Sunderland have been told one reason why they should be optimistic ahead of the play-offs.
This Saturday, Sunderland will face off against West Brom as they hope to consolidate their place in the Championship play-off spots.
With Regis Le Bris’ side currently sat nine points adrift of the automatic spots, but also with a 15-point cushion on 7th placed Middlesbrough, it is safe to say that Sunderland will almost certainly find themselves in the top six, with their chances of promotion depending on the lottery of the play-offs.
Whilst many may see this as a disadvantage, as Alex Neil believed that Sunderland were in a difficult position, having little to play for in regards to the final Championship table, one EFL expert has suggested a positive aspect to the spot that the Black Cats currently find themselves in.
Sunderland told why they will be ‘really strong’ ahead of Championship play-offs
Per the What The EFL podcast, Sunderland have been given an overview of Le Bris’ squad decision ahead of the clash with West Brom, as expert Sam Parkin said: “He’ll want to keep that momentum, but you’ve got to refresh the players haven’t you, so maybe Le Fee has anticipated he may have a part to play centrally, it might mean Neil, Bellingham, Rigg missing a little bit of football in the weeks ahead as they prepare for the play-offs.
With seven games left to play of the 2024/25 Championship campaign before the dreaded play-offs, Sunderland find themselves with little to play for, having almost consolidated their top-six position. Sunderland have been told by Parkin that this isn’t a concern.
“I’m not concerned about them, they’re gonna be really strong going into the play-offs, given how much time they’ve had to prepare.”
Black Cats fans already know to not be apprehensive over next run of fixtures
It can be an easy trap for Sunderland to fall into, not to be at 100% speed for their final run of games due to the fact that there is little to play for, but Chris Mepham’s previous comments put that worry to bed.
“These next seven games are going to be massive,” said Mepham following the win at Millwall. “When you’re in a team that’s playing well and getting good results, you feel like you can play anyone. On the flip side, when you’re in a team that isn’t getting results and lacking a bit of confidence, which we probably have done the last couple of weeks, it makes anywhere you go seem that bit harder.
“It was important we gave the fans a reaction. We were all well below our level last week and that was as far away from our normal selves as I’ve seen us. We want to carry the momentum into the play-offs.”
This sentiment has also been reiterated by Le Bris, another sign that Sunderland are certainly up for the fight in the remainder of games, no matter how much they matter in terms of getting points on the board.