Sunderland accused of ‘sleepwalking’ as victim claim made – Exclusive
Sunderland head into their playoff clash with Coventry on Friday evening with no momentum.
Regis Le Bris‘ side have lost their last five matches in the Championship and are horrendously out of form heading into the end-of-season showdown.
Frank Lampard’s side have won three of their last six and should prove to be a very dangerous opponent for the Black Cats.
The Stadium of Light outfit need to ensure a positive result on the road (9 May) and finish the job at home next week if they are to have a chance of promotion.
Sunderland need huge upturn in form against Coventry
If they are to make it to the Premier League, the Mackems must turn up against Lampard’s side and forget about their poor recent run.
Iconic commentator Ian Darke has warned the North East outfit that it will not be easy to find their form after five losses on the bounce.
Speaking exclusively to Mackem News, he said: “They are sleepwalking into the playoffs and could easily become a cropper.
“It is not a unique situation but it is a situation that, they have almost been victims of their early-season success, haven’t they.
“Because they have been left in this vacuum for the last two months of the season, where they knew they were going to be in the playoffs and not be automatically promoted.
| Team | Result |
| Swansea (H) | 0-1 (L) |
| Bristol City (A) | 2-1 (L) |
| Blackburn (H) | 0-1 (L) |
| Oxford United (A) | 2-0 (L) |
| QPR (H) | 0-1 (L) |
“It is no easy thing to be turning form on like it is a tap, it doesn’t happen like that, footballers work to a rhythm.
“When you’ve been playing with nothing much on the game for a while, it is hard to suddenly require that edge with the click of a finger.”
Le Bris needs Sunderland to bounce back
If the Black Cats fail to secure promotion, it could be a disaster as they would lose several of their best players.
The likes of Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg and Dan Neil have constantly been linked with moves to Premier League clubs.
Finance expert Dan Plumley has warned that the Mackems will struggle to keep hold of those stars if they do not earn a top-flight berth.
Le Bris needs his players to put their poor form behind them and fire his side to promotion, otherwise a very promising season will go down the drain.