‘Cirkin in trouble at Sunderland’ after what happened last time out v Coventry
Dennis Cirkin will be fearing for the worst as Sunderland prepare to face Coventry City in the playoffs.
The Black Cats discovered their opposition in the end-of-season tournament as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against QPR on Saturday (3 May).
It is fair to say that Regis Le Bris’ side are in a rough patch of form and arguably would like to play anyone else but the Sky Blues.
This comes after recent poor results and performances against Frank Lampard’s side, which could represent bad news for Cirkin.
Cirkin represents Sunderland risk v Coventry
There is very little optimism surrounding the Stadium of Light right now after what has been a dreadful end to the campaign in the north east.
This has seen the Mackems fall to five consecutive defeats in the second tier, ending the season with a whimper, to say the least.
As a result, the playoffs are likely to be a tricky affair, especially against a side the Black Cats typically struggle against.
Sunderland haven’t won a single game against Coventry since both sides earned a place in the Championship, with the last being a 3-0 defeat in March.
| Date | Result |
| 15/03/25 | Coventry City 3-0 Sunderland |
| 09/11/24 | Sunderland 2-2 Coventry City |
| 23/12/23 | Sunderland 0-3 Coventry City |
| 26/08/23 | Coventry City 0-0 Sunderland |
| 25/02/23 | Coventry City 2-1 Sunderland |
On a day where Haji Wright scored a hattrick, it is fair to say that Cirkin struggled as much as anyone as he started at left-back.
This saw the 23-year-old come up against Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and lose three duels while also failing to win a single tackle as he committed two fouls [FotMob].
Looking ahead to the playoffs, there is every chance that the defender could struggle once again and could represent a risk for Le Bris and Co.
Sunderland could be in trouble v Coventry
As a side in such a poor run of form, coming up against a side that you never beat doesn’t seem to be a recipe for success in SR5.
Facing Coventry looks likely to be an uphill battle for the Black Cats and will certainly take some doing to take a positive result away.
With a place at Wembley and then the Premier League at stake, the likes of Enzo Le Fee, Patrick Roberts and Wilson Isidor will have to be on top form.
Whether they can rediscover the excellence of their form earlier in the season is yet to be seen but will have to be done if success is possible in the playoffs.