Richard Keys shares brutal Sunderland verdict after what he’s seen
Richard Keys has given his honest thoughts on Sunderland’s promotion hopes after their latest game against Oxford United.
The Mackems were handed a 2-0 defeat by the U’s at Kassam Stadium, in what was a surprise result given the position of the two teams in the Championship.
Sunderland are currently fourth in the table, while the hosts were in the bottom half of the table and fighting just above the relegation zone, which made them the underdogs heading into this one.
However, Oxford ended up dominating the fixture, with Regis Le Bris’ men failing to have a single shot on target over the course of the 90 minutes.
It highlights an ongoing problem for the Mackems, as Sunderland have only scored a single goal in their previous five performances, which is an issue the team must resolve.
Keys shares honest Sunderland verdict
However, a more alarming problem is the fact that they have failed to pick up a single point during that period, in what has been a disastrous run for the team.
Sunderland wrapped up their playoff position confidently due to how consistent they have been throughout the season, with a fourth-place finish guaranteed.
While that’s an impressive season for the Mackems, there is still a lot of work to be done with the playoffs if Sunderland wants to gain promotion to the Premier League.
| Match Stats | Oxford United | Sunderland |
| Possession | 31% | 69% |
| Total Shots | 17 | 10 |
| Passes | 264 | 567 |
| Fouls | 15 | 10 |
Le Bris’ men are heading into the playoff campaign with an alarming lack of form or momentum, and that’s something that could prove costly over the two-legged semi-final and a potential trip to Wembley Stadium.
beIN SPORTS presenter Keys certainly thinks that way, as he shared his brutal verdict on Sunderland at half-time of their loss to Oxford.
He said: “They’ve lost momentum and I don’t fancy them [to go up].”
Sunderland have a lot of work to do
Given the fact that there is only one game left this season, there is a lot of work to be done at the Stadium of Light to get this team ready for the playoffs.
Sunderland are a far cry from where they want to be in terms of performance levels and momentum, and that’s something that fans are worried about.
There will be pressure on the final game of the season as they host QPR, and that is one that Le Bris will need his side to win.