Gus Poyet raises Sunderland alarm in ‘spectacular’ message v Coventry – Exclusive
Sunderland are 90 minutes away from a play-off final at Wembley, and Gus Poyet has sent a message to the Black Cats.
Ahead of the second leg at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland hold a 2-1 lead after their surprise victory at the CBS Arena on Friday night.
The Black Cats finally put an end to their 40-year winless run against the Sky Blues away from home, courtesy of an opener from Wilson Isidor and the winning goal from Eliezer Mayenda.
However, everyone on Wearside is fully aware that the job is far from done, and Poyet has issued advice to the Mackems ahead of a crucial encounter.
Sunderland need to be brave – but careful – against Coventry
Sunderland have been in this position before, where they led 2-1 against Luton Town before suffering a 2-0 defeat two years ago.
If promotion ambitions are to be maintained, that can’t happen this Tuesday, and Poyet has explained exactly what he would be saying to the players if he were in the changing room.
Courtesy of BetBrain, Poyet told Mackem News: “Be yourself. Play how we have played the whole year. Obviously, we had that really bad run of form at the end of the Championship. That scared me a little bit.
| Sunderland | Result |
| Coventry City | 2-1 W |
| QPR | 1-0 L |
| Oxford | 2-0 L |
| Blackburn | 1-0 L |
| Bristol City | 2-1 L |
| Swansea | 1-0 L |
“So, yes, I was a little bit tense before the game. But I was delighted with the win because it was a bad run prior. It was a really bad run at the end of the season. But something needed to click, and they went, and they’ve done it. And now, it’s to be yourself.
“Like I said, be you. Don’t change anything. Play the game like we played the whole season. Do what you have to do. You know what you do best; that would be a good message to every player. What you do best, and we’re going to be okay.
“The atmosphere is going to be spectacular. But, careful, eh? With Coventry, careful, eh? Because it’s a team that has improved a lot. So, we need to play the game properly.”
Sunderland must maintain focus on Tuesday
A 2-1 lead is a good thing to have, but with 90 minutes still to be played, quite literally anything could happen on Tuesday night.
Sunderland need to start on the front foot against the Sky Blues and ensure that they take the game to Frank Lampard’s side if they are to progress to Wembley.