Resilient Sunderland have what it takes to earn promotion this season according to Championship experts.
The Black Cats certainly proved that with their superb 3-2 win at Swansea City after they trailed 2-0. Regis le Bris’ side enjoyed a good week, thanks to wins against Stoke City and Swansea, with a draw against Bristol City sandwiched between.
The recent run of form has helped Le Bris’ men maintain their place in the top six and kept them within touching distance of the likes of Sheffield United and Leeds United at the top of the Championship.
Their current trajectory suggests Sunderland can go all the way and win promotion this season under Regis Le Bris. The hosts on the Second Tier podcast believe Sunderland could achieve that unlikely dream this year. Ryan Dilks has insisted the Black Cats are “well in the hunt” despite that dip in form in November.
And co-host Justin Peach claimed the points dropped during that period have not been all that detrimental to Sunderland’s hopes.
Peach said: “They dropped off the top of the table, but that was always going to be likely. They have a young team, they will develop inconsistencies, they’ve shown symptoms of that but it’s fine, the progress they’ve made is good. It’s positive.
“You have to put a timeline in place and recognise that this season they have been very very good. This result as well, the character of the team was a real positive. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but the character of the team came up trumps. It’s exactly what you need in a promotion race.”
Dilks highlighted the progress Sunderland have made in such a short space of time, saying: “This is their third season back in Championship, so to be flirting with automatic promotion is an incredible rise. If you offered a Sunderland fan this at the start of the season, they’d rip your hand off.”
Earlier in the season, Sunderland appeared to lack a certain mental strength but that looks to have changed now and the win at Swansea was evidence of that.
The pair of pundits also commented on Jobe Bellingham’s contribution to the team this season. Peach said: “He is developing nicely. He just feels like he has that aura, he’s got an ego, he relishes those big games. His finish against Swansea was great, but his movement to get across to the ball was excellent. His celebration, embracing being the man of the moment. He was absorbing it all. It’s good to see young players do that.
“There was a lot of scepticism around him from Sunderland fans last season, lot of inconsistency. But this season he is delivering.”
Dilks commented on the fact that Jude Bellingham’s status may be getting in the way of Jobe’s recognition. He said: “I just can’t believe there’s people out there who think he’s overhyped cos of his brother. I see it a lot on social media, but nothing could be further from the truth.
“He’s such a difference maker. Whether it’s scoring goals or just running midfield, he has been one of the best midfielders in the division this season. And that’s despite him just being 19. They’ll be praying they can hold on to him, but that may be wishful thinking. If he keeps this up, he’s going right to the top.”
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