Sunderland could be forced to regret previous transfer decision v Coventry City
Coventry City have one player in particular who could cause a lot of damage to Sunderland in the playoffs.
Sunderland’s success could be decided over the next five days, ahead of their semi-final encounter with Coventry City.
Regis Le Bris’ side make the trip to the CBS Arena on Friday night, with hopes of ending their 40-year winless run against the Sky Blues away from home.
However, in order to achieve that, the Black Cats will need to subdue the threat of the home side, and in particular, that of one player who was formerly linked with a move to the Stadium of Light.
Jack Rudoni could have signed for Sunderland
Sunderland will be well aware of the challenge that awaits them tomorrow night, but in theory, it could have been made easier if not for a transfer decision made back in 2022.
Jack Rudoni was at AFC Wimbledon at the time, and his performances in League One caught the eye of several Championship clubs, including Sunderland [Sunderland Echo].
| Coventry City | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Rudoni | 43 | 9 | 12 |
However, after failing in a bid to land the midfielder, Sunderland missed out on his signing, and Rudoni would end up signing for Coventry City instead.
Fast forward to now, Rudoni has been one of the best players under Frank Lampard, and his creativity will almost certainly be the outlet that the Sky Blues look to use in a bid to place one foot in a Wembley for the play-off final.
Le Bris faces toughest challenge yet as Black Cats boss
Overall, Le Bris has impressed in his first season in England, but none of that success will be remembered if Sunderland fall at the last hurdle.
Form is non-existent ahead of the clash, and Le Bris needs to find a way to get his side back to their best in an instant, otherwise they stand no chance of progressing.
Sheffield United face Bristol City in the other play-off semi-final, with one of the two awaiting the winner of this tie at Wembley.