in places and the right people on the pitch.”
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Sunderland youngsters can play without fear
With young talent like Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg, and even club captain Dan Neil, Sunderland have got a group of players who don’t really know what failure feels like, and that can be mightily valuable, as they have nothing to be afraid of.
This Sunderland squad has developed a really strong, resilient mentality over the course of the season. That much is evident in the way they have started to grind out results against the top teams, and are now regularly turning losing positions into points.
It is still an absolute mountain to climb, and at the moment it looks like Sunderland will have to settle for a play-off spot. That’s not the worst thing, especially with Sunderland’s unbeaten home record, which could be key in the potential semi-final ties.
Either way, the Black Cats have put themselves in a brilliant position that nobody expected at the start of the season. As such, they have to throw everything at this fight now and not worry about the consequences of failure.