Sunderland may be stuttering a little at the moment, but it would take a huge disaster to stop them getting into the play-offs now.
As we head into the final eight games of the Championship season after this international break, Sunderland look home and dry and destined to finish in fourth place.
A valiant effort in the first half of the campaign has made way for a stagnant and, frankly, quite concerning run of form of late that has seen Regis Le Bris’ side lose pace with the leading pack at the top of the table.
Still, there’s enough of a cushion between the Black Cats and the teams chasing them; enough so that Sunderland fans and indeed the players are already thinking about those impending play-off dates and who they might have to face.
Trai Hume doesn’t want to face Tony Mowbray in the play-offs
Speaking to the Northern Echo, Sunderland ace Trai Hume was discussing those tantalising fixtures on the horizon, but he revealed there is one team, or more specifically one manager, he does not want to come up against in May.
Explaining why he would rather avoid former manager, Tony Mowbray, Hume said: “Everyone was really sad and disappointed to see what he had to go through and what happened to him.
“It’s just nice to see a person like that back in football. He’s one of the nicest people in football. I think anyone will agree with you. He’s a great coach, so it’s just great to have him back in the league.
“Hopefully, we don’t have to see him in the play-offs because you don’t want to beat them, do you? It’s just great to have him there.”
Hume also reflected on the impact Mowbray had on him personally during his time as Sunderland manager, and it seems that if it wasn’t for the chance he gave the Northern Irishman, we may not be seeing the kind of player we do today.
| Statistics | Trai Hume 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 38 |
| Minutes | 3,384 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Pass success | 77% |
He added: “When we moved into the Championship, it was Tony Mowbray that gave me my chance. Just before, I think it was Lynden Gooch that got injured on Boxing Day, and that’s when I first went onto the team. After that, I just kept myself on the team.
“I was speaking a lot with Tony before that about going out on loan in the January, but obviously I ended up getting on the team and that didn’t happen. It was just a bit of luck, really. Ever since then, I’ve loved playing my football, and I just keep kicking on.”
Tony Mowbray’s legacy at Sunderland is immense
In many ways, Le Bris has picked up the baton from Mowbray’s fine work at the Stadium of Light. The Frenchman is not afraid to let young players go out there and flourish, and it could well lead to massive success.
That mantra was instilled by Mowbray, though, who gave so many Sunderland stars their first bite of action.
Not just Hume, but the development of the likes of Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham, and of course, the emergence of Chris Rigg can all be, in some way, traced back to Mowbray’s influence.
Even players who are no longer at the club, like Amad Diallo, praised Mowbray’s impact on their careers. He is clearly not just a great manager, but also a very positive mentor to so many players throughout the game.
Any Sunderland player who has crossed paths with Mowbray, and indeed the fanbase, too, will be praying they don’t have to take on West Brom in the play-offs; the Black Cats either get a bittersweet victory, or they get dumped out by a very strong team.