Tommy Watson development could be catalyst for Sunderland promotion
Tommy Watson is back in training for Sunderland, and his return could be exactly what they need to achieve promotion back to the Premier League.
After what was a remarkable start to the campaign, it has been a little frustrating to see Sunderland’s automatic promotion hopes all but curtailed following the last two defeats.
However, if those chances are gone, the playoffs remain, and it would be a fair argument to make that the Black Cats will head into them as favourites.
In fact, encounters against the teams around them have been Sunderland’s strengths this season, with wins against Sheffield United and Burnley completely overshadowed by defeats to the likes of Hull and Plymouth.
If the Mackems are to be successful, Watson could be the key behind it.
Watson return could be huge for Sunderland
Ever since Watson picked up an injury, Sunderland have been very light for attacking options, with Romaine Mundle only recently making his return.
Before that, the winger impressed with near enough every performance and provided somewhat of an unknown entity for opposition players, which at times proved crucial.
| Championship table (4th-7th) | W | D | L | P |
| Sunderland | 17 | 11 | 6 | 62 |
| West Brom | 12 | 15 | 7 | 51 |
| Blackburn | 15 | 6 | 13 | 51 |
| Coventry | 14 | 8 | 12 | 50 |
His performance against Sheffield United in particular was a real standout, closely followed by the home encounter against Stoke where he bagged his first and second goals of the campaign.
His game has shades of Jack Clarke in it, and if Sunderland are to be victorious in their quest for promotion, having those options up top will be pivotal.
It’s unlikely that Watson will be thrown into the deep end after such a long spell on the sidelines, but the mere option of bringing him on in games could make all the difference ahead of the final 12 encounters.
Sunderland need to find consistency
Perhaps Sunderland’s biggest downfall this season has been their lack of consistency from game to game, especially since the turn of the year.
In one half, Sunderland can look like a team scrapping it out for points at the bottom of the table, while in the other, they look like a team that are fully deserving of where they are.
Finding a balance between those two will be key for the remainder of the season, with momentum certainly needed heading into the playoffs.
Sunderland can make an excellent start to that with Friday night’s clash against Sheffield Wednesday.